The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856

A late night at the writing desk, a publishing offer and a letter to his future wife bring Charles Dickens's working life into view. This first volume gathers correspondence from 1833 to 1856, arranged by year and introduced with brief accounts of events. Edited by Mamie Dickens and Georgina Hogarth, his eldest daughter and sister-in-law, the collection joins literary business with friendships, family news and the small practical concerns of a household.

The early letters show Dickens balancing reporting duties with the beginnings of the Pickwick Papers. Later, his advice to Mary Boyle about shortening an article gives a close view of his editorial habits: he considers structure, length, titles and the demands of a journal. Other letters concern travel and theatrical arrangements. Readers interested in how a novelist works can find the decisions, deadlines and personal exchanges behind the published books, in Dickens's own conversational voice.