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Dickens: The Funny Bits
A hilarious anthology of the funniest bits from Dickens’ novels, with a foreword by bestselling author Nick Hornby. The Funny Bits is a brilliant anthology of the funniest extracts from Dickens’ novels featuring his famous comic characters such as the Artful Dodger, Mr. Pickwick, Mr. Micawber, Dick Swiveller, Mr. Wopsle, and the Aged P. Organized by novel, the extracts act as standalone vignettes or set pieces and are illustrated with the much-loved line drawings from the early editions, including work by George Cruikshank, Phiz, John Leech, and Marcus Stone. Complete with an introduction from author Nick Hornby, this work also includes passages from Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Great Expectations, and A Christmas Carol, as well as the unfinished Mystery of Edwin Drood. This work is a super gift for any Dickens fan as well as any reader with an appreciation of the power of humor.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published November 21, 2024
About the author
Charles Dickens
13.8k books32.4k followersCharles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.
Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.
(from Wikipedia)
Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
November 18, 2024
An enjoyable resource for scholars and serious Dickens fans
Dickens: The Funny Bits begins with a short foreword by Nick Hornby and an essay written by R. J Cruikshank in 1952 on the humor in Dickens. Except for that, Dickens: The Funny Bits consists entirely of very short excerpts designed to highlight the funny side of Dickens, some as short as two pages, from sixteen books by Charles Dickens. There is no discussion of these excerpts, so it is up to the reader to put them in the context of the book in which they appeared. At one point I would probably have recognized the context of the excerpts, but it has been long enough since I read them that I would need a bit of help from the editor. I was such a big Dickens fan that I purchased his complete works, but that was MANY years ago, and I simply could not recall some of the characters or the settings well enough to understand their significance or find them funny.
The excerpts are accompanied by a number of charming illustrations that you do not need the story context to enjoy. To appreciate them properly, I recommend a hardcopy version of the book rather than an e-reader or, worse yet, a phone.
Although I did not get as much entertainment from Dickens: The Funny Bits as I had expected, the book has motivated me to pull out my old copies and reread some of my favorites. If your acquaintance with Dickens is also a bit old, I suggest you revisit the books BEFORE you read this one for maximum enjoyment of both.
I received an advance review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Bodleian Library.
Dickens: The Funny Bits begins with a short foreword by Nick Hornby and an essay written by R. J Cruikshank in 1952 on the humor in Dickens. Except for that, Dickens: The Funny Bits consists entirely of very short excerpts designed to highlight the funny side of Dickens, some as short as two pages, from sixteen books by Charles Dickens. There is no discussion of these excerpts, so it is up to the reader to put them in the context of the book in which they appeared. At one point I would probably have recognized the context of the excerpts, but it has been long enough since I read them that I would need a bit of help from the editor. I was such a big Dickens fan that I purchased his complete works, but that was MANY years ago, and I simply could not recall some of the characters or the settings well enough to understand their significance or find them funny.
The excerpts are accompanied by a number of charming illustrations that you do not need the story context to enjoy. To appreciate them properly, I recommend a hardcopy version of the book rather than an e-reader or, worse yet, a phone.
Although I did not get as much entertainment from Dickens: The Funny Bits as I had expected, the book has motivated me to pull out my old copies and reread some of my favorites. If your acquaintance with Dickens is also a bit old, I suggest you revisit the books BEFORE you read this one for maximum enjoyment of both.
I received an advance review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Bodleian Library.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review