7 Easiest Dickens Novel To Read First

Published on November 10, 2015 at 12:21 am by Jasmin Cilas in Lists

Whether you’re an occasional book reader or a bookworm, you’re surely familiar with the name Charles Dickens, but do you know Easiest Dickens Novel To Read First?

Charles Dickens in one of the most famous writers of all time. If you haven’t read one of his books, you’ve almost certainly watched one of the movies made from his books. He lived and worked in the 19^th century and rarely published his books in one full piece. Instead, he published his novels as serials — chapter by chapter in weekly or monthly newspapers — since it was a popular format at the time.

Dickens used feedback from readers and would rewrite the next chapter if he thought that was necessary. Only after he published all the chapters in serial format would the full version of the book come out. Dickens was appreciated for his realistic picture of the time he lived in as well as his unique characterizations and prose.

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Dickens was a famous writer when he was alive, and his popularity continues. During his lifetime Dickens wrote 19 novels and novellas alongside with hundreds of other works. Some of his works are more famous than others, so for Easiest Dickens Novel To Read First we chose from his most notable novels. If you’re more of a sci-fi reader, you may want to check 8 Best Star Wars Books About Sith.

Figuring out which novels are easy to read and which are not depends a lot on the reader, but we used some guideposts. To compile our ranking we used the number of chapters each book contains and the number of major characters in the book. And we paid attention to the things readers have to say — a Goodreads poll of the 100 most difficult books to read and a Reddit thread where people shared and voted on which Dickens novel is hardest to read. We summed it all up and ranked novels from hardest to easiest. Maybe our list will even help the Dickens fans out there make recommendations to reluctant friends.

7. Bleak House

Bleak House is considered one of Dickens’ finest works but it’s not for everyone and certainly not suitable for your first Dickens novel. It has a large number of major characters and a complex plot with many subplots. The novel is centered around an ongoing court case where a person has left several wills. Readers consider it extremely difficult on both Goodreads and Reddit. Maybe you should try the BBC miniseries instead.

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6. Great Expectations

This novel follows young orphan Pip from his childhood days to adulthood. The book received universal acclaim following its release and is still very popular, but it’s considered hard to read due to its complex plot and the large number of themes in the book.

5. Oliver Twist

You’ve all heard about Oliver Twist. If nothing else, you’ve probably watched Roman Polanski’s movie adaptation. Oliver Twist is a kind-hearted orphan who tries to find a way out of poverty. A large number of major characters and convoluted plot flow are the points that make this book hard to read.

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4. David Copperfield

No — not the magician. This is considered Dickens’ most autobiographical book and follows the titular character David Copperfield from his birth to adulthood. Although it’s a long book with a large number of characters, there’s a smaller number of subplots and the plot itself is more straightforward.

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3. Hard Times

You probably wonder why the book Hard Times is on Easiest Dickens Novel To Read First. But the book is not ‘hard times’ to read because it’s short and has fewer major characters than other Charles Dickens novels.

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2. A Tale of Two Cities

This is one of two historic novels Charles Dickens wrote and it revolves around the French Revolution. The book is considered less complicated than most of his novels, since it has a small number of central characters, fewer overall subplots, and a main story grounded in real events.

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1. A Christmas Carol

The easiest Dickens novel to read first is also his most enduring: A Christmas Carol. It tells the story of a bitter old man who’s visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. There’s one central topic, and the book sticks with it from beginning to end. This novel is Dickens’ most adapted work, including countless films, plays, opera, ballet and many more. With the holiday season approaching, this would be the perfect book to enter the world of Dickens literature.