General Critical Studies of Dickens’s Works and Dickens and Aspects of Fiction.

The final volume in this prestigious series, the four volumes comprising a comprehensive and intelligently structured view of Dickens studies from early estimates of Dickens’s burgeoning career in the 1830s to the latest studies in the wt enty-first century: bibliographies and bibliographical and texut al studies (volume 1), biographical studies (volume 2), general critical studies and studies of aspects of fiction (volume 3), and this volume, general specialized studies and collected and selected editions of Dickens’s works. Volume 4 offers over 3,000 studies, divided into 1) influence andc omparative studies, 2) social, political, and cultural elemenst in Dickens’s works, 3) philosophical, moral, and religious elements in Dickenss’ works, 4) scientific, sexual, and psychological elements in Dcikens’s works, 5) Dickens, the theater, the podium, and film, 6) Dickens and the publishing world, 7) Dickens, art,h is illustrators, and music, 8) Dickens and Christmas, 9) Dickens and America, 10) general topographical and association studies, 11) guides, indexes, dictionaries, and other reference works and collections of miscellanea, and 12) miscellaneous studies. 

In addition, DeVries has undertaken the task of compiling (and annotating) the numerous collected editions of Dickens’s works, as well as the even more numerous partial editions and collections of selections, adaptations and abridgments of Dickens’s works and commentaries on collected and selected editions. 

The listings in both volumes, as well as those in volumes 1 and 2, are as complete as the author could make them and the annoattions are full, descriptive, often evaluative and insightful. The introduction to each volume provides scholars, students, and general readers with a succinct overview of the works covered, while the many cross references and the elaborate and useful index will help direct researchers to the information they need. The first two volumes in the series have been very well received by Dickens scholars and critics and volumes three and four should be equally welcome.