David Paroissien – författare

'Dickens's finest work in the genre of the detective story was his last' The TimesEdwin Drood is contracted to marry orphan Rosa when he comes of age, but when they find that duty has gradually replaced affection, they agree to break off the engagement. Shortly afterwards, in the middle of a storm on Christmas Eve, Edwin disappears. Beyond this there are further intrigues: the dark opium underworld of the sleepy cathedral town of Cloisterham, and the sinister double life of choir-master Jasper, whose drug-fuelled fantasy life belies his appearance. Dickens died before completing Edwin Drood, leaving generations of readers to try and solve its tantalizing mystery.Edited with an Introduction and Notes by David Paroissien

Dickens' 13th novel has remained pre-eminent among readers for good reasons. Great Expectations (published originally as a weekly serial from 1860 to 1861) has an attractive yet flawed first-person narrator. The plot moves forward with compelling momentum, fueled by mystery, romance, and reversals, and graced with an artistry many consider Dickens' most nearly perfect literary achievement. This new reference companion sets out to recover and illuminate the Victorian culture and allusive verbal worlds that inform the novel. How distinctive are the story's temporal and topographical settings? How carefully has Dickens integrated Pip's life story with the embedded histories of a mad, jilted spinster, a beautiful orphan girl, an unscrupulous con man, a fierce yet tender convict and a brilliant criminal lawyer? What relevance does the then of Pip's childhood and the now when he relates the story of his evolution into a gentlemen have to the revised, controversial ending Dickens adopted on the advice of a fellow novelist?David Paroissien draws on a range of 19th-century sources to illuminate the late Georgian and mid-Victorian contexts of Dickens' novel: the brutal punishments that characterized Hanoverian England's legal system; the transportation of felons and their rough lives in Australia's first penal colony; the social mobility a public school education conferred on a swindler and forger; the struggle to gain the desired status of gentleman among brewers, bakers, and a raw young blacksmith; and the changing face of early 19th century London, with its Inns of Chancery and Inns of Court, the vibrant life on the Thames; and the river's lower, deserted reaches, bound by mists, marshes, and tidal flats, which serve as background for the novel's brilliantly menacing opening. The volume provides the most comprehensive annotation of Great Expectations. The annotations identify allusions to current events and intellectual and religious issues, and supplies information on topography, social customs, costume, furniture, transportation, and so on. Identifications are provided for allusions to plays, poems, songs, the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and other literary sources. Elements of Dickens' plots, characterization, and style which are influenced by the works of other writers are also identified. This is indicated when an aspect of the text can be shown to have been influenced by Dickens' own experience. The work of Dickens' illustrators is also discussed. Finally, although the volume does not attempt the work of a modern scholarly edition, material from Dickens' manuscripts and proofs is included when it is of major significance. An indispensable reference tool for all scholars and students of Dickens' pre-eminent novel.

A Companion to Charles Dickens concentrates on the historical, ideological, and social forces that defined Dickens’s world. Puts Dickens’s work into its literary, historical, and social contextsTraces the development of Dickens’s career as a journalist and novelistIncludes original essays by leading Dickensian scholars on each of Dickens’s fifteen novelsExplores a broad range of topics, including criticisms of his novels, the use of history and law in his fiction, language, and the effect of political and social reformExamines Dickens's legacy and surveys the mass of secondary materials that has been generated in response and reverence to his writing

Provides an authoritative treatment of the life, work, and legacy of Charles Dickens A Companion to Charles Dickens is an essential resource for understanding one of the most celebrated authors in English literature. This extensively revised edition features a wealth of new essays alongside select, updated essays from the first edition. Written by leading Dickensian scholars from around the world, these contributions offer critical insights into Dickens's life, works, and lasting influence. The Companion places Dickens's writings within their literary, historical, and ideological contexts, equipping readers with the knowledge to engage with his fiction in a more informed and meaningful way. New chapters examine Dickens's attitudes to the city and to Europe, as well as his evolving literary reputation. Each of his fifteen novels, his Christmas Books, and his sketches is explored in depth, with scholars offering contemporary perspectives on their themes, style, and cultural impact. The contributors also consider Dickens's engagement with visual culture, his use of history in fiction, and the ways his works continue to resonate in modern studies. An indispensable guide for those seeking a deeper understanding of Dickens's world and literary contributions, A Companion to Charles Dickens: Presents newly commissioned essays offering fresh critical perspectives on Dickens's life and worksExplores Dickens's evolving reputation and critical reception over timeContains dedicated chapters exploring key themes and interpretations of all of Dickens's novelsDiscusses Dickens's literary style, narrative techniques, and innovations in storytellingPresents a broad range of perspectives, from biographical studies to thematic and ideological analysesIncludes updated references, bibliographies, and recommendations for further readingA Companion to Charles Dickens, Second Edition is an invaluable reference for undergraduate and graduate students studying English literature, Victorian studies, or cultural history. It is also a must-have for scholars, researchers, educators, and professionals engaged in Dickens studies, as well as general readers with a deep interest in his life and works.