Charles Dickens led an interesting life, and his novels feature many seemingly autobiographical details. However, he destroyed many of his letters and personal writings, leaving biographers to make educated guesses about some very important aspects of his life. In this book, after some preliminary biography, Paul Schlicke has imagined what it would be like if Dickens had been interviewed by a genial admirer. It is an interesting exercise, and one that I think that my students will be able to relate to and even imitate in their own assignments.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

I loved this unique and informed exploration of Dickens. This is a book to be enjoyed on its own — or, even better, paired as a reading with a classic example.