Charles Dickens's Bleak House

by Janice M. Allan (editor)

With its sustained social criticism and complex construction, Charles Dickens's Bleak House (1853) is considered by many critics to be Dickens's most remarkable novel. Janice Allan:


introduces the contextual issues that most directly influenced Dickens's writing and reprints relevant source documents
provides a comprehensive survey of the criticism of Bleak House from publication to the present, then introduces, reprints and annotates extracts from significant critical texts
discusses key passages of the text, which are reprinted and fully annotated for ease of use
includes cross-references throughout, making illuminating connections between the text, contexts and interpretations of the novel
concludes the volume with suggestions to further reading, enabling additional focused study
Both accessible and informative, Janice Allan provides an invaluable guide to one of the nineteenth century's most important and frequently studied novels.

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2004

Reviews

[Hom Sack · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent analysis of the novel. More detailed that I need but very detailed if you're really into the book. The first section "Contexts" about English society at the time is most revealing. The second "Interpretations", especially reviews of the book by Dickens' contemporaries are rather tedious. However, the head-notes to the third "Key Passages" is a delightful read.