Samuel Pickwick is the founder and perpetual president of the Pickwick Club. He and his fellow Pickwickians travel to the far-flung corners of London in search of adventure – luckily for the gentlemen, amusement and hilarity are never in short supply. Along their way, they encounter plenty of characters – from villains who land them in deep trouble to one woman who sues Pickwick to force him into marriage, providing the Pickwickians with plenty of tales to entertain.
Episode List
This book was initially released in episodes as a Kindle Serial. All episodes are now available for immediate download as a complete book. Learn more about Kindle Serials
Episode 1: Released on September 6, 2012. 46 pages. Chapters 1 and 2, originally released in March 1836.
Episode 2: Released on September 13, 2012. 51 pages. Chapters 3 - 5, originally released in April 1836.
Episode 3: Released on September 19, 2012. 63 pages. Chapters 6 - 8, originally released in May 1836.
Episode 4: Released on September 26, 2012. 63 pages. Chapters 9 - 11, originally released in June 1836.
Episode 5: Released on October 3, 2012. 64 pages. Chapters 12 - 14, originally released in July 1836.
Episode 6: Released on October 10, 2012. 63 pages. Chapters 15 - 17, originally released in August 1836.
Episode 7: Released on October 17, 2012. 61 pages. Chapters 18 - 20, originally released in September 1836.
Episode 8: Released on October 24, 2012. 66 pages. Chapters 21 - 23, originally released in October 1836.
Episode 9: Released on October 31, 2012. 60 pages. Chapters 24 - 26, originally released in November 1836.
Episode 10: Released on November 7, 2012. 50 pages. Chapters 27 and 28, originally released in December 1836.
Episode 11: Released on November 14, 2012. 57 pages. Chapters 29 - 31, originally released in January 1837.
Episode 12: Released on November 21,2012. 46 pages. Chapters 32 and 33, originally released in February 1837.
Episode 13: Released on November 28, 2012. 79 pages. Chapters 34 - 36, originally released in March 1837.
Episode 14: Released on December 5, 2012. 65 pages. Chapters 37 - 39, originally released in April 1837.
Episode 15: Released on December 12, 2012. 62 pages. Chapters 40 - 42, originally released in June 1837.
Episode 16: Released on December 19, 2012. 66 pages. Chapters 43 - 45, originally released in July 1837.
Episode 17: Released on December 27, 2012. 53 pages. Chapters 46 - 48, originally released in August 1837.
Episode 18: Released on January 2, 2013. 79 pages. Chapters 49 - 51, originally released in September 1837.
Episodes 19 & 20: Released on January 9, 2013. 78 pages. Chapters 52 - 57. Originally released together in October 1837
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Book Description
Charles Dickens’ first novel, The Pickwick Papers was first published in 1836.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“No essay in fiction ever gave more incontestable assurance of genius. . . . Never, perhaps, was satire so large-hearted and so entertaining.”—George Gissing
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
99 of 102 people found the following review helpful
By Ritesh Laud
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Charles Dickens wrote The Pickwick Papers in his early 20s, but the writing is first rate and as witty as any seasoned author could have done in his place! Like many of Dickens's works, Pickwick was published in monthly installments, or "numbers" as they were called then. Although Dickens originally intended to end the story at the twentieth number, the popularity of the series (and the resultant income) convinced Dickens to double the length to forty numbers. The end result is a large offering that'll take you a while to get through (~750 pages in the excellent Penguin edition, which I read).
Despite its length, Pickwick never tries your patience. It's delightfully humorous from beginning to end. Samuel Pickwick is the bumbling, middle-aged, wealthy namesake of this novel. He's the leader of a small group of single men that gets into all sorts of mischief, both physical and social. Booze is rampant. Apparently liquor back then was much more a part of daily life than today; everywhere these guys go they party and get drunk. They get into trouble with the law, women, unsavory characters, and more.
Characterization is superb. This is one of the few novels I've read for which I can actually say that I got to know the characters. In most books I've read, the characters remain two-dimensional and the plot is what carries the story. In Pickwick, the *characters* are the essence of the story and the novel wouldn't be memorable at all if a lesser author were attempting to breathe life into these people.
The Penguin edition includes a decent collection of endnotes to help explain unfamiliar portions of the text. Nevertheless, there were still quite a few words and concepts peculiar to early 19th century England that I didn't grasp. This edition also has maps of southern England and a key to the specific locations that the Pickwickians visit. In addition, two appendices reprint some of the announcements and prefaces that Dickens wrote in relation to the work.
Highly recommended, particularly if you enjoy classic literature! Dickens's later works overshadow this gem due to their maturity, but Pickwick beats them all in enthusiasm, humor, and wit.
