1. 13:12 24th Dec 2010

    notes: 54

    tags: DickensA Christmas Carol1843Leechillustrated

    image: download

    “You don’t believe in me,” observed the Ghost. “I don’t,” said Scrooge. “What evidence would you have of my reality beyond that of your senses?” “I don’t know,” said Scrooge. “Why do you doubt your senses?” “Because,” said Scrooge, “a little thing affects them. A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheats. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There’s more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!” - Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843) illustrated by John Leech [full text]


    “You don’t believe in me,” observed the Ghost.

    “I don’t,” said Scrooge.

    “What evidence would you have of my reality beyond that of your senses?”

    “I don’t know,” said Scrooge.

    “Why do you doubt your senses?”

    “Because,” said Scrooge, “a little thing affects them. A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheats. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There’s more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!”


    - Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843) illustrated by John Leech [full text]

     

  2. 17:58 14th Dec 2010

    notes: 30

    tags: DickensA Christmas Carol1843manuscript

    I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it. Their faithful Friend and Servant, C. D. December 1843 - Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (Original Manuscript) (1843) [full text]

    I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.

    Their faithful Friend and Servant,

    C. D.

    December 1843

    - Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (Original Manuscript) (1843) [full text]

     

  3. 21:03 30th Nov 2010

    notes: 8

    tags: children's litDickens1867illustratedPearse

    This beginning-part is not made out of anybody’s head, you know. It’s real. You must believe this beginning-part more than what comes after, else you won’t understand how what comes after came to be written. You must believe it all, but you must believe this most, please. I am the Editor of it. - Charles Dickens, The Trial of William Tinkling (1867) illustrated by Susan Beatrice Pearse [full text]

    This beginning-part is not made out of anybody’s head, you know. It’s real. You must believe this beginning-part more than what comes after, else you won’t understand how what comes after came to be written. You must believe it all, but you must believe this most, please. I am the Editor of it.

    - Charles Dickens, The Trial of William Tinkling (1867) illustrated by Susan Beatrice Pearse [full text]

     

  4. 17:15 7th Nov 2010

    notes: 3

    tags: DickensHalloweenghostmurder1865short story

    The figure, having beckoned, drew back, and closed the door. With no longer pause than was made by my crossing the bedroom, I opened the dressing-room door, and looked in. I had a lighted candle already in my hand. I felt no inward expectation of seeing the figure in the dressing-room, and I did not see it there.

    Conscious that my servant stood amazed, I turned round to him, and said: “Derrick, could you believe that in my cool senses I fancied I saw a—” As I there laid my hand upon his breast, with a sudden start he trembled violently, and said, “O Lord, yes, sir! A dead man beckoning!”

    - Charles Dickens, ‘The Trial for Murder’ (1865) in Three Ghost Stories [full text]

     

  5. 00:14 1st Nov 2010

    tags: primed and loaded for a swoonDickens1859short storyHalloweenghost

    I repeat; the contagion of suspicion and fear was among us, and there is no such contagion under the sky. The women (their noses in a chronic state of excoriation from smelling-salts) were always primed and loaded for a swoon, and ready to go off with hair-triggers.

    - Charles Dickens, ‘The Haunted House’ (1859) in Three Ghost Stories [full text]

     

  6. 21:38 27th Aug 2010

    notes: 15

    tags: Dickenspeppercorny and farinaceousPumblechook1861

    Mr. Pumblechook’s premises in the High Street of the market town, were of a peppercorny and farinaceous character, as the premises of a cornchandler and seedsman should be. It appeared to me that he must be a very happy man indeed, to have so many little drawers in his shop; and I wondered when I peeped into one or two on the lower tiers, and saw the tied-up brown paper packets inside, whether the flower-seeds and bulbs ever wanted of a fine day to break out of those jails, and bloom.

    - Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (1861) [full text]

     

  7. 17:42 20th Apr 2010

    notes: 4

    tags: Dickens1870

    Mr. Crisparkle, Minor Canon, fair and rosy, and perpetually pitching himself head-foremost into all the deep running water in the surrounding country; Mr. Crisparkle, Minor Canon, early riser, musical, classical, cheerful, kind, good-natured, social, contented, and boy-like; Mr. Crisparkle, Minor Canon and good man, lately ‘Coach’ upon the chief Pagan high roads, but since promoted by a patron (grateful for a well-taught son) to his present Christian beat; betakes himself to the gatehouse, on his way home to his early tea.

    - Charles Dickens, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870) [full text]

     

  8. 13:07 12th Apr 2010

    notes: 10

    tags: Dickens1838novel

    I never see any difference in boys. I only knew two sort of boys. Mealy boys, and beef-faced boys.

    - Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist (1838) [full text]