Essays about Dickens

[kev67]

I recently read George Orwell's long essay on Charles Dickens, in which he referred to George Gissing's essay on the famous author, written in 1898. Gissing was a big Dickens fan too, at a time when Dickens' stock had fallen. When I searched for it, I noticed there was yet another essay about Dickens, written by G.K. Chesterton in 1906. Being a philistine and an ignoramus, I cannot remember having heard of G.K. Chesterton before, but he is esteemed enough to have his own forum on this site. Wouldn't it be a really great assignment to inflict on some English literature students to write an essay about essays on Dickens?

[cafolini]

We understand Dickens in Russia, I am convinced, almost as well as the English, and maybe even all the subtleties; maybe even we love him no less than his own countrymen; and yet how typical, distinctive, and national Dickens is. ~ Dostoevsky

Tolstoy said that David Copperfield was a big influence in his life.

What about Gogol?

So many others. Dickens is one of the best English writers of history.

[qimissung]

I think that would be an absolutely brilliant assignment!

[mona amon]

Bernard Shaw was a big fan of Dickens and has written some essays on his work, which can be found in a book called Shaw on Dickens. I borrowed it from my library once.

[kev67]

Bernard Shaw was a big fan of Dickens and has written some essays on his work, which can be found in a book called Shaw on Dickens. I borrowed it from my library once.

Well, at least Shaw and Chesterton agreed on one thing. Apparently they were great pals, although they did not agree on much. I used to associate George Bernard Shaw with Oscar Wilde and Whistler, but I think that was more to do with the Monty Python sketch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxXW6tfl2Y0).