61 of 63 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have absolutely no doubts whatsoever that Charles Dickens, if he lived today, would still classify as an author's author. He's a master of all the things that make for great writing and storytelling. Dickens has an ear for dialogue most authors would kill their own mothers to possess. He also is a master of creating vivid scenery, another sign of excellence essential to great writing and one which many authors lack. Finally, but not least in importance, Dickens knows character development. He REALLY knows how to develop intriguing characters, to the point where many of his books spawned figures that have become literary archetypes. Not bad for a guy who grew up in extremely adverse circumstances. He even spent some time in a factory sticking labels on bottles after his father's imprisonment for debt. Most people wouldn't recover from such poverty, but Dickens did. He went on to a successful career in journalism before settling down as an author of serial novels. This format, which allowed Dickens to write and release his stories piecemeal, made him a great success with the public. The anticipation for the latest chapter or two of his stories often led to near riots. Not many writers can duplicate this feat today.
"The Pickwick Papers" is one of Dickens's earliest works, written when the author was a mere twenty-four years old. You wouldn't know his age by reading the story, though. "Pickwick" is a work that delivers healthy doses of sophisticated humor, keen observations on pressing social issues, romance, and a mature knowledge of human behavior. It's of course fiction, although Dickens presents the story as a true series of events documented by the "Pickwick Club," a social organization founded by retired businessman and all around merry fellow Samuel Pickwick. In the 1820s, Pickwick and several friends embark on a series of journeys through Southern England, a journey that lasts for roughly two years. Ostensibly, the businessman and his fellows take the trips to learn more about their country. Instead, their travels turn into a series of often hilarious events mixed with a few serious scrapes. Pickwick must constantly save individuals from the machinations of one Alfred Jingle, an itinerant scalawag with a penchant for wooing women for their money. In between these adventures, our hero must contend with a lawsuit filed by a former female employee who thought he wanted to marry her, save his friends from numerous imbroglios involving members of the opposite sex, survive a stay in a debtor's prison, and live through a couple hundred other adventures both major and minor.
If I had to list one overarching theme I enjoyed most about "The Pickwick Papers," it's got to be the humor. This book is one of the funniest things I've read in ages. We're talking laugh out loud and laughing later when remembering scenes from the book funny. Much of the humor centers on Pickwick's manservant Sam Weller, a guy prone to uttering some of the most hilarious sayings you'll likely see in any book. Weller's father is even more amusing, and when father and son sit down to write a letter to a lovely young woman who's caught Sam's eye, well, prepare to hold your sides. Also worth a belly laugh or two is the chapter where Pickwick and his friends visit the town of Eatanswill in time to witness the results of a contentious local election. Dickens's observations about party politics and media manipulation are not only highly amusing, but also relevant to our own age. And who can forget the courtroom scenes where the lawyer makes Pickwick, this kindly old gentleman who wouldn't hurt a fly, look like an absolute monster? I could go on and on. If you read this book without cracking up, check your pulse because you're probably dead.
Another element of the book I enjoyed concerns Dickens's ability to write scenes that simply overflow with the joy of living. A lengthy chapter describing Pickwick's stay with some country friends over Christmas serves as an excellent example. The sheer bliss of this part of the book is infectious, as Dickens makes us marvel at the simple delight of spending a few days in the company of good friends, good food, and good entertainment. On the other hand, the author isn't above indulging in an activity he's become famous for, namely showing the reader the depths of human suffering. There is far less misery in "The Pickwick Papers" than there is in "Oliver Twist," to cite one example, but it's still here. The debtor's prison in which Pickwick stays for a time provides the author with a perfect forum for attacking England's tradition of imprisoning those unfortunate souls who cannot pay their creditors. I marvel at how Dickens can balance these two extremes in the space of a single novel. In this way, "The Pickwick Papers" manages to encompass life in both its good and bad aspects.
I read the Penguin Classics edition of "The Pickwick Papers," and I'm glad I did. The supplementary material is copious and helpful more often than not. I didn't care much for the introduction from Robert L. Patten, however, which I thought tried to read too much into the story. I did appreciate the footnotes that help explain the English geography, slang, and popular culture references found throughout the story. Further material provides information on the three illustrators who worked on the story, biographical details of Dickens's life, and even maps tracing Pickwick's myriad travels through the English countryside. Reading "The Pickwick Papers" makes me realize that I've neglected this author's works for far too long. I can't praise this book enough; it's that entertaining and that good. Give it a go as soon as possible!
"The Pickwick Papers" is one of Dickens's earliest works, written when the author was a mere twenty-four years old. You wouldn't know his age by reading the story, though. "Pickwick" is a work that delivers healthy doses of sophisticated humor, keen observations on pressing social issues, romance, and a mature knowledge of human behavior. It's of course fiction, although Dickens presents the story as a true series of events documented by the "Pickwick Club," a social organization founded by retired businessman and all around merry fellow Samuel Pickwick. In the 1820s, Pickwick and several friends embark on a series of journeys through Southern England, a journey that lasts for roughly two years. Ostensibly, the businessman and his fellows take the trips to learn more about their country. Instead, their travels turn into a series of often hilarious events mixed with a few serious scrapes. Pickwick must constantly save individuals from the machinations of one Alfred Jingle, an itinerant scalawag with a penchant for wooing women for their money. In between these adventures, our hero must contend with a lawsuit filed by a former female employee who thought he wanted to marry her, save his friends from numerous imbroglios involving members of the opposite sex, survive a stay in a debtor's prison, and live through a couple hundred other adventures both major and minor.
