The Lantern

"This is not the republic of my imagination," Charles Dickens noted ruefully of his 1842 visit to the United States. His American Notes forms a stinging reproof of the country's embrace of slavery, its corrupt press and woeful sanitary conditions, and its citizens' offensive manners. Written with the author's customary observational powers and incisive wit, this volume offers a fascinating glimpse of 19th-century America. Dickens was not entirely...

Here is the second volume; the first volume of short works - fiction, essays, poetry and speeches celebrating Dickens' birthday on February 7th 2012. The wonder of Charles Dickens resides in his unparalleled ability to transport readers into the vivid tapestry of Victorian England. With an uncanny knack for illuminating both the harsh realities of life in the 19th century and the enduring resilience of the human spirit, Dickens crafted stories that...

Olvier Twist is a poor orphan boy cruelly treated in the public workhouse. Pennyless and hungry, he runs away to London, only to fall into the clutches of a gang of thieves and pickpockets led by the master crimminal, fagin. Befriended by a man robbed by the gang, Oliver ultimately learns his true identity and gains a home, a fortune, and a family!