Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens

When Chesterton defends and explains the great Victorian author, his arguments prophetically defend his own writing. Dickens, for instance, was accused of being superficial. So was Chesterton. Of such critics, Chesterton says, “they cannot grasp that there is foam upon the deep seas.” Such critics are too easily impressed by depressing literature and the confinement inflicted by sorrow. They cannot appreciate the difficulty of portraying happiness and the liberty provided by laughter. Aeterna Press