A brilliantly insightful portrait of Charles Dickens-from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley. With delectable wit and characteristic sensitivity, Jane Smiley presents a fresh, illuminating take on the life of Charles Dickens. Smiley naturally finds a kindred spirit in the author of such classics as Great Expectationsand A Christmas Carol, who was not only a prolific writer but also one of the first modern "celebrities." She offers interpretations of many of Dickens's major works, exploring his narrative techniques and his innovative voice and themes. Smiley's Charles Dickensis at once a perceptive profile of the great master and a fascinating meditation on the writing life.