Author
Charles Dickens
1812-1870
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is a public-domain author available on Rivro. Read free books, explore subjects, and discover related classics.
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Books by Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities
"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens is a historical novel published in 1859. Set in London and Paris during the tumultuous French Revolution, it follows Dr. Alexandre Manette after his mysterious 18-year imprisonment in the Bastille and his reunion with his daughter Lucie. Their lives become entangled with a French aristocrat fleeing his heritage and a dissolute English lawyer who harbors secret devotion. Against the backdrop of revolutionary terror and violence, personal sacrifices and hidden connections shape their intertwined fates.
Great Expectations
"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens is a novel first published serially from 1860 to 1861. The story follows Pip, a young orphan living with his sister and her blacksmith husband on England's coastal marshes. After a terrifying encounter with an escaped convict and strange visits to the bitter Miss Havisham and her cold adopted daughter Estella, Pip's life transforms when he mysteriously receives a fortune from an unknown benefactor. This bildungsroman explores wealth and poverty, love and rejection, through vivid characters and dramatic scenes that have captivated readers for generations.
A Christmas Carol in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Christmas
"A Christmas Carol in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Christmas" by Charles Dickens is a novella published in 1843. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy miser who despises Christmas. Through supernatural visits from four ghosts—Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future—Scrooge undergoes a profound transformation. This beloved tale has become one of Dickens's most famous works, adapted countless times across virtually every medium and performance genre since its publication.
Bleak House
"Bleak House" by Charles Dickens is a novel published between 1852 and 1853. At its center lies Jarndyce and Jarndyce, an endless legal case in the Court of Chancery involving conflicting wills. The story follows Esther Summerson, an orphan with a mysterious past, and Lady Dedlock, an aristocrat harboring a dangerous secret. As a lawyer investigates Lady Dedlock's hidden connection to a deceased pauper, multiple lives become entangled in the grinding machinery of the law, leading to revelation, illness, murder, and tragedy in fog-shrouded London.
Oliver Twist
"Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens is a novel originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839. The story follows orphan Oliver Twist, who escapes a workhouse and finds himself in London among a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the criminal Fagin. As Oliver navigates this dangerous underworld, mysteries surrounding his parentage begin to surface. Dickens exposes the cruel treatment of orphans and the sordid lives of criminals in mid-19th century England, creating an early social novel that satirizes child labor and exploitation.
David Copperfield
"David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens is a novel published in 1849-1850. Narrated by David himself, this bildungsroman follows his journey from infancy to maturity through Victorian England. After his mother's tragic remarriage to the cruel Murdstone, young David endures hardship at boarding school, child labor in London, and eventual escape to his eccentric aunt. As he grows, David navigates friendship, betrayal, love, and ambition while encountering unforgettable characters—from the villainous Uriah Heep to the devoted Agnes—ultimately seeking his place in the world.
Hard Times
"Hard Times" by Charles Dickens is a novel first published in 1854. Set in the fictional industrial town of Coketown, it satirizes the harsh social and economic conditions of Victorian England. The story follows the rigid utilitarian Thomas Gradgrind, his children Louisa and Tom, the boastful factory owner Josiah Bounderby, and the struggling mill worker Stephen Blackpool. Through their intersecting lives, Dickens examines the grinding divide between wealthy capitalists and exploited workers in post-Industrial Revolution society, questioning whether facts alone can sustain human happiness.
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
"The Mystery of Edwin Drood" by Charles Dickens is a novel published in 1870. Dickens's final and unfinished work centers on John Jasper, a cathedral choirmaster and opium addict who desires his pupil Rosa Bud—the fiancée of his nephew Edwin Drood. When Edwin vanishes mysteriously after a tense reconciliation dinner with his rival Neville Landless, suspicion falls on Neville while Jasper's dark obsessions deepen. Set in the cathedral town of Cloisterham, this mystery remains unsolved, as Dickens died before revealing its conclusion.
Nicholas Nickleby
"Nicholas Nickleby" by Charles Dickens is a novel originally published as a serial from 1838 to 1839. After his father's death, young Nicholas must support his mother and sister, seeking help from their wealthy but cold-hearted uncle Ralph. When Ralph sends Nicholas to a brutal Yorkshire boarding school, he witnesses terrible cruelty and befriends an abused servant boy named Smike. Their escape sets off a chain of events involving theatrical troupes, harassment, schemes, and dark family secrets that will test Nicholas's courage and determination.
