A Companion to Charles Dickens

There are many works dealing with Charles Dickens and his writings. There is Peter Ackroyd's biography (Ackroyd, 1990), and new titles in the field of Dickensian literary criticism are added to the canon on a regular basis. So what is new about this volume? The key is in the concept of the companion. The Oxford English Dictionary has, as one meaning of companion, “one who associates with, or accompanies another; a mate, a fellow” (Onions, 1973, p. 30). This is precisely the way this volume works: it accompanies the reader, providing assistance, enabling the reader to...