Dombey and Son

Dombey and Son is a novel by English author Charles Dickens. It follows the story of a powerful man, a shipping company owner, Paul Dombey, who is proud, wealthy, arrogant and frigid, and whose callous neglect of his family triggers his professional and personal downfall. His fortunes begin to decline as he gets upset by the absence of a son to follow in his footsteps as a result of which he initially rejects his daughter's affection. He is a man to whom the idea of "Dombey and Son" is paramount. The work exemplifies the author's talent for rich characterisation and eerily accurate description.