Differential Equations: Linear, Nonlinear, Ordinary, Partial

Book Description

Differential equations are vital to science, engineering and mathematics, and this book enables the reader to develop the required skills needed to understand them thoroughly. The authors focus on constructing solutions analytically and interpreting their meaning and use MATLAB extensively to illustrate the material along with many examples based on interesting and unusual real world problems. A large selection of exercises is also provided.

Download Description

Finding and interpreting the solutions of differential equations is a central and essential part of applied mathematics. This book aims to enable the reader to develop the required skills needed for a thorough understanding of the subject. The authors focus on the business of constructing solutions analytically, and interpreting their meaning, using rigorous analysis where needed. MATLAB is used extensively to illustrate the material. There are many worked examples based on interesting and unusual real world problems. A large selection of exercises is provided, including several lengthier projects, some of which involve the use of MATLAB. The coverage is broad, ranging from basic second-order ODEs and PDEs, through to techniques for nonlinear differential equations, chaos, asymptotics and control theory. This broad coverage, the authors' clear presentation and the fact that the book has been thoroughly class-tested will increase its attraction to undergraduates at each stage of their studies.

Customer Reviews:

More suited to a second course in differential equations.......2007-05-15

This book is not the usual introductory course in differential equations. Right away in the first paragraph, you see the general, linear second order ordinary differential equation of the form

P(x) * (d(2)y / dx(2)) + Q(x) * (dy/dx) + R(x) * y = F(x)

No basic review, the next steps are the standard operations performed on these equations to change them into more convenient forms. As you can see from the chapter titles:

*) Variable coefficient, second order, linear, ordinary differential equations
*) Legendre functions
*) Bessel functions
*) Boundary value problems, Green's functions and Sturm Liouville Theory
*) Fourier series and the Fourier transform
*) Laplace transforms
*) Classification, properties and complex variable methods for second order partial differential equations
*) Existence, uniqueness, continuity, and comparison of solutions of ordinary differential equations
*) Nonlinear ordinary differential equations: Phase plane methods
*) Group theoretical methods
*) Asymptotic methods: Basic ideas
*) Asymptotic methods: Differential equations
*) Stability, instability and bifurcations
*) Time-optimal control in the phase plane
*) An introduction to chaotic systems

The level of difficulty is more consistent with a second or third course in differential equations rather than a first course.
With that preamble, I can recommend this book; the examples are well stated and worked to completion. The coverage is extensive; an instructor could select what they consider the high points for their course or use it for a two semester course in differential equations.

A Compendium on Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations

Average customer rating:

A Compendium on Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations
P. L. Sachdev
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

Mathematical Analysis | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This book offers a collection of approximately 2,500 nonlinear ordinary differential equations and includes the equation, the answer or important results, and references. Nonlinear phenomena have become a dominant theme in the sciences and this thoroughly up-to-date book is a useful research tool for applied mathematicians and engineers.

Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations: An Introduction to Dynamical Systems (Oxford Applied and Engineering Mathematics)

Average customer rating:

Not an instructive textbook
very non-rigorous approach with a sizeable number of typos
Approachable introduction to nonlinear ODE's

Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations: An Introduction to Dynamical Systems (Oxford Applied and Engineering Mathematics)
D. W. Jordan , and Peter Smith
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0198565623

Book Description

Nonlinear ordinary differential equations was first published in 1977 and has since become a standard text in the teaching of the subject. It takes a qualitative approach, and is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of dynamical systems in mathematics or mathematics-related subjects. The text of this third edition has been completely revised to bring it into line with current teaching, including an expansion of the material on bifurcations and chaos. The book is directed towards practical applications of the theory, with several hundred examples and problems covering a wide variety of applications. Prerequisites are kept to a minimum, with appendices containing the necessary mathematical theory new to this edition. From reviews of the first edition: The book can profitably be used in a senior undergraduate course. It is well written, well motivated and contains some recent developments of interest which have not been readily accessible before at this level. V. Lakshmikantham in Mathematical Reviews From reviews of the second edition: The subject has wide applications in physical, biological, and social sciences which continuously supply new problems of practical and theoretical importance. The book does a good job in motivating the reader in such pursuits, and presents the subject in a simple but elegant style. P. K. Kythe in Applied Mechanics Reviews

Customer Reviews:

Not an instructive textbook.......2006-03-06

I am in an introductory graduate level math course using this textbook. I agree with the other reviewer who criticizes its lack of rigor, numerous typos, and overabundance of examples. The text is not well-written, so the authors wander among seemingly related topics within each chapter without giving much explanation of their background or intuitive insight into the physical phenomena they describe. Moreover, the examples have not been very instructive for me. They often leave out several steps (for example, many assume that you already have an analytic solution for a differential equation, thus I sometimes find myself needing to use Mathematica to derive one). The problems are loosely related to the examples, but there is enough of a disconnect between the two so that I have trouble doing the homework assignments. I find myself referring to other (more elementary) texts on differential equations for better insight into the problems.

I strongly discourage the use of this book and am looking forward to when the class ends.

very non-rigorous approach with a sizeable number of typos.......2006-02-24

(I am referring to the paperpack 3rd edition)

The text serves as an ok introduction to nonlinear ODEs. I would not recommend it for any kind of rigorous course, since the approach is very nonrigorous. There are no theorems, and no attempt at analysis, so you must take everything at the author's word. The book is mainly a large collection of examples. The difficulty of the problems depends on how rigorous you want the answers to be, and there are a lot of answers in the appendix (but without any comments about how they were derived).

