'It is the fate of most men who mingle with the world, and attain even the prime of life, to make many real friends, and lose them in the course of nature.'

Dickens's first novel, The Pickwick Papers was a huge success at the time of publication, and helped launch Dickens as the literary giant he is today.

Originally serialised between 1836 and 1837, this comic and episodic tale follows the adventures of Samuel Pickwick and his companions. Together, they form the Pickwick Club, which aimed to gather scientific knowledge, investigating the curious customs of others and making general observations of their travels. As the club journeys across England, they are subject to eccentric characters, comical mishaps, romantic entanglements and more. Through what would become Dickens's trademark wit and social satire, the novel is a clever commentary on the legal system of the time, social class divides and the foolishness of humankind. This audiobook edition is brilliantly narrated by Matt Addis.

Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime and, by the twentieth century, critics and scholars had recognized him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories are widely read, performed and adapted today.