Böcker av Charles Dickens

If you look at a Map of the World, you will see, in the left-hand upper corner of the Eastern Hemisphere, two Islands lying in the sea. They are England and Scotland, and Ireland. England and Scotland form the greater part of these Islands. Ireland is the next in size. The little neighbouring islands, which are so small upon the Map as to be mere dots, are chiefly little bits of Scotland,-broken off, I dare say, in the course of a great length of time, by the power of the restless water.In the old days, a long, long while ago, before Our Saviour was born on earth and lay asleep in a manger, these Islands were in the same place, and the stormy sea roared round them, just as it roars now. But the sea was not alive, then, with great ships and brave sailors, sailing to and from all parts of the world. It was very lonely. The Islands lay solitary, in the great expanse of water. The foaming waves dashed against their cliffs, and the bleak winds blew over their forests; but the winds and waves brought no adventurers to land upon the Islands, and the savage Islanders knew nothing of the rest of the world, and the rest of the world knew nothing of them.It is supposed that the Ph¿nicians, who were an ancient people, famous for carrying on trade, came in ships to these Islands, and found that they produced tin and lead; both very useful things, as you know, and both produced to this very hour upon the sea-coast. The most celebrated tin mines in Cornwall are, still, close to the sea. One of them, which I have seen, is so close to it that it is hollowed out underneath the ocean; and the miners say, that in stormy weather, when they are at work down in that deep place, they can hear the noise of the waves thundering above their heads. So, the Ph¿nicians, coasting about the Islands, would come, without much difficulty, to where the tin and lead were.The Ph¿nicians traded with the Islanders for these metals, and gave the Islanders some other useful things in exchange. The Islanders were, at first, poor savages, going almost naked, or only dressed in the rough skins of beasts, and staining their bodies, as other savages do, with coloured earths and the juices of plants. But the Ph¿nicians, sailing over to the opposite coasts of France and Belgium, and saying to the people there, 'We have been to those white cliffs across the water, which you can see in fine weather, and from that country, which is called BRITAIN, we bring this tin and lead,' tempted some of the French and Belgians to come over also. These people settled themselves on the south coast of England, which is now called Kent; and, although they were a rough people too, they taught the savage Britons some useful arts, and improved that part of the Islands. It is probable that other people came over from Spain to Ireland, and settled there.Thus, by little and little, strangers became mixed with the Islanders, and the savage Britons grew into a wild, bold people; almost savage, still, especially in the interior of the country away from the sea where the foreign settlers seldom went; but hardy, brave, and strong.

씁쓸하고 비참하게 열광하는 스크루지에게 크리스마스는 또 다른 날입니다. 그러나 오래 전에 죽은 비즈니스 파트너의 유령이 나타나면 스크루지에게 너무 늦기 전에 길을 바꾸라고 경고하면서 모든 것이 바뀝니다. 씁쓸하고 비참하게 열광하는 스크루지에게 크리스마스는 또 다른 날입니다. 그러나 오래 전에 죽은 비즈니스 파트너의 유령이 나타나면 스크루지에게 너무 늦기 전에 길을 바꾸라고 경고하면서 모든 것이 바뀝니다. 씁쓸하고 비참하게 열광하는 스크루지에게 크리스마스는 또 다른 날입니다. 그러나 오래 전에 죽은 비즈니스 파트너의 유령이 나타나면 스크루지에게 너무 늦기 전에 길을 바꾸라고 경고하면서 모든 것이 바뀝니다.

A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall on December 19, 1843. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. A Christmas Carol tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation into a gentler, kindlier man after visitations by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.The book was written at a time when the British were examining and exploring Christmas traditions from the past as well as new customs such as Christmas cards and Christmas trees.A Christmas Carol remains popular-having never been out of print-and has been adapted many times to film, stage, opera, and other media.

The Masterpieces of World Fiction series brings together the best-loved short stories by the great masters of the genre-from Chekov and Maupassant, Kipling and Wilde, to O. Henry and Saki and Tolstoy and Conrad. Thoughtfully compiled by the bestselling author Terry O' Brien, this series is a great way for readers to revisit old favourites and for introducing literary masterpieces to newer, younger readers.

A Scrooge, vecchio e insensibile usuraio, poco importa del Natale e del bene che potrebbe fare agli altri, da Fred, suo unico nipote, a Bob Cratchit, suo misero e sfruttato impiegato. Ma proprio la notte di Natale gli appare lo spettro del defunto socio in affari, Jacob Marley, il quale, dopo averlo aspramente rimproverato per la sua riprovevole condotta, gli preannuncia la visita di tre fantasmi. Essi gli permetteranno di viaggiare nel Natale passato, presente e futuro e di osservare il suo se stesso com'era un tempo non molto lontano, come fosse profondamente cambiato e a cosa sarebbe andato incontro. Scrooge, provato e colpito da questo viaggio psichico, riesce a comprendere una verità insospettata: solo l'amore può dare un significato alla vita di ogni essere umano. A Christmas Carol, inaugurale racconto natalizio, conserva intatto ancora oggi il suo potere di commuovere e di additare all'umanità un esempio di fratellanza e un cammino di speranza. Mi chiedo se per caso hai letto i Racconti di Natale di Dickens. [...] Io ne ho letti due, e ho pianto come un bambino, ho fatto uno sforzo incredibile per smettere. Quanto è vero Dio, sono meravigliosi, e mi sento così bene dopo averli letti. Voglio uscire a far del bene a qualcuno [...]. Oh, come è bello che un uomo abbia potuto scrivere libri come questi riempiendo di compassione il cuore delle persone!. Così si esprimeva Robert Luis Stevenson, autore dell'Isola del Tesoro, riferendosi ad una delle opere più celebri e lette di Dickens, A Christmas Carol, che risulta essere indubbiamente un piccolo grande libro al fascino del quale è difficile sottrarsi e che, per la prima volta in Italia, è offerto ai lettori moderni col titolo originale in una nuova, integrale e commentata edizione a cura di Enrico De Luca. La copertina riprende la grafica della prima edizione del 1843. ***

"A note on the text: the present edition has been reprinted from the Penguin Classics edition (2003) of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, with an introduction by David Trotter and edited with notes by Charlotte Mitchell. The appendix prints the end of the novel as Dickens originally conceived it."--P. [vii].

