Pikeville Chronicle

Author: Charles Dickens
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: The Pickwick Papers published in this edition are Dickens's breakthrough work. It mainly depicts the humorous experiences of the owner Pickwick and his three friends traveling on a journey for "enriching knowledge," accompanied by servants, touching upon many dark aspects of society at the time: The morally perfect and naive Mr. Pickwick is falsely accused by a greedy and cunning widow in court, claiming that he broke his promise to marry her; he falls into the hands of litigants, spends some time in a debtors' prison, witnessing countless misfortunes in the world inside the prison; he also meets Mr. Jingle, an adventurer and rogue, who is one of the most interesting characters in the novel. However, the tone of the work is optimistic, offering gentle satire and critique of society. Real life is painted with pastoral colors; a bright and optimistic, lively feeling makes reality seem warm. Whenever the innocent members of the "Pickwick Club" encounter their shrewd and hypocritical compatriots, the humor they create, along with the witty sayings of their clever servants, immediately reveals the author's critical perspective, sharp pen, and humorous, clever puns, as well as the exaggerated caricatures of characters.