The Complete Charles Dickens

 The Centennial Dickens, Published in 36 Volumes by Heron Books

Public Domain

Illustration by Fred Bernard of Dickens at work in a shoe-blacking factory after his father had been sent to the Marshalsea, published in the 1892 edition of Forster's Life of Charles Dickens.

I don't know if I have it in me to make this 36 Volume Journey, but I'm going to give it a try, at least...starting with The Novels, in chronological order. Red numbers indicate that IMHO, these books are not worth your time. (Or mine--but I had to read 'em to know that, didn't I?)

Thus:

1. The Pickwick Papers Volume I

2. The Pickwick Papers Volume II

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/05/ddr-pickwick-papers-by-charles-dickens.html

3. Oliver Twist

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/06/ddr-oliver-twist-by-charles-dickens.html

4. Nicholas Nickleby Volume I

5. Nicholas Nickleby Volume II

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/07/ddr-life-and-adventures-of-nicholas.html

6. The Old Curiosity Shop Volume I

7. The Old Curiosity Shop Volume II

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/08/ddr-old-curiosity-shop-by-charles.html

8. Barnaby Rudge Volume I

9. Barnaby Rudge Volume II

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/08/ddr-barnaby-rudge-by-charles-dickens.html

10. Master Humphrey's Clock * (which is the second half of a volume which also includes the unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood)

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/09/ddr-master-humphreys-clock.html

The Mystery of Edwin Drood (which was my final Dickens read...and also the last thing he wrote--but, alas, did not finish)

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/08/ddr-mystery-of-edwin-drood.html

11. Martin Chuzzlewit Volume I

12. Martin Chuzzlewit Volume II

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/09/ddr-martin-chuzzlewit-by-charles-dickens.html

13. American Notes / Pictures From Italy **

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/10/ddr-american-notes-by-charles-dickens.html

&

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/11/ddr-pictures-from-italy-by-charles.html

14. Christmas Stories Volume I ***

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/11/a-charles-dickens-christmas-project.html

15. Christmas Stories Volume II ****

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/11/charles-dickens-christmas-project-aka.html

16. Christmas Books ****

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Interpolation: The Annotated Christmas Carol: A Christmas Carol in Prose by Michael Patrick Hearn 

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/12/ddr-annotated-christmas-carol-christmas.html

17. Dombey and Son Volume I

18. Dombey and Son Volume II

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2022/12/ddr-dombey-son-volume-i-by-charles.html

19. Sketches by Boz Volume I ****

20. Sketches by Boz Volume II ****

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/01/ddr-sketches-by-boz-by-charles-dickens.html

21. David Copperfield Volume I 

22. David Copperfield Volume II

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/02/ddr-david-copperfield-by-charles-dickens.html

23. The Uncommercial Traveller *****

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/03/ddr-uncommercial-traveller-by-charles.html

24. A Child's History of England *****

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/03/ddr-childs-history-of-england-by.html

25. Reprinted Pieces *****

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/03/ddr-reprinted-pieces-by-charles-dickens.html

26. Miscellaneous Papers Volume I *****

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/04/ddr-miscellaneous-papers-volume-i-by.html

27. Bleak House Volume I 

28. Bleak House Volume II

29. Miscellaneous Papers Volume  II *****

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/04/ddr-bleak-house-by-charles-dickens.html

30. Hard Times 

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/05/ddr-hard-times-by-charles-dickens.html

31. Little Dorrit Volume I

32. Little Dorret Volume II

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/06/ddr-little-dorrit-by-charles-dickens.html

33. A Tale of Two Cities 

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/07/ddr-tale-of-two-cities-by-charles.html

34. Great Expectations 

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/07/ddr-great-expectations.html

35. Our Mutual Friend Volume I

36. Our Mutual Friend Volume II

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/08/ddr-our-mutual-friend-by-charles-dickens.html

Interpolation: Dickens and Kafka by Mark Spills

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2023/09/ddr-coda-dickens-and-kafka-by-mark.html

Looks like I did have it in me after all. 

So for me, 15 of the 36 Volumes were not worth reading...but the other 21 Volumes were pretty excellent. Not a bad batting average.

* Which is not a novel, but a collection of short stories. When I learned that both The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge were first published in the periodical Master Humphrey's Clock, and that the stories in that periodical were somewhat entwined with the former novel, I decided to diverge from the Novel Path and pick this one up.

** Also not a novel. After reading Martin Chuzzlewit, I decided to take a turn into non-fiction, since (1) the American Journey in the aforesaid novel was based on the journey delineated in American Notes and (2) this travelogue was composed in approximately the same time frame as the novel. Also, Martin Chuzzlewit was so bad that I felt that I needed a break, and did not want to break from Dickens in my Daily Devotional Reading program, hence....

*** Still not a novel. Looks like I've decided to try to read all of the non-novel books as well.

**** I don't even have to say it, do I?

***** Nope.