The Pickwick Papers
"The Pickwick Papers" by Charles Dickens is a novel serialized from March 1836 to November 1837. It follows the kindly gentleman Samuel Pickwick and three companions as they journey through the English countryside, reporting their adventures to their club. Their travels lead to comic misadventures, colorful characters like the clever servant Sam Weller and the charlatan Alfred Jingle, and an infamous legal case that lands Pickwick in debtors' prison. This publishing phenomenon popularized serialized fiction and defined modern entertainment.
Oliver Twist, Vol. 2 (of 3)
"Oliver Twist, Vol. 2 (of 3)" by Charles Dickens is a novel originally published serially from 1837 to 1839. This second volume continues the journey of orphan Oliver Twist through London's criminal underworld. After escaping a workhouse, Oliver falls into the hands of Fagin's gang of pickpockets but finds refuge with the kind Mr. Brownlow. As mysterious forces conspire to hide Oliver's true parentage, he becomes entangled in robbery, betrayal, and violence that will determine his fate and uncover long-buried family secrets.
A Christmas Carol
"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens is a novella published in 1843. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser visited by the ghost of his former business partner and three Christmas spirits. Through these supernatural encounters, Scrooge confronts his lonely past, observes the present struggles of those around him, and glimpses a bleak future. The question remains: can a lifetime of greed and selfishness be transformed into compassion and generosity before it's too late?
Our Mutual Friend
"Our Mutual Friend" by Charles Dickens is a novel published in 1864–1865. Dickens's final completed work centers on money and its power to shape lives. When heir John Harmon is presumed dead, beautiful Bella Wilfer loses her arranged marriage and fortune. Meanwhile, the illiterate Boffins suddenly inherit wealth, and the Hexam siblings struggle to escape poverty. Through interconnected lives spanning London's social classes, Dickens delivers savage satire and sharp social analysis, exploring themes of identity, greed, and moral transformation in Victorian society.
American Notes
"American Notes" by Charles Dickens is a travelogue published in 1842 detailing his six-month journey through North America. Acting as a critical observer rather than a tourist, Dickens visited cities from Boston to St. Louis, examining prisons, institutions, and society. He praised Boston's beauty and was moved by meeting Laura Bridgman at a school for the blind. However, he sharply criticized slavery, American press sensationalism, public hygiene, and the nation's commercial obsessions, delivering an unflinching analysis of American society's flaws and virtues.
The Old Curiosity Shop
"The Old Curiosity Shop" by Charles Dickens is a novel published serially from 1840 to 1841. The story follows young Nell Trent and her grandfather, who are driven from their London shop by an evil moneylender after the grandfather's gambling debts spiral out of control. The pair flee to the English Midlands as beggars, pursued by various parties with different motives. This tale of virtue, villainy, and sacrifice became so popular that New York readers reportedly stormed the docks awaiting its final installment.
Little Dorrit
"Little Dorrit" by Charles Dickens is a novel published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. Amy Dorrit, born and raised in London's Marshalsea debtors' prison, captures the attention of Arthur Clennam upon his return from twenty years abroad. As Arthur investigates a cryptic message from his dying father, their lives intertwine amid questions of debt, family secrets, and social class. Dickens satirizes Victorian society's failures—from debtors' prisons to government bureaucracy—while exploring how sudden fortune can transform lives and relationships.
Sketches by Boz, Illustrative of Every-Day Life and Every-Day People
"Sketches by Boz, Illustrative of Every-Day Life and Every-Day People" by Charles Dickens is a collection of short pieces originally published between 1833 and 1836. Dickens's first book captures vivid snapshots of London scenes and people through fifty-six sketches divided into four sections. From pen-portraits of eccentric characters to fictional tales, these early works reveal the sharp observational eye that would define Dickens's career. Published under the mysterious pseudonym "Boz," these pieces launched one of literature's most celebrated voices.
