Charles Dickens.

I remember reading David Copperfield and Great Expectations in my early teens. I probably had a very strange view of the world. The thing I liked best about Dickens were the characters I met, they were nothing like the people I knew. I would have died for friends like the Artful Dodger and his gang. (I was 13 years old here) They were my imaginary friends and did much more exciting things than the real ones. And because I was not long out of the fantasy and magic world of Narnia I half believed these people existed. I knew that 'Dickensian London' was a real time and place and I read in that zone between reality and imagination. So every time I pick up one of his works, I feel like the special fanship connection comes rushing back again. Since he's my favourite author, I thought it would be fun to write a post on just why I love his books so much.
I love the humour. Dicken's has an uncanny knack for description and dialogue It's not Wodehouseian but it is both snark and whimsy by turns that I love.

The Characters. I love personalities, people, faces to put a name to. As an introvert, I spend most of my reading time thinking about characters which I find interesting. Dickens always has funny names and characters that push the limits of brave, wicked, flawed, funny and noble by turns. From Herbert and Pip to Ester and Lady Dedlock, I've never seen his equal for creating new literary friends that I love.

The Drama. I'm a drama girl (not in the queen way I hope). I love a dramatic story. Midnigt plans and snickering villains and carriage rides through the London docks - meeting girls on the steps, dancing in crowded ball rooms, kissing the hands of bitter brides in locked up rooms and having strange dinners with a lawyer and his housekeeper.

Meaningful Society Commentary. Dickens wielded his words as a sword - they were part story, but mostly there to bring an issue kicking and screaming to the forefront of his reader's consciousness. He knew Lond society's temptation to be indifferent, to hide the cause of the poor and oppressed behind their gilded dinners and comfortable homes. So he used his novels as little revolutionaries that could make their way into drawing rooms and convict with needle like precision. So far in the books I've read, he's tackled everything from the justice system, to orphans and government policy, to inventions and trade, to forgiveness, heritage, family and society. He's a veritable bulldog of social reform, refusing to allow himself to be silenced in the face of indiffence. He is thoughtful about the combination of justice and mercy in the narrative of human shortcomings, and for that I appreciate him.

The Film Adaptations. There is something about Dickens that most screenwriters stay faithful to - he's the golden storyteller. I have seen beautiful adaptations of Little Dorrit, Great Expectations and Bleak House. Or for a quick Dickens fix, you can generally find a short adaptation - the Jeremy Irvine or Ioan Gruffudd Great Expectations are good choices. They are great period drama chocie when you have run out of Jane Austens to watch. I marathon through Little Dorrit about once every eighteen months or so and it's never grown old.