The Pickwick Papers

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, better known as The Pickwick Papers, is the first novel by Charles Dickens. It was originally an idea by Robert Seymour the illustrator, which Dickens was asked to contribute to as an up and coming writer following the success of Sketches by Boz, published in 1832. Dickens, overconfident as ever, increasingly took over the unsuccessful monthly publication after Seymour had committed suicide. With the introduction of Sam Weller the book became the first real publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books and other merchandise. It was inspired by a town, Corsham. The name Pickwick is likely to have come from that of a nearby farm, Pickwick Lodge Farm. Pickwick is the part of Corsham which is on the A4; once the main road from London to Bristol.

The Plot

The novel's main character, Mr. Pickwick, is a kind old gentleman, the founder of the Pickwick Club. He is usually portrayed by illustrators as a round-faced, clean-shaved, portly gentleman wearing spectacles. Mr. Pickwick's travels with his friends, Mr. Winkle, Mr. Snodgrass, and Mr. Tupman, and their adventures is the chief theme of the novel. Some memorable adventures are: Mr. Pickwick's legal case against his landlady who is suing him for the breach of promise to marry and Mr. Pickwick's incarceration at the Fleet for his stubborn refusal to pay some of his debts. Although The Pickwick Papers has a rather irregular structure, with many unconnected adventures and the absence of a thought-out plot, its main literary value and appeal is formed by its numerous unforgettable heroes. Each personage in The Pickwick Papers (just as in many other Dickens' novels) is drawn comically, often with exaggerated features of character. Apart from Mr. Pickwick himself, the most entertaining characters of the novel are Mr. Pickwick's valet (Sam Weller), his father Mr. Weller (who does not really know if his name is written as Veller or Weller), Mr. Jingle, who is a charlatan and impostor, and Joe, the "fat boy", who consumes great quantities of food and constantly falls asleep in any situation at any time of day.

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