Originally serialized in "Bentley's Miscellany" between February 1837 and April 1839, "Oliver Twist," is Charles Dickens's second novel, the classic story of the struggles of a young orphan in 19th century England. When his mother dies in childbirth, Oliver Twist finds himself in a situation of dire poverty. At the time, those who could not afford to provide for themselves were often forced into servitude under the harsh Poor Laws of 19th century England. At the age of nine, Oliver is set to work picking and weaving oakum at the workhouse where he lives. The circumstances of Oliver's life are brutal, with meager food, clothing, and shelter, he finds himself in an unenviable position. "Oliver Twist," is an early example of social criticism, in which Dickens effectively draws attention to the political issues of child labor and the struggles of the poor. Drawing upon his own experiences as an impoverished youth, Dickens brought to light the struggles of the lower classes in a way that continues to resonate with audiences until this day. This edition includes an introduction by Edwin Percy Whipple and is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Our Mutual Friend follows the mental state of a man about to commit the greatest of crimes. The novel combines savage satire with social analysis and centres on what money can make of life."

David Copperfield begins, like other novels by Dickens, with a bleak picture of childhood in Victorian England followed by young Copperfield's slow social ascent, as he painfully provides for his aunt, while continuing his studies.

David Copperfield follows the psychological and moral growth of the narrator, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to maturity. David Copperfield is characterised in the book as trusting, goal-oriented, but as yet immature. The novel begins, like other novels by Dickens, with a bleak picture of childhood in Victorian England, followed by young Copperfield's slow social ascent, as he painfully provides for his aunt, while continuing his studies. David Copperfield is also an autobiographical novel, a very complicated weaving of truth and invention with events following Dickens's own life. Of the books he wrote, it was his favourite. Called "the triumph of the art of Dickens," it marks a turning point in his work, separating the novels of youth and those of maturity. The novel has a primary theme of growth and change, but Dickens also satirises many aspects of Victorian life. These include the plight of prostitutes, the status of women in marriage, class structure, the criminal justice system, the quality of schools and the employment of children in factories.

Chemistry teacher Redlaw is stuck in the past and obsessed with wrongs done to him. When faced with a phantom twin, Redlaw agrees to erase his memories of past grievances and must endure the unexpected consequences of doing so. The fifth and last of Dickens's Christmas novellas, "The Haunted Man" concentrates more on spirit of the holidays than the holidays themselves and is reminiscent of "A Christmas Carol". Dickens's Christmas novels perfectly enraptured the spirit of the Victorian Christmas revival and even inspired a number of traditional aspects of the holiday, including seasonal food and drink, family gatherings, dancing, and more. Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic famous for having created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters. His works became unprecedentedly popular during his life, and today he is commonly regarded as the greatest Victorian-era novelist. This classic work is being republished now in a new edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

In "Oliver Twist," Charles Dickens masterfully intertwines a gripping narrative with social commentary, presenting a poignant depiction of the plight of the impoverished in Victorian England. Through the tumultuous journey of young Oliver, an orphan who escapes the harsh realities of the workhouse, Dickens unveils the grim conditions of the time while employing vibrant characterizations and a keen sense of irony. The novel's serialized format, first published in 1837, allowed Dickens to engage with a wide readership, further amplifying its impact on society's awareness of child labor, crime, and the failings of the legal system. Charles Dickens, born into hardship himself, experienced the struggles faced by the lower classes, which deeply informed his worldview and literary voice. His formative years spent in a factory after his father's imprisonment instilled in him a profound empathy for society's outcasts. This personal history underpins much of his work and is vividly encapsulated in "Oliver Twist," where Dickens channels his own experiences into a compelling narrative that advocates for social reform and compassion for the vulnerable. This novel remains a timeless exploration of human resilience and social injustice. Readers are encouraged to immerse themselves in Oliver's journey, to engage with the colorful array of supporting characters, and to reflect on the broader themes of innocence, morality, and the struggle for dignity in the face of adversity, making it an essential classic for both literary enthusiasts and those interested in social reform.

Widely considered as one of Dickens most superb and complete novels, "Bleak House" contains a more vastly complex and engaging array of characters and sub-plots than any of Dickens's novels. As is commonplace in his works, Dickens satirically criticizes the social inequities of his time turning his attacks in this instance to the judicial system of 19th century England. At the center of the novel is the story of John Jarndyce who is tied up in a long-running litigation concerning an estate to which his wards Richard Carstone and Ada Clare are the beneficiaries. A series of events take the vast array of comic and tragic characters from the slums of London to the mansions of noblemen, involving some in treachery and others in discovery. Dickens blends the perfect balance of comedy and social satire in a story that contains mystery, tragedy, murder, redemption, and enduring love. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.