The Last Dickens
Encyclopedia
The Last Dickens is a novel by Matthew Pearl
published by Random House
. It is a work of historical and literary fiction. The novel is a Washington Post Critics' Pick. It contains some characters from The Dante Club
.
’s untimely death reaches the office of his struggling American publisher, Fields & Osgood, partner James R. Osgood
sends his trusted clerk Daniel Sand to await Dickens’s unfinished novel–The Mystery of Edwin Drood
.
But when Daniel’s body is discovered by the docks and the manuscript is nowhere to be found, Osgood must embark on a transatlantic quest to unearth the novel that will save his venerable business and reveal Daniel’s killer. Danger and intrigue abound on the journey, for which Osgood has chosen Rebecca Sand, Daniel’s older sister, to help clear her brother’s name and achieve their singular mission. As they attempt to uncover Dickens’s final mystery, Osgood and Rebecca find themselves racing the clock through a dangerous web of literary lions and drug dealers, sadistic thugs and blue bloods, and competing members of the inner circle. They soon realize that understanding Dickens’s lost ending is a matter of life and death, and the hidden key to stopping a murderous mastermind.
The novel also includes interspersed sections about Charles Dickens
's 1867 reading tour of the United States and Francis Dickens
's role as a mounted policeman in Bengal, India.
Critics Say:
"Rollicking entertainment."
—Washington Post
"Well-executed and tightly controlled."
—Los Angeles Times
"A plot packed full of incident, coincidences, devious
twists and dramatic set pieces ensures excitement."
—Daily Mail (London)
Matthew Pearl
Matthew Pearl is an American novelist and educator. His novels include The Dante Club, The Poe Shadow and The Last Dickens and have been published in more than 40 countries.-Biography:...
published by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
. It is a work of historical and literary fiction. The novel is a Washington Post Critics' Pick. It contains some characters from The Dante Club
The Dante Club
The Dante Club is a mystery novel by Matthew Pearl and his debut work. Set amidst a series of murders in the American Civil War era, it also concerns a club of poets, including such historical figures as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., and James Russell Lowell, who are...
.
Plot summary
The novel is set in the US, England, and India in 1867 and 1870. When news of Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
’s untimely death reaches the office of his struggling American publisher, Fields & Osgood, partner James R. Osgood
James R. Osgood
James R. Osgood was an American publisher probably best known for his partnership with Mark Twain and his involvement with the publishing company that would become Houghton Mifflin.-Life and work:...
sends his trusted clerk Daniel Sand to await Dickens’s unfinished novel–The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the final novel by Charles Dickens. The novel was left unfinished at the time of Dickens' death, and his intended ending for it remains unknown. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, the story focuses on Drood's uncle, choirmaster John Jasper, who...
.
But when Daniel’s body is discovered by the docks and the manuscript is nowhere to be found, Osgood must embark on a transatlantic quest to unearth the novel that will save his venerable business and reveal Daniel’s killer. Danger and intrigue abound on the journey, for which Osgood has chosen Rebecca Sand, Daniel’s older sister, to help clear her brother’s name and achieve their singular mission. As they attempt to uncover Dickens’s final mystery, Osgood and Rebecca find themselves racing the clock through a dangerous web of literary lions and drug dealers, sadistic thugs and blue bloods, and competing members of the inner circle. They soon realize that understanding Dickens’s lost ending is a matter of life and death, and the hidden key to stopping a murderous mastermind.
The novel also includes interspersed sections about Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
's 1867 reading tour of the United States and Francis Dickens
Francis Dickens
Francis Jeffrey Dickens was the third son of Victorian novelist Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine Dickens née Hogarth.- Early life and career :...
's role as a mounted policeman in Bengal, India.
Critics Say:
"Rollicking entertainment."
—Washington Post
"Well-executed and tightly controlled."
—Los Angeles Times
"A plot packed full of incident, coincidences, devious
twists and dramatic set pieces ensures excitement."
—Daily Mail (London)
See also
- The Mystery of Edwin DroodThe Mystery of Edwin DroodThe Mystery of Edwin Drood is the final novel by Charles Dickens. The novel was left unfinished at the time of Dickens' death, and his intended ending for it remains unknown. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, the story focuses on Drood's uncle, choirmaster John Jasper, who...
- Francis DickensFrancis DickensFrancis Jeffrey Dickens was the third son of Victorian novelist Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine Dickens née Hogarth.- Early life and career :...
- Qilin in popular cultureQilin in popular cultureThe Qilin has appeared many times in works of popular culture.-Literature:* In Jorge Luis Borges's Book of Imaginary Beings, there is a section on "The Unicorn of China", of which he writes:...