In a life spanning 58 years, Charles Dickens was staggeringly productive, producing a crop of classics that has rarely been equaled. Surveying Dickens's career and adding context, Jeremy Clarke selects quotations from the novels, highlighting such unforgettable characters as Mr. Micawber, Fagin, Miss Havisham, and David Copperfield. Also included here are selections from Dickens's sketches and journalism, revealing his insights about such issues as crime, politics, education, family, and money.