- Paperback: 896 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (25 Aug 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140621105
- ISBN-13: 978-0140621105
- Product Dimensions: 18 x 12 x 4.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 764,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Pickwick Papers (Charles Dickens)
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Product Description
Review
"No essay in fiction ever gave more incontestable assurance of genius. . . . Never, perhaps, was satire so large-hearted and so entertaining." --George Gissing
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
Dickens's first novel - with its creative use of the old tradition of graphic satire - is an episodic series of adventures featuring the noble Mr Pickwick and a range of characters such as Jingle, Sam Weller and various other members of the Pickwick Club.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 58 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Pickwick Papers was my first real encounter with a Charles Dickens novel. Before I started reading this epic comedy, my only experience of Dickens was having read the seasonal Christmas Books (mini-masterpieces in themselves)and seen the various cinematic adaptations that we are all bought up on. I will confess at this point that I had already seen Noel Langley's 1952 film version of the book, which I deem to be one of the most hilarious films i've ever had the pleasure of seeing, and so I was a bit biased when I started reading.
However, from the first chapter I was hooked and can safely say that the novel surpassed any expectations the film had given me. Never before have I encountered a piece of literature that has made me laugh so much. The novel depicts the adventures of Mr Pickwick and his friends as they travel the country in order to observe human nature. Beyond this, there is only the faintest notion of a plot but this is the intention of the author due to the monthly form in which the book was published. The novel pretends to be nothing more than it is.
And what the novel IS, is jolly good fun. It does not take itself seriously and spans all kinds of humour, ranging from the verbal kind to memorable scenes of slapstick.This is the book by which all other comedies, be they written or cinematic, should be judged! Each new situation is unique and virtually all the characters, be they major ones or minor, are so vividly drawn that they remain with the reader a long while after the novel ends. Each of them from Mr Pickwick to Dodson and Fog are distinct, and what is even more wonderful is that the reader can laugh both at, and with, the characters.
In my view, The Pickwickians and Sam Weller became like good friends, whom I knew I could have a good time with, and indeed I felt surprisingly sad at having to leave them at the end of the book. Also, The Pickwick Papers is a must for anyone interested in the later works of Charles Dickens, since it contains important precursors to themes which he was to focus on in his following novels. The Christmas chapter, for example, which contains a story that appears to be an early version of A Christmas Carol, and the references to the poor and destitute who are depicted through tales told by the characters.
On the whole though this novel is an uplifting read, with plenty of loveable and more importantly realistic characters, that encompasses all areas of human life, from politics to relationships, from sport to the media. A sheer comic masterpiece to raise a smile, no matter how low the reader maybe feeling.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Love the book,definitely my favourite Dicken's but isn't there a
way of indicating print size to avoid problems and pointless purchases for
us older readers?
way of indicating print size to avoid problems and pointless purchases for
us older readers?
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
...Dickens' first novel is a comic masterpiece; his reading public hoped in vain that he would continue to produce humorous novels, and although his subsequent works have humorous (generally satirical) elements, they all fundamentally bear a much heavier, serious message. This is simply an enjoyable romp. "Ode to an expiring frog" is genius.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Pickwick
It's a cheap edtion, but excellent value. O yes, and it's a good read too. A great insight into 18th C England. Magic English too. If you don't like it, it only cost you £2! Read more
Published 8 days ago by T. J. Smtih
A game of two uneven halves
It is odd how frequent reads and re-reads over many years can result in a change of mind with regard to how good a book is or is not. Read more
Published 16 days ago by Mr. J. M. Haines
A Menagerie of Characters travelling around England
A fantastic and evocative series of tales recording the travels of Pickwick and his band. Amusing events link to a firm of doubtful lawyers and the strange world of the debtors'... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jack Alsatian
pickwick papers
not qualified to critisise dickens, but these e books as easy to read as paper, although I still prefer a hardback on my shelf. Delivery was instantaneous
Published 1 month ago by Albert E. Portch
Pickwick Papers
Sadly my review of this purchase is more about the format than the book. The physical format of the book is very small as is the print. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Caerynys
Pickwick Papers
Its a very good read - Dickens at his best. Obviously the download came directly to my Kindle so no problems with distribution etc.
Published 1 month ago by MD
For the first time....
Having completed the books I had on the shelf I wanted something else to read. In this 200th year celebration of Dickens I thought I would try some of his works. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. PE Scrivens
Master piece: Don Quixote abroad
This is a piece of a masterpiece. It is amazing that an young author, hardly over twenty, with a scarce experience, could produce such a piece of comic satire, just under contract! Read more
Published 5 months ago by RAMON
Classic Dickens
Its a cliche to say a classic but the description of the great characters in Pickwick Papers make it so - a brilliant book that should be read again and again. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Keith Bentley
Delightful
One of the very earliest books from Dickens (his first real book, as "Boz" was a compilation of previously published sketches), this one lacks the greatness of the later novels,... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Glasgow Reader
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