A great children's version of the classic Christmas Carol story. Beautifully illustrated with a simple, yet heartwarming tale.
I highly recommend it!

Chesterton is at his best in his criticism, and this is no exception. His novels show something o the Dickensian flare, but nowhere is he more apreciative of the master than here.

The Baron Of Grogzwig is a wonderfully original Charles Dickens ghost story that is adeptly edited into a picturebook format by Shirley Greenway and charmingly illustrated by Rowan Barnes-Murphy. It's the story of young Baron Von Koeldwethout of Grogzwig, Germany, who lives in a fine, old crumbling castle with excellent hunting. But the baron grows discontented with simply doing what he likes every day and decides to get married. He woos the daughter of the Baron Von Swillenhausen and takes up the joys of family life. But by the time he is a fat and hearty forty-eight years of age the baron finds himself saddled with an unhappy wife, thirteen children, and no fortune, feasting, revelry, or hunting! Depressed, the baron decides to end it all. As he sat and thought about his present troubles and the happy days of his bachelorhood, he sees the apparition of the "Genius of Despair and Suicide" before him. Can the baron defeat this ghastly apparition and retain his contented good humor -- or is this the end? An engaging picturebook story, beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told.

This is one of Dickens' most mature, sophisticated, and modern works, largely free of the sentimentality and crowd-pleasing melodrama for which he is known. An angry work filled with spleen about the inhumanity of the legal system and the way it grinds people up and spits them out, Bleak House is also notable for the strong ray of hope it holds out in the person of its protagonist, Esther Summerson, and her guardian, Tom Jarndyce. The story concerns an interminable legal case, Jarndyce v. Jarndyce, that has been grinding on for so long that nobody involved with it really knows what it's about anymore, and any money that could possibly be won by any of the litigants has long been swallowed up by legal fees. Caught up helplessly in this incomprehensible mess are Tom Jarndyce and his orphaned wards Esther Summerson and the kissing cousins John and Ada Clare. Also involved in the affair in some mysterious way are the haughty and aristocratic Dedlocks and an enigmatic legal clerk known only as Nemo--the Latin word for "no one." Part mystery, part legal thriller, Bleak House is also one of Dickens' most satisfying books for a modern reader. As a spirited indictment of the legal system it ranks with Nicholas Nickleby and Our Mutual Friend as among Dickens' strongest statements on the side of the poor and disenfranchised against the faceless powers that would crush them.

Very humorous. I did much laughing out loud.

I found this in a 2nd hand store (1875; 1st US edition), and it is a complete howl! I like reading old books, but I hadn't read much Dickens. The personality sketches, 2-3 pages each, do help us understand people of that era, and, with a little cultural translating for the norms of the day, I recognized people I know in them today!

I'm sure someone soon will publish this book at an affordable price. It would absolutely sell!

Also included in the book are drawings by (I'm guessing Dickens' pal) Charles Welsh. I believe they are cartoons of their day. They are mildly amusing, but the book wouldn't lose anything without them.

"Great Expectation" is a worldly renowned book written by Charles Dickens. The story takes place during the nineteenth century. Pip, an ordinary yet unexpected boy, is the main character of this distinguished book. Pip lived in a relatively poor family that consisted his older sister and his sister-in-law, Joe, a friendly blacksmith. Although his life was usual and common, Pip was a happy boy who showed enthusiasm to life and great respects to others. However, his personality changed significantly ever since he met Estella, a charming yet icy girl. To Pip, his beloved Estella was like a heaven, he would give up everything just to please her. He realized that in order for Estella to love or even take notice of him, it was compulsory for him to upgrade to the upper class. In reaching his great expectation, which was to satisfy Estella, Pip chose to neglect those who concerned him and deliberately went off to London to learn to be a real "gentleman." In the process of his learning, he gained valuable experiences on the perspectives of live and the definition of love. He has never thought of that this beloved darling; Estella was simply a trap or a revenge of an old lady, Miss. Havisham. This great book is filled with lots of exciting and unforgettable climax and plots. If you want to experience it yourself, I would highly recommend you go grab a "Great Expectation" as soon as possible!

"A Success. 'Charles Dickens - Sketches of Boz' is an engrossing three-dimensional biography." "A unique one-man play" superbly directed by Peter Loftus, "Sketches of Boz" creates a cast of many characters and faithfully portrays "Dickens in different stages of life, as a boy, a teenager and an adult." Dickens vividly springs "to life in the words and imagination of Richard Enders ... It is difficult for one actor to carry a theme by himself; Enders' superb performance carried an entire play." ... excerpted with permission from a review by Pat Malin in "The Waterville Times," February 12, 1997.

This play went on to be produced Off-Broadway in 2000 by the Theatre @ St. Clements, 46th Street, NYC (performances were held at the Irish Arts Center).

Which home does not have Dickens on their shelves? We have sought to have our children learn from the great thinkers of all times and truly Dickens is one the greatest! This collection is a must. Not only is it Dickens, but Alex Jennings is fantastic as he reads with such life and vigor! It is nice and relaxing to let him do the reading...his example challenges the children to want to read LIKE him! Plus, you will find that you can expose your children to the great works of literature while you are busy on the go! We have used these tapes during the holidays for A Christmas Carol as we were busily taking care of all the "have-to-do's." Dickens added spice to our holidays. Plus, in this collection you also get to enter into the world of little Oliver Twist...my children wanted to adopt him! David Copperfield quickly became another part of our lives as well! Do not miss this classic collection...it will become part of your family as you introduce them to the great thoughts of one of the greatest thinkers of all times!

This exhaustive two-volume tome set the standard for twentieth century biography, and belongs on the shelf of every well-read Dickens fan or public library. Great for researching, critical analysis, or enjoyment of this monumental life.

G.K. is here at his most intelligent and flamboyant best, thanks to a truly great subject. Dickens, contends GK, is not appreciated because he views life from an entirely different angle than does, say, Henry James. It's not that Dickens fails at this or that, as critics contend; Dickens's aims are different in toto, and at doing what he does Dickens is perfect, superb, inimitable. He does not analyze; he is not realistic; he was not trying to be. He observes, he invents; he creates archetypes that are utterly unrealistic and thus more real than reality.

GK, fired with a love of his subject so bright one can almost see it on the page, makes his arguments in the midst of a hodge-podge of information. He discusses Dickens's works, giving descriptions and quotations so enthusiastic that, if anything could make someone want to read Dickens, this stuff would. He discusses Dickens, his character, life, and times, and the nature of greatness ("Almost from the very first there was a school of thought that held that Dickens was one of the great ones. Dickens certainly belonged to this school"). History, biography, philosophy, literary criticism--all written in typical GK style, with the utmost clarity and a constant and tremendous awareness of words and their sounds, resulting in rampant word play. In short, the book is a total package: a joy to read both because of what it says, what it evokes, and how it says and evokes what it does. 'Charles Dickens' is the literary equivalent of food; it should be taken regularly, and, gobbled or savoured, will nourish.