Dickens: A Life [Hardcover]

Norman Ian MacKenzie (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 446 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; First Edition edition (June 14, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192117416
• ISBN-13: 978-0192117410
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,545,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The author beautifully rendered in his element, October 12, 2011

By 

V.R. Christensen "V.R. Christensen" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dickens: A Life (Hardcover)

This is a really great biography about the life and times of one of literature's most valuable contributors. This is a superb narrative, rich in detail and scope, and portrays the shaping of a man faced with all the complexities of a quickly changing society. Having been born in 1812, Dickens was caught in the wave of a changing moral code and in the wheels of the Industrial Revolution as it charged full steam ahead. It was a time of confusion and chaos. Amidst all this were the difficulties inherent in living in uncertain financial circumstances. From the lowest of social spheres to the highest, Dickens experienced them all, uniquely qualifying him to write upon any subject, in any setting, and to set it all brilliantly to life with a rare gift of language, description, characterisation and wit. This book captures him completely. A fascinating read; I highly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Dickens, the man behind words., April 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dickens: A Life (Hardcover)

Being a lover of fine literature, the world of Charles Dickenshas always held a special place in my heart. It's a place and a timeuniquely his own. I had always know that much of what he wrote about was autobiographical. But not until reading MacKenzie's work did I have a full understanding of the man. She starts with his rough origins, which strongly reflect the world of David Copperfield, takes us through his early working years, his personal life, and lastly, his physical decline. The book gives us insights into the man, and fleshes him out like so many of his characters. MacKenzie describes his jealousy of other writers, his struggle to financially care for his extended family, describes the plays he painstakenly put on with his family and friends, details the summer vacations with his family, his reading tours of America, and, most importantly, his writing. His serialzied novles became the number one source of entertainment in the English speaking world. Crowds would gather on American docks, waiting for the English ships to unload the next installment of his latest novel. Families would gather around and read the work aloud, living and dying with each plot twist. MacKenzie shows how Dickens himself agaonized over every plot twist. The characters would become like family members to him. Bringing harm to them would often bring tears flowing from his eyes as he read the just finished installment to his family and friends. It's well worth the effort to try and find.