This volume investigates the historical reception of Charles Dickens by examining the contemporary reviews, essays, and critical commentary published during his lifetime. Philip Collins, a distinguished scholar of Victorian literature, compiles and annotates a vast array of primary source materials to demonstrate how Dickens's reputation evolved from his initial emergence as a popular novelist to his status as a canonical literary figure. The work provides a structured framework for understanding the shifting critical standards of the nineteenth century and the specific cultural anxieties that influenced the reception of Dickens's serial publications.

Scholars and students of Victorian literature frequently cite this volume as a foundational resource for understanding the history of literary reception. Experts highlight the meticulous editorial work and the density of the primary source material as essential for any serious study of Dickens's career.