A master of extreme situations, Charles Dickens populated his novels with unforgettable characters and elaborate settings. This work is a useful reference to know about Dickens and his work. It contains entries on his works, including the characters in each work, crucial historical and thematic information, and critical discussion.

Coverage includes: a detailed discussion of Dickens' life; synopses and critical examinations of Dickens's published works, major and minor, with extensive analyses of his major novels, including "David Copperfield", "Bleak House", "Oliver Twist", "A Christmas Carol", and more; entries on the characters in his fiction, with major characters receiving extensive commentary; profiles of friends, family, and contemporaries, as well as the places important to Dickens' life and fiction; and discussions of themes and important, broader topics.