The Pickwick Papers
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The Pickwick Papers
''The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club'' (also known as ''The Pickwick Papers'') was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with ''Sketches by Boz'' published in 1836, Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to supply descriptions to explain a series of comic "cockney sporting plates" by illustrator Robert Seymour (illustrator), Robert Seymour, and to connect them into a novel. The book became a publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller (character), Sam Weller joke books, and other merchandise. On its cultural impact, Nicholas Dames in ''The Atlantic'' writes, “'Literature' is not a big enough category for ''Pickwick''. It defined its own, a new one that we have learned to call “entertainment.” Published in 19 issues over 20 months, the success of ''The Pickwick Papers'' popularised Serial (literature), serialised fiction and cliffhanger endings. Seymour's widow claimed that the idea for the novel was or ...
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Mrs Bardell (Pickwick Papers)
Mrs Martha Bardell is a fictional character in ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836), the first novel by Charles Dickens. A widow and the landlady of Mr Pickwick, a romantic misunderstanding between the two results in one of the most famous fictional legal cases in English literature, ''Bardell v. Pickwick'', Fitzgerald, Percy HetheringtonFull text of ''Bardell v. Pickwick'' (1902) Project Gutenberg eBook leading to them both being incarcerated in the Fleet Prison for debt. Background Mrs Martha Bardell is a widow, "the relict and sole executrix of a deceased custom–house officer ... a comely woman of bustling manners and agreeable appearance, with a natural genius for cooking, improved by study and long practice, into an exquisite talent." With her young son she lives on Goswell Street in London where she provides lodgings for two lodgers including retired businessman Mr Pickwick, the latter taking two rooms at the front of the house.
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Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime and, by the 20th century, critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories are widely read today. Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school at the age of 12 to work in a boot-blacking factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. After three years he returned to school, before he began his literary career as a journalist. Dickens edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed readings extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, for education, and for other social ...
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George Chapple Norton
George Chapple Norton (31 August 1800 – 24 February 1875) was a Tory Member of Parliament for Guildford from 1826 to 1830. He was educated at Winchester College. He died on 24 February 1875 at Wonersh. Family He was born in Wakefield the son of Fletcher Norton MP FRSE (1744–1820) and his wife, Caroline Elizabeth Balmain. His younger brother was Charles Francis Norton. He was the husband of the poet Caroline Norton (daughter of Thomas Sheridan), who became a prominent liberal Feminist who passed reforms to help women in the marital domain, and with whom he reportedly had an unhappy marriage.Strauss, p. 141Caine, p. 67 His grandfather was Fletcher Norton and his uncle was Charles Francis Norton. See also *Baron Grantley Baron Grantley, of Markenfield, in the County of York is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created on 9 April 1782 for Sir Fletcher Norton, Attorney General from 1763 to 1765 and Speaker of the House of Commons from 1770 to 178 ... Ref ...
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Pickwickian Syndrome
Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a condition in which severely overweight people fail to breathe rapidly or deeply enough, resulting in low oxygen levels and high blood carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. The syndrome is often associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which causes periods of absent or reduced breathing in sleep, resulting in many partial awakenings during the night and sleepiness during the day. The disease puts strain on the heart, which may lead to heart failure and leg swelling. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is defined as the combination of obesity and an increased blood carbon dioxide level during the day that is not attributable to another cause of excessively slow or shallow breathing. The most effective treatment is weight loss, but this may require bariatric surgery to achieve. Weight loss of 25 to 30% is usually required to resolve the disorder. The other first-line treatment is non-invasive positive airway pressure (PAP), usually in the ...
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Alfred Jingle
Alfred Jingle is a fictional character who appears in the 1837 novel ''The Pickwick Papers'' by Charles Dickens. He is a strolling actor and an engaging charlatan and trickster noted for his bizarre anecdotes and distinctive mangling of English syntax. He first appears in chapter two of the novel and accompanies the Pickwickians on their first coach journey. As they leave the Golden Cross Inn at Charing Cross, Jingle holds forth in characteristic mode on the dangers of decapitation as illustrated by low archways and the example of King Charles I, beheaded at nearby Whitehall Palace: "Heads, heads - take care of your heads", cried the loquacious stranger as they came out under the low archway which in those days formed the entrance to the coachyard. "Terrible place – dangerous work – other day – five children – mother – tall lady, eating sandwiches – forgot the arch – crash – knock – children look round – mother's head off – sandwich in her hand – no mou ...
