Rain of Years:: Great Expectations and the World of Dickens

This is the last book by the noted English scholar Bernard Schilling. A remarkably compact survey of all the novels by Charles Dickens, it shows the unity of the whole body of work by reviewing basic scenes and images in the novels. It is the result of many years of reading and teaching Dickens, and demonstrates a thorough familiarity with Victorian literature in general. The book argues that Great Expectations is the novel which brings together all the main themes of Dickens’ vision. Schilling’s affectionate treatment of the characters found with Dickens’ world will appeal to anyone interested in English literature, and is a fitting final work by a master of prose himself. Bernard Schilling was Trevor Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Rochester. He was author of several books, including The Comic Spirit, The Comic World of Dickens/, and Twentieth Century Views: Dryden.