I found this to be a very useful supplement to my reading of Dickens novel. It is perfect for finding out what others think of the novel, without waiting through a lot of pages or a lot of jargon. Given Dicken's enormous cast of characters, I suspect that many readers will be delighted to know that there is a guide that lists just about all of them.

Royster gives alternative viewpoints about the novel. While she has opinions, she is not didactic, and is willing to offer the reader other ideas. The only thing that I could wish, which I have seen in other Cliff Notes, is more on the initial reactions to the novel - there is very likely a page limitation, and what is here is very helpful. ( )