内容简介
'Holdyournoise!Keepstill,youlittledevil,orI'llcutyourthroat!'LittleorphanPipscarcelyimagineshowaterrifyingencounterwithaconvictonthelonelymarsheswilllatertransformhislife.PipismoretroubledbyhisvisitstostrangeoldMissHavisham-herdecayingweddingdressandthehousefullofmemories-andthebeautifulgirlEstellawhomakeshimashamedofhiscountrymannersandcoarsehands.Ablacksmith'sapprenticecouldneverhopetowinEstella,butthen,youngPip'sfuturemightnotturnoutquiteasexpected...Includesexclusivematerial:In‘TheBackstory’youcanlearnaboutVictorianconvictsandthealternativeendingtoGreatExpectations!VintageChildren’sClassicsisatwenty-firstcenturyclassicslistaimedat8-12yearoldsandtheadultsintheirlives.DiscovertimelessfavouritesfromTheJungleBookandAlice’sAdventuresinWonderlandtomodernclassicssuchasTheBoyintheStripedPyjamasandTheCuriousIncidentoftheDogintheNight-Time.
作者简介
CharlesDickenswasabrilliantandprolificwriter,probablythemostfamousnineteenth-centuryEnglishnovelist.Hewasverysuccessfulduringhislifetimeandhisbookshaveneverbeenoutofprint.Theexcitingplotsandfantasticcharactersinhisbookshavemeanttheyhaveallbeenadapted(insomecases,manytimesover)fortelevisionorthebigscreen.CharlesDickenswasbornon7February1812inPortsmouth.Hewasoneofeightchildren,andatfirsthisfamilyenjoyedahappylifeinthecountrysideofKent.ButDickens’fatherwasnotverygoodatmanaginghismoney,andwhenthefamilyfellintofinancialdifficultiestheyhadtomovetoLondon.InDickens’timepeoplewhocouldnotpaytheirdebtsweresenttoakindofprison,andDickens’fathereventuallyendedupinoneofthesedebtor’sprisons,calledtheMarshalsea.Charleswasforcedtoleaveschoolandgotoworkina‘blackingfactory’wherehepastedlabelsontopotsformanyhoursaday.EventhoughCharleswasonlytwelveatthistime,heunderstoodthatwithouteducationhewouldneverescapethepovertythathadsoentrappedhisfamily.Charlesoftenusedhischildhoodexperiencesinhisbooks.Forinstance,inDavidCopperfield,theheroDavyistakenoutofschoolbyhiscruelstepfatherandsenttoworkinasimilarfactory.Anothernovel,LittleDorrit,issetinandaroundtheMarshalseaprison.FortunatelyCharleswaseventuallysentbacktoschool.Hewenttoworkasalawyer’sclerk,andthenasapoliticalreporter.In1833hebegantopublishshortstoriesandessaysinnewspapersandmagazines.Hisfirstbook,ThePickwickPapers,waspublishedininstalmentsinamonthlymagazine,andwasaroaringsuccess.Evenbeforethisbookwasfinished,Charlesbeganwritinganothernovel,OliverTwist.Thisisoneofhismostfamousbooks–perhapsyou’vereadit,orseenthemusicaloroneofthefilmadaptations?ManyothernovelsfollowedandDickensbecameacelebrityinAmericaaswellasBritain.HealsosetupandeditedthejournalsHouseholdWords(1850-9)andAlltheYearRound(1859-70).Dickensusedhisbookstohighlightthesufferingofthepoor,theinadequatesupportprovidedtothem,andthemassiveinequalitiesbetweenthedifferentranksofsociety.ThissocialandpoliticalcommentarywasveryinfluentialanditisbelievedDickens’workdidagreatdealtoreformworkhouses,prisons,andmostparticularlypublicopinionoftheworkingclasses.CharlestravelledalloverBritainandAmericagivingpublicreadingsfromhisbooks.Hewasawonderfulperformer(atonepointhehadwantedtobeanactor)andhisreadingsweresaidtobeelectrifying–womenintheaudiencewouldscreamandfaintwhenhereadaboutthemurderofNancyfromOliverTwist.Hisreadingswerethereforeextremelypopular,andonsomeoccasionsDickensonlychargedapennyforticketssothatpoorerpeoplecouldalsoattend.Inlateryears,theseenergeticreadingstookaterribletollonhisfailinghealth.Dickensdiedafterstrokeon9June1870,leavinghislastnovel,TheMysteryofEdwinDrood,unfinished.HeisburiedinWestminsterAbbey.
