The Last Dickens

The books do pretend, Mr. Branagan. Surely. But that is not all. Novels are filled with lies, but squeezed in between is even more that is true—without what you may call the lies, the pages would be too light for the truth, you see?

Books do pretend ...but squeezed in between is even more that is true—without what you may call the lies, the pages would be too light for the truth, you see?

It is my conviction that we make ourselves who we want to be and not chain ourselves to the notions of busybodies who wish to judge us.

Obsession of a strong-hearted woman, Mr. Dolby, can be more dangerous than ten men.

[Benjamin Franklin]. Not only one of our nation's founding geniuses but a printer and publisher, too... He knew that to form the soul of America, one must control the presses.

These tears were difficult: they didn’t want to come out and they didn’t want to stay in.

The piratical publishers hire them to perform such tasks as stalking around the harbor for advance sheets coming from England, to come by through bribes or even theft.

It was as if he were pointing to the various illustrated portraits and photographs on the walls of the firm’s past and present. These were the artists who had brought literature to the masses, who had changed minds about politics and prejudices, who had rebuilt bridges between England and America all through the pages of their novels and poems.