Drawing upon corner-stone criticism and theory within Gothic literature as well as contemporary views and approaches, this book examines Charles Dickens's use of Gothic tropes and motifs within his work to explore his importance and influence within the genre. From mystery to murder, madness to the macabre and dark tableaux set against sinister landscapes, it cannot be denied that Dickens indulged in the Gothic when writing his fiction. Despite this, few have given over extended study to how it manifests within his work and to identify and confirm his significance to the genre.

Charles Dickens's Gothic takes up just this mandate, first locating his works alongside seminal Gothic texts, identifying his influences and networks, and then digging into Dickens's worlds, his times, his identity within a Victorian Gothic world and his character types. With coverage of those most stalwart of Gothic figures – ghosts, doubles, outsiders and female binaries and monstrous creations – the work rounds off with a consideration of Dicken's legacy on such writers as M. R. James, Henry James, H. G. Wells and Stephen King and how adaptations of his work across media have exposed or exaggerated his Gothic elements.

Accessible, wide-ranging and covering all Dicken's masterpieces including Great Expectations, Bleak House, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities and more, Charles Dickens's Gothic delves into the complex interplay between author and genre, offering fresh and compelling readings within a topic that is long overdue some careful examination.