With our new store, you can browse a wide variety of editions of each of the books that are currently in the Nonesuch Dickens collection. As we grow the site to include more works of Dickens, the store will expand.
Based on the world-famous "Nonesuch Press" edition of 1937, the text for these new editions is taken from the 1867 "Chapman and Hall" editions, which became known as the "Charles Dickens" editions, and were the last to be corrected by the author himself. "The Nonesuch" edition contains illustrations selected by Dickens himself, by artists including Hablot Knight Browne ('Phiz'), George Cruikshank, John Leech, Robert Seymour and George Cattermole. This new collection from Overlook Press reproduces the original elegance of these beautiful editions. Each book is printed on natural cream shade high quality stock. They are quarter bound in bonded leather with cloth sides, include a ribbon marker and feature special printed endpapers. Each book is wrapped in a protective, clear acetate jacket. Not only are these books exquisitely designed for collections, they are a pleasure to read.
Praise for Nonesuch Dickens
“It will never be more possible for a more complete and perfect edition to be put on the market.”
~ Arthur Waugh, Past President, Dickens Fellowship
“No more handsome edition of Dickens has yet appeared, nor is it easy to conceive of any which might surpass this one.”
~ The Daily Telegraph
“One of the most glorious achievements of publishing in our time.”
~ The Scotsman
Articles on Nonesuch Dickens
Definitive Dickens by Bill Eichenberger, from the Columbus Dispatch on December 21, 2008.
The Nonesuch Dickens Redux: A Tale of Contemporary Publishing by David Paroissien from the March 2006 edition of Dickens Quarterly.
Dickens Resources
David Perdue's Charles Dickens site is dedicated to "bringing the genius of Dickens to a new generation."
Read the complete works of Charles Dickens online.
WikiPedia offers up a comprehensive overview of the life and works of Charles Dickens.
Nicholas Nickleby
Dickens' genius for creating eccentric yet entirely captivating characters found its fullest expression in his third novel, Nicholas Nickleby, published in 1839. The ebullient narrative follows Nicholas as he escapes from the influence of his villainous uncle and the wicked schoolmaster Wackford Squeers, stumbles into a theatrical career, and pursues his fortune through numerous adventures.
Great Expectations/Hard Times
Considered by many to be Dickens' masterpiece, Great Expectations, completed in 1861, tells the engrossing story of Pip, a boy whose surprising journey to adulthood is mapped by the unseen hand of an escaped convict he helps one fateful and terrifying night. Hard Times is a gripping novel of childhood, family life, and the evils of industrialization.
Christmas Books
As he composed "A Christmas Carol" in 1843, Dickens said he "wept and laughed and wept again," transported-as countless readers have been since-by the emotional power of Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation from misanthrope to man of good will. Dickens' subsequent holiday books-"The Chimes," "The Cricket on the Hearth," "The Battle of Life," and "The Haunted Man"-are also included in this Nonesuch edition, which features the author's final texts and the illustrations Dickens himself selected to compliment his words.
Oliver Twist
One of the first English novels to feature a child as its protagonist, Oliver Twist, published in 1838, moves through the Victorian underworld to tell a suspenseful tale of innocence threatened-yet ultimately triumphant. Mining memories of his own youth to imagine the experiences of the foundling Oliver, Dickens creates a heartbreaking drama full of unforgettable characters, from the rascal antics of street urchin the Artful Dodger and the manipulative seediness of Fagin to the kindness of prostitute Nancy and the innocence of Oliver, who escapes the horrors of the workhouse only to find himself taken in by a den of thieves in London's underworld.
David Copperfield
"Like many fond parents," wrote Charles Dickens, "I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David Copperfield." First published in book form in November 1850, Dickens' own favorite among his works is his most autobiographical novel, boasting a wealth of adventure and suspense as well as an unparalleled gallery of the author's most memorable characters including Mr Murdstone, David Copperfield's evil guardian and owner of the wine-bottling factory where David makes his living under appalling conditions, the snake-like Uriah Heap whose vanity leads him to cruelty, Mr Micawber, one of literature's funniest characters, and the kind, generous Peggottys, representing all that is good even in the face of adversity.
Bleak House
Published in 1853, Bleak House is one of Dickens' most mature and ambitious novels. From London's slums to the Court of Chancery, where the endless case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce devours the future of several generations, the author's canvas of Victorian society vividly conveys an indictment of legal corruption, a riveting tale of detection, and a compelling emotional drama.
A Tale of Two Cities
Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities is Dickens' masterful portrait of Paris and London. The shadow of the guillotine's blade hangs over two reputable men, one French, one English, as they compete for the love of Lucie Manette.
Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit, originally serialized between 1855 and 1857, satirizes the shortcomings of the government and society of the period. This popular novel introduces a rich and memorable array of characters trying to navigate an often hostile London symbolized by the Marshalsea gaol, where the Dickens's own father had been imprisoned.
Martin Chuzzlewit
Dickens turns his satirical eye on America in Martin Chuzzlewit (serialized 1843-1844), when young Martin embarks on a voyage that is destined to affect the fortunes of his family and his love. This comic masterpiece is the last of Dickens' picaresque novels and introduces one of his greatest villains, Seth Pecksniff.
Note: All reviews come from Amazon.com.
