
LITTLE DORRIT - By Charles Dickens
Original
Original
PREFACE TO THE 1857 EDITION
BOOK THE FIRST: POVERTY
CHAPTER 1. Sun and Shadow
Original
CHAPTER 2 Fellow Travellers
Original
CHAPTER 3. Home
In the heart of Victorian London, a sprawling network of debtors’ prisons and endless bureaucracy defines daily life for many, and few feel its grip more tightly than a shy, resilient young woman known only as Little Dorrit. Born in the grim shadows of the Marshalsea, she grows up amidst cramped quarters, whispered rumors, and the relentless hum of a system that seems designed to keep people perpetually waiting. Yet her quiet kindness and steadfast sense of duty shine through the soot‑filled streets, offering a gentle counterpoint to the harshness around her.
As the story unfolds, readers are drawn into a satirical portrait of a city tangled in red‑tape, from the absurdly slow Circumlocution Office to the dazzling yet dubious fortunes of financiers like Mr. Merdle. Through a cast of vivid characters—family members clinging to hope, officials lost in their own paperwork, and strangers whose ambitions spark both comedy and tragedy—Dickens paints a portrait of a society where personal integrity battles institutional inertia. The opening promises a compelling blend of social commentary and heartfelt humanity, inviting listeners to explore the lives that pulse beneath London’s foggy façade.
Language
en
Duration
~32 hours (1868K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Jo Churcher, and David Widger
Release date
1997-07-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1812–1870
One of the defining voices of Victorian fiction, he turned childhood hardship, sharp observation, and a gift for unforgettable characters into stories that are still loved around the world. His novels mix humor, compassion, suspense, and a fierce awareness of poverty and injustice.
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by Charles Dickens

by Charles Dickens

by Charles Dickens

by Charles Dickens

by Charles Dickens

by Charles Dickens

by Charles Dickens

by Charles Dickens