Charles Dickens As I Knew Him

George Dolby worked as manager and secretary for the author Charles Dickens, accompanying him on his famous writing tours in Britain and North America.

As well as being a prolific author, Charles Dickens was renowned for his capacity to evocatively read his stories to others. He channeled the emotional and dramatic portions of his books so well that listeners often sat rapt in silence, with women and children sometimes moved to tears. Booked by many venues across Britain and America, Dickens was a popular sensation, who spent much of his final years constantly on the move, reading his finest stories to his fans.

George Dolby speaks of his former employer with respect and admiration; Charles Dickens was a gentleman through-and-through, treating those he met courteously. A diligent manager, Dolby recalls the financial and practical aspects of the reading tours, and many of the interesting incidents he and Dickens experienced on their travels. Dolby also recalls how Dickens was prone to fatigue, with his health declining as the reading tours wore on. Finally, and most emotionally, he remembers his final meeting with the great author, mere days before he perished.

This edition of Dolby’s memoirs contains several illustrations, some of which had appeared in the popular press of the time.