Everyone knows Charles Dickens, he is a staple in 19th Century literature. He is universal. The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl is set in 1870, the year of Dickens' death. James R. Osgood, an American publisher handling what turns out to be Dickens' last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, must travel the world in trying to solve the central mystery of the story, but must also save his ailing publishing business. Pearl manages to sculpt for us a grand mystery and layers it with the scandals of the time. He incorporates historical figures that were contemporaries of Dickens' and does so without becoming unrealistic or comic.
The Last Dickens treats the reader to a wonderful reading experience. Pearl introduces us into a world that is far different from the one we live in today....and not the romantic vision of the Victorians we all seem to hold. Graft and corruption are everywhere. Copyright laws are nonexistent and authors essentially have no protection. Pearl's time researching for this wonderful book is evident on every page!
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Hey there, thanks so much for spreading the word about The Last Dickens. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and if you haven't already, you might like The Dante Club and The Poe Shadow, my first two novels, as they share many themes and even some characters with TLD. In any case, I'm lucky to have readers like you.
ReplyDeleteYours truly, Matthew Pearl