DICKENS, Charles [675] pp.Charles Scribner's Sons19018 1/2" x 6 1/4"w/ illustrations by Seymour & Phiz VG Scroll Down for (12) Additional Scans: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (also known as The Pickwick Papers) was the first novel by English author Charles Dickens. His previous work was Sketches by Boz, published in 1836, and his publisher Chapman & Hall asked Dickens to supply descriptions to explain a series of comic "cockney sporting plates" by illustrator Robert Seymour, and to connect them into a novel. The book became a publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, 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'." The Pickwick Papers was published in 19 issues over 20 months, and it popularised serialised fiction and cliffhanger endings. Seymour's widow claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's, but Dickens strenuously denied any specific input in his preface to the 1867 edition: "Mr. Seymour never originated or suggested an incident, a phrase, or a word, to be found in the book." Dickens' first novel, showcasing his astounding talent for sketching charming, sympathetic characters, helped to launch his career. "Its main literary value and appeal was formed by its numerous memorable characters...The Pickwick Papers are mostly a series of humorous misadventures, with a bit of satire, that give some insight into the mores of Victorian society.
