The Chimes

Charles Dickens needs no formal introduction, having been the most popular English writer of the 19th century and still one of the most popular writers in history today. Dickens’ upbringing was a mixture of happy times and sad: when he recalled his father being sent to debtor’s prison in his memoirs, his tears actually left marks on the page.  By the time he died at the relatively young age of 58 from a stroke, he was already Europe’s most famous writer. His obituary noted that Dickens was a “sympathizer with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed.” Dickens was interred in Westminster Abbey, a rare honor bestowed only among the greatest and most accomplished Britons. 

Many of Dickens’ novels were written with the concept of social reform in mind, and Dickens’ work was often praised for its realism, comic genius and unique personalities. This was also the case in The Chimes, which was another one of his Christmas novels, though obviously not as well known as A Christmas Carol. Written a year after that more famous work, The Chimes derived its name from Dickens being inspired by bells in Genoa, and before his publisher knew it, Dickens was turning in yet another Christmas title with those "chimes" in mind.  

This edition of The Chimes is specially formatted with illustrations and a Table of Contents for easier navigation.