Michael Slater's book is one of the most recent of major Dickens biographies (published in 2009) and some rank it as among the best. Slater examines the life of the author but focuses also on Dickens' writing, including less well-known pieces, such as the children's stories he wrote, speeches he gave in England and abroad, and letters he wrote to family members and contemporaries. Ranging broadly over Dickens' output, Kaplan is able to examine the development of the author's signature style and the themes that carried over to each piece of writing. He also delves into the personality of the famous author, illuminating both his good and bad traits.