Dombey and Son
"Dombey and Son" by Charles Dickens is a novel published in monthly parts between 1846 and 1848. It follows Paul Dombey, a wealthy shipping firm owner obsessed with having a son to inherit his business, who coldly neglects his devoted daughter Florence. When tragedy strikes and his dreams crumble, Dombey's pride leads him through a loveless second marriage, betrayal, and family ruin. The story explores themes of parental rejection, social class, and the destructive nature of pride in Victorian England.
Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty
"Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty" by Charles Dickens is a historical novel published in 1841. Set against the backdrop of London's violent Gordon Riots of 1780, the story weaves together forbidden romances, a decades-old murder mystery, and the simple-minded Barnaby Rudge with his pet raven. As anti-Catholic fervor ignites the city, families are torn apart and ordinary people are swept into mob violence. Churches burn, homes are destroyed, and innocent lives hang in the balance in this tale of social upheaval.
Martin Chuzzlewit
"Martin Chuzzlewit" by Charles Dickens is a novel serialized between 1843 and 1844. This satirical tale explores selfishness through the quarrelsome Chuzzlewit family. When young Martin clashes with his wealthy grandfather over love, he's cast out and apprenticed to the scheming architect Pecksniff. As family members maneuver for inheritance, villains emerge and a journey to America unfolds. Featuring memorable characters like the hypocritical Pecksniff and the notorious Mrs. Gamp, this picaresque adventure weaves deception, romance, and dark schemes into Dickens's sharp social commentary.
The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856
"The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856" by Charles Dickens is a collection of personal correspondence written in the mid-19th century. This volume provides insights into Dickens's thoughts and experiences as he navigates his early literary career, starting with works like "Pickwick Papers" and "Oliver Twist." Through a combination of letters to family, friends, and business associates, the collection reveals the complexities of Dickens's personal and professional life, illustrating his relationships and the events that shaped his iconic career. The opening portion of this collection sets the stage for Dickens's early years as a budding writer living in London. It includes narrations and letters from the period before the publication of his first major work, detailing his time as a parliamentary reporter, his engagement to Catherine Hogarth, and the beginnings of his literary success. Specifically, Dickens discusses the transformative opportunity presented to him by Chapman and Hall to edit a monthly periodical, leading to the inception of "The Pickwick Papers." The letters provide a fascinating glimpse into his daily life, his relationships, and the gradual emergence of his literary genius, laying the groundwork for the rich narrative that unfolds throughout the collection.
Oliver Twist, Vol. 1 (of 3)
"Oliver Twist, Vol. 1 (of 3)" by Charles Dickens is a novel originally published serially from 1837 to 1839. An orphan escapes his brutal workhouse existence only to fall into London's criminal underworld, where a gang of child pickpockets operates under the sinister Fagin. As Oliver struggles between criminality and respectability, mysterious figures conspire to hide his true identity. This pioneering social novel exposes the cruel treatment of orphans and the dark reality of child exploitation in Victorian England.
Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Charles Dickens
"Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Charles Dickens" by Charles Dickens is a comprehensive collection of 29 works, ranging from novels to essays, published during the Victorian era, specifically in the 1800s. This index serves as a guide to the engaging narratives crafted by Dickens, which often explore themes of social injustice, class struggles, and moral redemption in Victorian society. It presents a valuable resource for anyone interested in the breadth of Dickens's literary contributions. The index includes iconic titles such as "A Christmas Carol," "Oliver Twist," and "Great Expectations," each showcasing Dickens's intricate character development and vivid storytelling. The entries range from rich historical novels set against the backdrop of the French Revolution to heartwarming holiday tales, highlighting the duality of human experience. Readers can delve into stories of hope and despair, illustrations of compassion and cruelty, and a rich tapestry of life in 19th-century England, making this index an essential reference for both new readers and long-time fans of Dickens’s work.
Three Ghost Stories
"Three Ghost Stories" by Charles Dickens is a collection of ghost stories published in 1866. The collection includes "The Trial for Murder," where a murdered victim's ghost haunts a jury foreman to ensure justice; "The Haunted House"; and "The Signal-Man." These supernatural tales explore themes of ambiguity, terror through obscurity, and critique of Victorian society. Dickens masterfully creates uncertainty about whether the paranormal events are real or imagined, leaving readers to question the reliability of his narrators and the nature of the spectral encounters they describe.