Charles Dickens' 1848 novel follows the proud merchant Paul Dombey, who values his business empire above all else, including his own children. This Victorian fiction explores themes of family, social class, and the industrial transformation of 19th-century England through the rise and fall of a London trading house.
Dombey sat in the corner of the darkened room in the great arm-chair by the bedside, and Son lay tucked up warm in a little basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new. Dombey was about eight-and-forty years of age. Son about eight-and-forty minutes. Dombey was rather bald, rather red, and though a handsome well-made man, too stern and pompous in appearance, to be prepossessing. Son was very bald, and very red, and though (of course) an undeniably fine infant, somewhat crushed and spotty in his general effect, as yet. On the brow of Dombey, Time and his brother Care had set some marks, as on a tree that was to come down in good time—remorseless twins they are for striding through their human forests, notching as…Continue reading →
Born in 1812, this Victorian master transformed literature through vivid portrayals of London's poor and working class. His serialized novels like Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol exposed social injustices while entertaining millions of readers. His compassionate storytelling and memorable characters made him one of England's most beloved authors until his death in 1870. All works by Charles Dickens →
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