Little Dorrit is a classic tale of imprisonment, both literal and metaphorical, while Dickens' working title for the novel, Nobody's Fault, highlights its concern with personal responsibility in private and public life. Dickens' childhood experiences inform the vivid scenes in Marshalsea debtor's prison, while his adult perceptions of governmental failures shape his satirical picture of the Circumlocution Office. The novel's range of characters - the honest, the crooked, the selfish and the self-denying - offers a portrait of society about whose values Dickens had profound doubts.

'Please, Mr Murdstone! Don't beat me! I've tried to learn my lessons, really I have, sir!' sobs David. Although he is only eight years old, Mr Murdstone does beat him, and David is so frightened that he bites his cruel stepfather's hand. For that, he is kept locked in his room for five days and nights, and nobody is allowed to speak to him. As David grows up, he learns that life is full of trouble and misery and cruelty. But he also finds laughter and kindness, trust and friendship ...and love.

Classics

Retold by George Gibson

Adventure

Set in 19th-century London, this timeless classic narrates the incredible adventures and poignant hardships of Oliver, a young, penniless orphan who, in spite of his encounters with criminals of London and adverse circumstances, finds happiness in the end.

Dossiers:
London in Dickens' Time
'Reading' a Painting
Children and Education in the 1800s
and others

Exit test

Series: Green Apple | Level: <a href="http://www.blackcat-

Dr Manette is falsely imprisoned for 18 years by the Marquis of Evrémonde. He is eventually released and goes to England to join his daughter Lucie, who marries the Frenchman Charles Darnay of the Evrémonde family. During the Reign of Terror Darnay travels to Paris where he is imprisoned and sentenced to be executed... *Wide range of activities practising the four skills *FCE-style activities and exam *Dossiers on The French Revolution and How Dickens interpreted the French Revolution *Recording of parts of the story *FCE exit test

Oliver’s mother dies when he is born and he is brought up in a workhouse. His first years are cold and lonely – and then he runs away to London. But he falls into the hands of Fagin and the terrifying Bill Sykes. They try to turn Oliver into a criminal. Will he escape to find a better life?

CD-ROM - additional activities and the complete audio recording

Nicholas Nickleby is a kind man who works at a cruel school full of poor, hungry children. Can he ever find happiness in a world where stupid, greedy people have all the power and brave, honest people have nothing? Now a major film. CD-ROM - additional activities and the complete audio recording

Four chilling tales take you into a world where anything can happen. Charles Dickens adds extra horror to his famous tale of a haunted railwayman. In Edgar Allan Poe’s classic story, ‘Ligeia’, the ghost of a beautiful woman returns and defeats death. E. Nesbit shows us how there really is a good reason to be scared of the dark. And F. M. Crawford tells of a ship’s passenger who encounters a horrible ‘thing’ in his cabin.