Dickens and the Social Order (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Magnet contends that the four early works ( Nicholas Nickleby, Barnaby Rudge, American Notes, Martin Chuzzlewit ) discussed here seek to define ``Dickens's understanding of the nature and function of society itself, of civilization considered as a general condition. . . .'' Aggression is the topic of Nickleby, with society in various manifestations as its antidote; the later Chuzzlewit takes as its theme the whole issue of ``human nature.'' Thus, these works differ from the more particular late masterpieces. Because the whole Dickens opus is concerned intimately with definitions of social abstractionsparticularity in the late novels being perhaps an added assetthe value of this book lies more in its close thematical analysis of these relatively neglected early texts than in its general claim. Primarily for academic collections. Robert E. Brown, Onondaga Cty. P.L., Syracuse, N.Y.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A book that should significantly alter our general understanding of Dickens. What strikes me as Magnet's central strength is that through his fine attentiveness to the fictional articulation of political issues, he never reduces Dickens's thinking about the social order to a single, programmatic position. . . . From the late 1830's onward, Dickens wrote. . . . out of a profound insight into humanity's capacity for destruction. We are in debt to Myron Magnet for his demonstration of the centrality of this insight and how it was ramified into a systematic view of society which helped generate the imaginative power of Dickens's mature fiction. -- Robert Alter, Commentary, April 1985

In Dickens and the Social Order, Myron Magnet has two principal aims. One is to persuade us that Dickens was far more a novelist of ideas than his reputation suggests; the other is to demonstrate that his liberal (or radical) attitudes were embedded in an essentially conservative view of the world. On both counts, he seems successful; his book is well argued, attractively written and all in all one of the most stimulating studies of Dickens to have appeared in recent years.

Perhaps he will consider writing a sequel; even if it turned out to be only half as good as Dickens and the Social Order, it would be very well worth reading. -- John Gross, New York Times, 1/3/86 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Intercollegiate Studies Institute (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932236376
• ISBN-13: 978-1932236378
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,341,830 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Astutely written and solidly argued, July 16, 2004

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dickens and the Social Order (Paperback)

Also available in a hardcover edition (1932236376, $25.00), Dickens And The Social Order evaluates four of Dickens' early novels - Nicholas Nickelby, Barnaby Rudge, American Notes, and Martin Chuzzlewit - and derives from them Dickens' social philosophy. Presenting the affirmation that Dickens in fact held a surprisingly traditional wordview, as a champion of authority, customs, and accepted mannerly behavior, Dickens And The Social Order progressively reveals Dickens as a solid pragmatist, who considered practical realities first and utopian dreams in a far lesser light than others would claim. Astutely written and solidly argued, Dickens And The Social Order is a welcome addition to classical literary criticism shelves.