In the
summer of 1844, taking a break from novel-writing, the thirty-two-year-old
Charles Dickens embarked on a long tour of Italy with his wife, his five
children and his young sister-in-law. Struck by the scenery and the rapid
diorama of monuments and novelties around him, the celebrated author of
Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol captured his experiences and impressions
in vivid detail. The result is a travelogue like no other, written by one of
the finest writers of all time.

Abounding in colour and humour, and interspersed with unforgettable set
pieces, such as an eyewitness account of the beheading of a robber in Rome
and a hilarious description of a tour guide’s ruinous tumble down the slope
of Mount Vesuvius, Pictures from Italy is further proof of Charles Dickens’s
genius and versatility.