Pickwickian Studies

Fitzgerald, Percy, 1834-1925Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 250K words
Chapters: 25

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Pickwickian Studies by Percy FitzgeraldAuthor: Fitzgerald, Percy, 1834-1925,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Nov 15, 2007

Editor's review

This book is Percy Fitzgerald's special study of Dickens's The Pickwick Papers, a work of English literary criticism published by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain e-book. Its value lies not in plot but in close reading that places a classic novel back in its historical context: writing as a Victorian literary man, the author examines characters, scenes, allusions and the background of composition, helping readers understand where Dickens's humor comes from and why it works. For readers who have already read the original and want to dig further into textual details, such a study serves as both annotation and guide; for those studying the reception history of Dickens or nineteenth-century English literary taste, it also has value as a primary source of critical history. It is best read alongside the original, looking back at relevant chapters as you go, for the gains will be clearer. Note that the book was written long ago and its style and evaluative standards bear the marks of its own era; readers should read with a discerning eye and treat it as one historical interpretation rather than the only conclusion.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Dickens readers who have read The Pickwick Papers and want to understand textual details more deeply
Literature students studying nineteenth-century English literature and the reception history of Dickens
English learners who enjoy old-style English critical essays and slow reading
Discussion leaders who need background material for book clubs

Not a good fit for

Beginners who have not read the original and want a plot summary first
Readers seeking modern scholarly perspectives or contemporary theoretical analysis
Readers with weak English reading skills who need Chinese translations and notes

Reading tips

Read the main chapters of The Pickwick Papers first, then compare them one by one with the relevant discussions in this book.
Mark the characters and scenes mentioned as you read and check them against the original to form your own judgment.
Treat the book's evaluations as one view and read them alongside modern Dickens scholarship.
For the English original, read slowly with a dictionary, one or two sections a day, without chasing speed.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can I read this book directly without having read The Pickwick Papers?

You can, but the gains will be noticeably reduced. This book is a special study of the original, with discussions mostly revolving around specific characters, scenes and the background of composition; without an impression of the original, it is easy to read in a fragmentary way. It is best to learn at least the main characters and general structure of The Pickwick Papers first, then return to the criticism for smoother understanding.

Is this book a novel or a work of literary study?

It is a work of literary study, not a novel. Percy Fitzgerald wrote a series of critical and antiquarian pieces on Dickens's The Pickwick Papers, belonging to the English literary criticism tradition of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; expectations should be set on analysis and interpretation.

What should I note when reading the Project Gutenberg edition?

The Project Gutenberg edition is a public-domain e-book with an English text and mainly plain-text layout; it may lack modern annotations and Chinese parallel text. Readers are advised to have a dictionary at hand and to note that the book was written long ago, so some views carry the limitations of their time and should be read with discernment alongside modern scholarship.

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About the author

Fitzgerald, Percy, 1834-1925 Author

Percy Fitzgerald (1834–1925) was an English author whose biographical details are sparsely documented in public sources, and whose name is chiefly associated with Dickens studies. Six of his works are held here, most of them centred on The Pickwick Papers—Bardell v. Pickwick, Pickwickian Manners and Customs and Pickwickian Studies—which examine the novel's legal case, its customs and manners, and textual details, showing a careful interest in Dickens's characters and the life of their time. Another work, John Forster, concerns Dickens's biographer and friend. A Day's Tour and Picturesque London turn to travel writing and the city scene, in a realistic, anecdotal vein. His writing is notable for documentary research and the reconstruction of background, and will appeal to readers interested in Victorian literature and the history of London life.