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The Artful Dickens: The Tricks and Ploys of the Great Novelist
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About This Book
Discover the tricks of a literary master in this essential guide to the fictional world of Charles Dickens. From Pickwick to Scrooge, Copperfield to Twist, how did Dickens find the perfect names for his characters?What was Dickens's favourite way of killing his characters?When is a Dickens character most likely to see a ghost?Why is Dickens's trickery only fully realised when his novels are read aloud? In thirteen entertaining and wonderfully insightful essays, John Mullan explores the literary machinations of Dickens's eccentric genius, from from his delight in clichés to his rendering of smells and his outrageous use of coincidences. A treat for all lovers of Dickens, this essential companion puts his audacity, originality and brilliance on full display.
Reviews
"He is happy to be taken in by Dickens's sorcery ..."
"You must, and should, read Mullan's book."
"Mullan convincingly suggests that writers including Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, and Muriel Sparks draw from the best of Dickens's techniques ..."
"Though he is undoubtedly right to observe how haunted the novels are by intimations of the supernatural, he exaggerates the degree to which this marks them out from their contemporaries ..."
"Based on insightful close readings of Charles Dickens' novels, letters, and meticulously revised manuscripts, literary scholar Mullan offers ample evidence of the 'technical boldness' and 'experimental verve' of Dickens' prolific oeuvre."
"Mullan devotes a thought-provoking chapter to Dickens's fondness for describing the sort of 'visceral event' staged, above all, by olfaction."
"The book is divided into 13 essays which can be read separately, but whose impact is greater when taken together ..."
"Many of his insights come from close comparison of manuscript and printed text ..."
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