'Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else.'

Coketown is dominated by the figure of Mr Thomas Gradgrind, school owner and model of Utilitarian success. Feeding both his pupils and his family with facts, he bans fancy and wonder from young minds. As a consequence his young daughter Louisa marries the loveless businessman and "bully of humility" Mr Bounderby, and his son Tom rebels to become embroiled in gambling and robbery. And, as their fortunes cross with those of...

A novel of serendipity, of fortunes won and lost, and of the spectre of imprisonment that hangs over all aspects of Victorian society

When Arthur Clennam returns to England after many years abroad, he takes a kindly interest in Amy Dorrit, his mother's seamstress, and in the affairs of Amy's father, William Dorrit, a man of shabby grandeur, long imprisoned for debt in Marshalsea prison. As Arthur soon discovers, the dark shadow of the prison stretches far beyond its walls to affect the lives of many, from the kindly Mr Panks, the reluctant rent-collector of Bleeding Heart Yard,...

"Backgrounds" offers all of Dickens' correspondence aboutBleak House as well as contextual materials that document the Victorian controversy over pollution, a theme central to the novel, and present contemporary attitudes toward the government, the courts, and the police, to enhance the setting of the story. Also featured are several hundred annotations which fully elucidate for today's readers the allusions and topical references in this remarkably allusive Victorian masterpiece Especially helpful is a clear exposition of the nature of law procedures in the Court of Chancery, which...

"Backgrounds" provides readers with an understanding ofGreat Expectations's inception and internal chronology. A discussion of the public-reading version of the novel is also included. A wonderfully rich "Contexts" section collects thirteen pieces, centering on the novel's major themes: the link between author and hero and, relatedly, Victorian notions of gentility, snobbishness, and social mobility; the often brutal training, at home and at school, of children born around 1800; and the central issues of crime and punishment. "Criticism" gathers twenty-two assessments ofGreat...

Three illustrations by George Cruikshank and a map of Oliver's London accompany the text "Backgrounds and Sources" focuses on The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, central both to Dickens and to the characters in Oliver Twist. The act's far-reaching implications are considered in source materials that include parlimentary debates on The Poor Laws, a harrowing account of an 1835 Bedfordshire riot, and "An Appeal to Fallen Women," Dickens' 1847 open letter to London's prostitutes urging them to turn their backs on "debauchery and neglect. Ten letters onOliver Twist, written between 1837...

Enriched Classics offer readers accessible editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and commentary. Each book includes educational tools alongside the text, enabling students and readers alike to gain a deeper and more developed understanding of the writer and their work.

In this classic, heart-warming tale, four ghostly guests teach valuable lessons to an old miser. Ebenezer Scrooge, a selfish, crotchety skinflint, spends his days counting money and grousing, "Bah Humbug " Scrooge doesn't care for anyone other than himself. However, on Christmas Eve, he is visited...

Ingeniously conceived and brilliantly rendered, and set against the backdrop of the California Gold Rush, "The Wreck of the Golden Mary" is a masterpiece of Victorian storytelling. En route to making their fortunes, the passengers of the Golden Mary suffer a terrifying ordeal when their vessel collides with an iceberg. Now the helpless victims of a shipwreck, they turn to the restorative powers of storytelling in a desperate attempt to raise morale. As each takes their turn, from the captain to the first mate, the Dickensian figures of miser and murderer, orphan and ghost, are brought onboard...

Great Expectations is one of Dickens's best-loved novels and, say some critics, his greatest. Covering the story of one man's life--with many autobiographical elements--it tackles big question of identity while mustering a cast of unforgettable characters, chief amongst them Miss Havisham and Joe Gargery.

Here is the original Christmas classic that is often credited with returning the true spirit of Christmas to the holiday. This edition features the original interior artwork by John Leech. Come spend Christmas with Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge, and all the ghosts of Christmas. Truly a timeless wonder.

Please visit www.ArcManor.com for more books by this and other great authors.