Reading Groups

The Novels of Charles Dickens with Amanda Hollander

4 Sessions Thursdays, 6:00 pm EDT - 7:30 pm EDT September 22 to December 22, 2022

The Center for Fiction

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The ‘With Books’ option includes all titles required for this group at a 10% discount.

Meeting Dates:
9/22, 10/27, 12/1, 12/22
In Person at The Center for Fiction

In his critical writing on the works of Charles Dickens, G. K. Chesterton remarked that “Dickens knew that Socialism was coming, though he did not know its name.” Evoking the social and systemic failures of Victorian England, Dickens paints some of the richest portraits of his contemporaries on record for all their triumphs and pitfalls. From Oliver Twist to Little Dorrit, the cruelties of charities to the psycho-social brutality of debtors’ prison, Dickens casts an unflinching eye on how London and its neighboring environs treated the most vulnerable members of society. Together we’ll look at how these both satirical and sentimental works shaped the English novel as a genre.

Participants should read Oliver Twist in advance of the first class.

Session I: Oliver Twist
Session II: Little Dorrit
Session III: Hard Times
Session IV: A Christmas Carol

Led by

Amanda Hollander

Amanda Hollander

A writer and opera librettist, Amanda Hollander holds a doctorate in Victorian and children’s literature from UCLA. She recently completed a fellowship with the American Opera Project. She has published several works of speculative short fiction and academic articles. You can find more about her upcoming projects at amandahollander.com.

About this series

Reading Groups

Whether you’re looking to catch up on great novels or you’re interested in exploring a new writer or literary period, our reading groups offer high-level literary discussion led by experts in the field.

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