SOURCE: "The Reception of Dickens's First Book," in The Dickensian, Vol. XXXII, No. 237, December, 1935, pp. 43-50.

In the following essay, the critic presents extracts of original reviews of Sketches by Boz.

The Centenary of Pickwick is likely to overshadow another very important centenary in the life of Dickens, and we must not lose sight of the fact that Dickens's first book was published only about two months before the immortal Pickwick made his first bow to the public.

Sketches by Boz in two volumes at one guinea was published on or about 8th February, 1836; as we all know, it was a collection of short stories and sketches which had previously appeared in various publications. The publisher was John Macrone, and Dickens's correspondence with him was first published in The Dickensian in 1934. These letters threw many a side-light on the struggling young journalist, and showed the assistance given him...