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Tony Weller
Tony Weller is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's first novel, ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836). The irresponsible and care-free Tony Weller is Sam Weller (character), Sam Weller's father. A loquacious coachman, the character never became as popular as his famous son but readers have always enjoyed his quaint humour and his even quainter philosophy. Character Tony Weller shares various characteristics with Mr Pickwick: both are advanced in years; both are fat, and both are kind and generous. Similarly, the two are innocents in affairs of the heart, with both being troubled by widows. It cannot be a coincidence that Dickens introduces Tony Weller soon after Mrs Bardell (Pickwick Papers), Mrs Bardell brings a court action against Pickwick for breach of promise. Unlike Pickwick, Tony Weller marries his troublesome widow, Susan, and his consequent miserable marriage causes him to give the advice to his son to “Beware o’ the widders": 'Widders, Sammy,' replied Mr. Weller, s ...
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Tracy Tupman
Tracy Tupman is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's first novel, ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836). Although fat and middle-aged he considers himself a young lover and has an unfortunate amorous entanglement with the spinster Rachael Wardle. Background A founder and member of the Pickwick Club created by the retired businessman Samuel Pickwick, he is one of Pickwick's travelling companions along with Nathaniel Winkle and Augustus Snodgrass who extend their scientific researches into the quaint and curious phenomena of British rural life by travelling to locations far distant from London to report on their findings to the other "Pickwickians" remaining at home. Dickens describes him in Chapter One of ''The Pickwick Papers'' On Mr Pickwick's right sat Mr Tracy Tupman. This Mr Tupman had the wisdom and experience of mature years but added to this was the enthusiasm and strong emotions of a boy, because Mr Tupman suffered from the most interesting and pardonable of human weakne ...
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Augustus Snodgrass
Augustus Snodgrass is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's first novel, ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836). He considers himself a Romantic poet, though there is no mention of any of his own poetry in the novel. A founder and younger member of the Pickwick Club created by the retired businessman Samuel Pickwick, he is one of Pickwick's travelling companions along with Nathaniel Winkle and Tracy Tupman who extend their scientific researches into the quaint and curious phenomena of British rural life by travelling to locations far distant from London to report on their findings to the other "Pickwickians" remaining at home. Introduced by Dickens in Chapter One of ''The Pickwick Papers'', Dickens does little to develop the character of Snodgrass in the novel. While described as a poet, and keeping extensive notes of his ideas for poems, he writes none throughout the story, at least, none that are mentioned or that he reads to his fellow travellers. In this way Snodgrass is depic ...
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Nathaniel Winkle
Nathaniel Winkle is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's first novel, ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836). A founder and younger member of the Pickwick Club created by the retired businessman Samuel Pickwick, Winkle is a young friend of Pickwick's and, with Augustus Snodgrass and Tracy Tupman, his travelling companion. Although a city dweller Winkle considers himself an outdoor sportsman, though he turns out to be dangerously inept when handling horses and guns. His ineptitude, especially with guns, becomes a running joke throughout the novel.Biography of Mr. Winkle
Victorian Web database

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Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg (PG) is a Virtual volunteering, volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of books or individual stories in the public domain. All files can be accessed for free under an open format layout, available on almost any computer. , Project Gutenberg had reached 50,000 items in its collection of free eBooks. The releases are available in Text file, plain text as well as other formats, such as HTML, PDF, EPUB, Mobipocket, MOBI, and Plucker wherever possible. Most releases are in the English language, but many non-English works are also available. There are multiple affiliated projects that provide additional content, including region- and language-specific works. Project Gutenberg is closely affiliated with Distributed Proofreaders, an Inte ...
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Percy Hetherington Fitzgerald
Percy Hetherington Fitzgerald (26 April 1830 – 24 November 1925) was an Anglo-Irish author and critic, painter and sculptor. Fitzgerald was born in Ireland at Fane Valley, County Louth, the son of Thomas FitzGerald. He was educated at Belvedere college Dublin, Stonyhurst College, Lancashire, and at Trinity College, Dublin. He was called to the Irish bar and was for a time crown prosecutor on the northeastern circuit. After moving to London, he became a contributor to Charles Dickens's magazine, ''Household Words'', and later dramatic critic for the ''Observer'' and the '' Whitehall Review''. Among his many writings are numerous biographies and works relating to the history of the theatre. He wrote: ''Life of Sterne''(1864) (See Sterne.); 2nd edition; revised & enlarged (1896); reprinted 1904 * ''Charles Lamb'' (1866) (See Charles Lamb.) ''Life of David Garrick''(1868) (See David Garrick.) The Kembles(1871) ''The Romance of the English Stage''(1874) ''Life of George IV'' ...
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