The Pickwick Papers

Introduction by Peter Washington

By Charles Dickens | Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

About the book

In this classic social commentary from Dickens, Mr. Samuel Pickwick, retired business man and confirmed bachelor, is determined that after a quiet life of enterprise the time has come to go out into the world. Together with the other members of the Pickwick Club: Tracy Tupman, Augustus Snodgrass and Nathaniel Winkle, the portly innocent embarks on a series of hilariously comic adventures. But can Pickwick retain his good will towards his fellow humans once he discovers the evils of the world?

Charles Dickens’s satirical masterpiece, The Pickwick Papers, catapulted the young writer into literary fame when it was first serialized in 1836–37. It recounts the rollicking adventures of the members of the Pickwick Club as they travel about England getting into all sorts of mischief.

Laugh-out-loud funny and endlessly entertaining, the book also reveals Dickens’s burgeoning interest in the parliamentary system, lawyers, the Poor Laws, and the ills of debtors’ prisons.

As G. K. Chesterton noted, “Before [Dickens] wrote a single real story, he had a kind of vision . . . a map full of fantastic towns, thundering coaches, clamorous market-places, uproarious inns, strange and swaggering figures. That vision was Pickwick.”

Editions of The Pickwick Papers

Hardcover
ISBN 9780375405488
Paperback
ISBN 9780812967272
Paperback
ISBN 9780553211238
Paperback
ISBN 9780099518884
EBook
ISBN 9780553902990
Audiobook
ISBN 9780553525649

Read an Excerpt

In this classic social commentary from Dickens, Mr. Samuel Pickwick, retired business man and confirmed bachelor, is determined that after a quiet life of enterprise the time has come to go out into the world. Together with the other members of the Pickwick Club: Tracy Tupman, Augustus Snodgrass and Nathaniel Winkle, the portly innocent embarks on a series of hilariously comic adventures. But can Pickwick retain his good will towards his fellow humans once he discovers the evils of the world?

Charles Dickens’s satirical masterpiece, The Pickwick Papers, catapulted the young writer into literary fame when it was first serialized in 1836–37. It recounts the rollicking adventures of the members of the Pickwick Club as they travel about England getting into all sorts of mischief.

Laugh-out-loud funny and endlessly entertaining, the book also reveals Dickens’s burgeoning interest in the parliamentary system, lawyers, the Poor Laws, and the ills of debtors’ prisons.

As G. K. Chesterton noted, “Before [Dickens] wrote a single real story, he had a kind of vision . . . a map full of fantastic towns, thundering coaches, clamorous market-places, uproarious inns, strange and swaggering figures. That vision was Pickwick.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Pickwick Papers about?

In this classic social commentary from Dickens, Mr. Samuel Pickwick, retired business man and confirmed bachelor, is determined that after a quiet life of enterprise the time has come to go out into the world. Together with the other members of the Pickwick Club: Tracy Tupman, Augustus Snodgrass and Nathaniel Winkle, the portly innocent embarks on a series of hilariously comic adventures. But can Pickwick retain his good will towards his fellow humans once he discovers the evils of the world?

Charles Dickens’s satirical masterpiece, The Pickwick Papers, catapulted the young writer into literary fame when it was first serialized in 1836–37. It recounts the rollicking adventures of the members of the Pickwick Club as they travel about England getting into all sorts of mischief.

Laugh-out-loud funny and endlessly entertaining, the book also reveals Dickens’s burgeoning interest in the parliamentary system, lawyers, the Poor Laws, and the ills of debtors’ prisons.

As G. K. Chesterton noted, “Before [Dickens] wrote a single real story, he had a kind of vision . . . a map full of fantastic towns, thundering coaches, clamorous market-places, uproarious inns, strange and swaggering figures. That vision was Pickwick.”

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Pickwick Papers?

Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre > Classic fiction: literary and general

Where can I read a sample of The Pickwick Papers?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780375405488

Is The Pickwick Papers part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?

Yes it is a part of series Everyman's Library Classics Series

Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Pickwick Papers?

Charles Dickens

Who is the Publisher of the book The Pickwick Papers?

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

The Pickwick Papers is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780375405488) and paperback(ISBN 9780812967272) and paperback(ISBN 9780553211238) and paperback(ISBN 9780099518884) and ebook(ISBN 9780553902990) and audiobook(ISBN 9780553525649)

Where can I buy The Pickwick Papers online or support local independent bookshops?

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Where can I buy The Pickwick Papers?