John Forster's original three-volume text is abridged and brought to life with the addition of illuminating extracts from Dickens' own work and from recent criticism, biography and fiction. It is also generously illustrated with materials including original artwork from the serial parts of Dickens' novels, rare photographs and portraits of Dickens and his circle, as well as specially commissioned images from the Charles Dickens Museum of the author's personal possessions and favoured locations.