Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens

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Gutenberg ID

22362

Title

Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

G. K. Chesterton offers a spirited defense of Charles Dickens, arguing that the author's genius lies in his prophetic vision of social change and his unique ability to blend the grotesque with profound joy. This collection of essays re-evaluates Dickens not as a Victorian relic, but as a timeless voice who anticipated modern realities, from the rise of the cosmopolitan financier to the enduring spirit of Christmas.

Summary up to 500 words

In *Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens*, G. K. Chesterton challenges the prevailing view that Charles Dickens was merely a caricaturist of a fading Victorian world. Chesterton argues that Dickens possessed a sober, scientific foresight regarding social shifts that his more pretentious contemporaries, such as Anthony Trollope and George Eliot, missed. While critics claimed Dickens could not describe a gentleman or lacked a university education, Chesterton contends that Dickens accurately foresaw the coming changes in society, including the rise of socialism and the emergence of a new, cosmopolitan financier type, long before these movements were named. The essays traverse Dickens's major works, from the innocent optimism of *The Pickwick Papers* to the prophetic warnings in *Hard Times* and the complex social satire of *Our Mutual Friend*. Chesterton highlights Dickens's unique literary method: the use of the grotesque and the ugly to express true happiness, a technique perfected in his Christmas tales. He contends that Dickens's characters, like Pickwick and Sam Weller, possess a supernatural independence, growing away from their creator into immortal figures. Chesterton notes a peculiar shyness between Dickens and his creations, suggesting they became independent entities that could not be easily recaptured by the author. The text also addresses the 'relic-hunting' worship of Dickens, noting how his political attacks on corruption have ironically become the very monuments preserved by admirers. For instance, the fictional corrupt town of Eatanswill is still claimed by real towns as its namesake, and his jokes are quoted by the very officials he sought to satirize. Chesterton posits that Dickens remains modern because he belonged to the developments of the age, foreseeing the struggles of the future while capturing the eternal human heart through a mix of physical metaphor, dramatic crisis, and festive defiance. Ultimately, Chesterton asserts that while Thackeray belongs to the past, Dickens belongs to the future, remaining relevant to the developments of the modern world.

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Categories

• Classics
• Literary Criticism