Travellers’ Tales
American Notes for General Circulation - Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was a celebrated Victorian
author who wrote several novels, articles
and essays. He is perhaps most well-known
for ‘Oliver Twist’, ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘A
Tale of Two Cities’. Dickens was born in 1812
and experienced hardship as a child, before
becoming a hugely successful and wealthy
author. He died in 1870.
Published in 1842, ‘American Notes for General
Circulation’ is Dickens’ account of a trip he took
with his wife, Catherine, to America that year.
His six-month visit included New York, Boston
and Philadelphia, giving lectures and making
observations of the people and their customs.
His visit was a cause of great excitement for
the public at the time, as he was considered to
be a prominent celebrity.
Dickens’ book is arranged in chapters. At the
end of the account, he gives his views on some
of what he considers to be the biggest flaws
in American society, including slavery and the
prevalence of violence.