If I had to list one overarching theme I enjoyed most about "The Pickwick Papers," it's got to be the humor. This book is one of the funniest things I've read in ages. We're talking laugh out loud and laughing later when remembering scenes from the book funny. Much of the humor centers on Pickwick's manservant Sam Weller, a guy prone to uttering some of the most hilarious sayings you'll likely see in any book. Weller's father is even more amusing, and when father and son sit down to write a letter to a lovely young woman who's caught Sam's eye, well, prepare to hold your sides. Also worth a belly laugh or two is the chapter where Pickwick and his friends visit the town of Eatanswill in time to witness the results of a contentious local election. Dickens's observations about party politics and media manipulation are not only highly amusing, but also relevant to our own age. And who can forget the courtroom scenes where the lawyer makes Pickwick, this kindly old gentleman who wouldn't hurt a fly, look like an absolute monster? I could go on and on. If you read this book without cracking up, check your pulse because you're probably dead.
Another element of the book I enjoyed concerns Dickens's ability to write scenes that simply overflow with the joy of living. A lengthy chapter describing Pickwick's stay with some country friends over Christmas serves as an excellent example. The sheer bliss of this part of the book is infectious, as Dickens makes us marvel at the simple delight of spending a few days in the company of good friends, good food, and good entertainment. On the other hand, the author isn't above indulging in an activity he's become famous for, namely showing the reader the depths of human suffering. There is far less misery in "The Pickwick Papers" than there is in "Oliver Twist," to cite one example, but it's still here. The debtor's prison in which Pickwick stays for a time provides the author with a perfect forum for attacking England's tradition of imprisoning those unfortunate souls who cannot pay their creditors. I marvel at how Dickens can balance these two extremes in the space of a single novel. In this way, "The Pickwick Papers" manages to encompass life in both its good and bad aspects.
I read the Penguin Classics edition of "The Pickwick Papers," and I'm glad I did. The supplementary material is copious and helpful more often than not. I didn't care much for the introduction from Robert L. Patten, however, which I thought tried to read too much into the story. I did appreciate the footnotes that help explain the English geography, slang, and popular culture references found throughout the story. Further material provides information on the three illustrators who worked on the story, biographical details of Dickens's life, and even maps tracing Pickwick's myriad travels through the English countryside. Reading "The Pickwick Papers" makes me realize that I've neglected this author's works for far too long. I can't praise this book enough; it's that entertaining and that good. Give it a go as soon as possible!
80 of 85 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This edition (ASIN B002RKSXJQ) is poorly formatted. There is a wide left margin throughout, and the amusingly long chapter titles get progressively smaller every few lines.
I was willing to put up with it until I came to the scene in the parlor at Manor Farm, which appears to be missing some text. Either that, or Dickens is more post-modern than I thought, trailing off (with no punctuation) in the middle of a sentence.
Amazon needs to do some quality control on this edition, and remove it from the store. There are plenty of others, why waste our time by listing inferior product?
I was willing to put up with it until I came to the scene in the parlor at Manor Farm, which appears to be missing some text. Either that, or Dickens is more post-modern than I thought, trailing off (with no punctuation) in the middle of a sentence.
Amazon needs to do some quality control on this edition, and remove it from the store. There are plenty of others, why waste our time by listing inferior product?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Pickwick Papers
Of course, anything by Charles Dickens is worth reading, and worth reading more than once! These are well-written classic stories.
Published 28 days ago by Deb Butler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pickwick Papers-Very Entertaining
I visited the house Dickens lived in when he wrote this book, and have enjoyed some of his other works. This is so entertaining!
Published 1 month ago by Pete Duskey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great reading
This is a wonderful book with lots of colorful characters and twisting plots. I always have liked the way Dickens writes.
Published 1 month ago by Mark E. Johnsey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lighthearted and whimsical
The Pickwick Papers was actually Charles Dickens' first novel, and it was first published in a serialized manner - appearing as 19 booklets, published over 20 months, and costing... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kurt A. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love my Kindel
I haven't started this book yet because I am reading another one now. But I am very happy with the books I get from Amazon to read on my Kindle. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mommo TC
2.0 out of 5 stars
Too small.
This book is thicker than it is wide with tiny type. The description may have explained how small the book is but I didn't realize this would be painfully small.
Published 2 months ago by James C. Morrison
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of Dickens' best!
Have been trying to read or reread all of Dickens. This is one of his best and funniest. Excellent reportage on the society of the times, particularly class stratification and the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Joan A Sparkman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Story, Though Small Print
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens is one of my absolute favorite reads. His quirk and humor, interesting characters, and engaging writing are all wonderful. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Gary L. Watts
3.0 out of 5 stars
still working on it, easy to put down so far.
book is a little slow and hard to get into. i'm not there yet. bounces back and forth a lot
Published 3 months ago by jill
3.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting exercise
I have to say that it was fun to read this as a serial. Be forewarned, however, that parts of this book are quite arcane; and without the aid of any footnotes, some if it is very... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mainelydad
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