Pictures from Italy

Resumen del libro

A delightful travelogue in the unique style of one of the greatest writers in the English language, the "Penguin Classics" edition of Charles Dickens' "Pictures from Italy" is edited with notes and an introduction by and notes by Kate Flint. In 1844, Charles Dickens took a break from novel writing to travel through Italy for almost a year and "Pictures from Italy" is an illuminating account of his experiences there. He presents the country like a magic-lantern show, as vivid images ceaselessly appear before his - and his readers' - eyes.

Italy's most famous sights are all to be found here - St Peter's in Rome, Naples with Vesuvius smouldering in the background, the fairytale buildings and canals of Venice - but Dickens' chronicle is not simply that of a tourist. Avoiding preconceptions and stereotypes, he portrays a nation of great contrasts: between grandiose buildings and squalid poverty, and between past and present, as he observes everyday life beside ancient monuments. Combining thrilling travelogue with piercing social commentary, "Pictures from Italy" is a revealing depiction of an exciting and disquieting journey.

In her introduction, Kate Flint discusses nineteenth-century travel writing, and Dickens' ideas about perception, memory and Italian politics. This edition also includes a chronology, further reading, notes and an appendix. Charles Dickens is one of the best-loved novelists in the English language, whose 200th anniversary was celebrated in 2012.

His most famous books, including "Oliver Twist", "Great Expectations", "A Tale of Two Cities", "David Copperfield" and "The Pickwick Papers", have been adapted for stage and screen and read by millions. If you enjoyed "Pictures from Italy", you might like Dickens' "American Notes", also available in "Penguin Classics".

Biografía del autor

Charles Dickens (Portsmouth, 1812 - Londres, 1870), el mejor cronista de los cambios que la sociedad inglesa sufrió durante la época victoriana, tuvo una educación incompleta, que suplió con espíritu autodidacta. En 1836 aparecieron los capítulos iniciales de la que sería su primera novela, la quijotesca Los papeles póstumos del Club Pickwick, obra luminosa en la que ya se pueden encontrar las líneas maestras de su estilo, y que se convirtió en un gran éxito. A esta le siguieron otras novelas de enorme popularidad como Oliver Twist (1837), Nicholas Nickleby (1838-1839) y La tienda de antigüedades (1840-1841). Poco a poco a su celebridad se le añadiría el creciente reconocimiento como gran escritor.