The Pickwick Papers

When the Pickwick Club votes to send its members into the country to observe life and report back, its kindly founder Mr. Pickwick and his three companions set out on a series of journeys that lead them into inns, courts, country houses and prisons. Along the way they meet the strolling actor Mr. Jingle, the resourceful servant Sam Weller, and a host of lawyers, coachmen and eccentrics. What begins as a comic travelogue becomes a warm, sprawling portrait of England and a gentle inquiry into friendship, justice and human nature.

The Pickwick Papers was Charles Dickens's first novel, published in monthly instalments in 1836 and 1837, and it made him famous. Readers who enjoy comic set pieces, vivid dialogue and a large cast of memorable characters will find much to delight in. It is also a book with a serious side, touching on debt, imprisonment and the delays of the law.

This edition contains the complete text of the novel, a new introduction for first-time readers, a character guide, a summary of the story, notes on major themes, a glossary of period words and phrases, and discussion questions for book clubs and students.