American Notes

Charles Dickens's 1842 trip to America was in some ways a disaster. Dickens was fascinated by the still-evolving American experiment in democracy, and expected his own egalitarian views to be confirmed by his travels there. Instead, what he found repelled him: coarseness, filth, uncomfortable travel, hot and humid weather, a disappointing governmental system, and--worst of all--the institution of slavery. The resulting book about his travels was frankly critical, and it cost him many admirers in America, where he had been as much of an idol as he was in England. AMERICAN NOTES, however, from the perspective of over a century and a half, is a vastly entertaining and informative book, full of Dickens's characteristic humor, descriptive powers, and keen eye for human frailty.