Personally, the book irritates me, but I can see its usefulness. One of the main causes of irritation was the unusually high number of typos, at the rate of one per page in some chapters (and in the problems and their solutions too). I find this quite significant. This is the third edition, and there is no excuse for so many errors. I have never encountered a published book with this kind of error rate.

I do not have much experience with similar books, so I can't rate this text in context very well. It is similar to, say, Marion and Thornton's Classical Dynamics, except with less physics (of course) and more on difficult nonlinear ODEs, and with more typos.

Approachable introduction to nonlinear ODE's.......2000-04-07

Certainly worth the price. Very approachable. I haven't reviewed many similar books -- this text is good enough that I haven't felt the need.

Covers: solution, characterization, and stability analysis, including bifurcation and chaos.

Book Description

This book presents an up-to-date account of many topics of current interest in the theory of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Topics include fixed point theory, periodic problems, lower and upper surfaces, positone and semi-positone problems, singular equations, limit circle problems, finite and infinite interval problems, and impulsive differential equations. In addition many important applications are presented to complement the theory.
Audience: This work will be of interest to theoretical and applied mathematicians, and graduate students in the above disciplines.

Nonlinear ordinary and partial differential equations on unbounded domains : (Dissertation)

Average customer rating:

Nonlinear ordinary and partial differential equations on unbounded domains : (Dissertation)
Jason Robert Morris
Manufacturer: ProQuest Information and Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

Citation Details

Distributed by ProQuest Information and Learning

Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations (Applied Mathematics and Engineering Science Texts)

Average customer rating:

Solid introduction to advanced ODE theory

Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations (Applied Mathematics and Engineering Science Texts)
R. Grimshaw
Manufacturer: Blackwell Science
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

Mathematical Analysis | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Ordinary differential equations have long been an important area of study because of their wide application in physics, engineering, biology, chemistry, ecology, and economics. Based on a series of lectures given at the Universities of Melbourne and New South Wales in Australia, Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations takes the reader from basic elementary notions to the point where the exciting and fascinating developments in the theory of nonlinear differential equations can be understood and appreciated. Each chapter is self-contained, and includes a selection of problems together with some detailed workings within the main text. Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations helps develop an understanding of the subtle and sometimes unexpected properties of nonlinear systems and simultaneously introduces practical analytical techniques to analyze nonlinear phenomena. This excellent book gives a structured, systematic, and rigorous development of the basic theory from elementary concepts to a point where readers can utilize ideas in nonlinear differential equations.

Customer Reviews:

Solid introduction to advanced ODE theory.......2003-02-03

This book is good overall. It covers all of the basics adequately: existence/uniqueness, linear systems, Floquet theory, stability, perturbation and averaging methods, etc. The final chapter is devoted to Hamiltonian systems which goes into greater detail than an introductory mechanics course might. The only complaint is that the binding is terrible. Everyone in my ODE class (approximately 10 students) said their book fell apart in a matter of weeks. A good supplement to this book might be Verhulst's nonlinear dynamics book.

Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations and Their Applications (Pure and Applied Mathematics)

Average customer rating:

Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations and Their Applications (Pure and Applied Mathematics)
Sachdev
Manufacturer: Dekker/CRC Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

Mathematical Analysis | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Presents simple analytic methods which are readily accessible for use in applications. These include transformations, phase plane analysis, integral equation formulation, shooting arguments, local and asymptotic analysis, singular point analysis, and others. The applications, reflecting the research

Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations in Transport Processes

Average customer rating:

Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations in Transport Processes
William Ames
Manufacturer: ACADEMIC PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QACQ4C

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

The sound of Little Nell clattering hurriedly over cobblestones immediately sets the stage by bringing to mind the narrow and dangerous streets of Victorian London. No fewer than 20 performers are called upon to conjure up the Dickensian world of wanderers, ne'er-do-wells, con artists, and kind Samaritans--and each performance is excellent. Tom Courtenay plays the sadistic Quilp, "the ugliest dwarf that could be seen anywhere for a penny" with magnificent sarcastic glee, and Teresa Gallagher's silvery, childlike voice is ideally suited for the role of the angelic Little Nell.

Nell is on her way home to the dusty shop where she and her grandfather live a rather mysterious life. The old man disappears every night--visiting gambling dens with the naive hope of winning a fortune. Instead he sinks deeper and deeper into debt. Enter Daniel Quilp, moneylender, who becomes furious upon learning that the grandfather is a pauper and will never be able to repay his tremendous debt. Quilp seizes the curiosity shop and begins making lecherous overtures to Nell, so she and her grandfather steal away one morning to seek their fortunes elsewhere. But the demonic dwarf is never far behind.

Sound effects are employed judiciously and serve mainly as a springboard for the listener's imagination. The sound of a crying baby is enough to convey the image of crowded lodgings and genteel Victorian poverty, while raucous laughter and high-pitched squawks evoke the barely controlled chaos of an outdoor Punch and Judy show. The dramatization pares Dickens's weighty novel down to two and one-half hours, but does so skillfully, retaining Dickens's wit, marvelous dialogue, and delightful characterizations. (Running time: 155 minutes, 2 cassettes) --Elizabeth Laskey

Book Description

`... holding her solitary way among a crowd of wild, grotesque companions; the only pure, fresh, youthful object in the throng.' `Little Nell' cares for her grandfather in the gloomy surroundings of his curiosity shop. Reduced to poverty the pair flee London, pursued by the grotesque and vindictive Quilp. In a bizarre and shifting kaleidoscope of events and characters the story reaches its tragic climax, an ending that famously devastated the novel's earliest readers. Dickens blends naturalistic and allegorical styles to encompass both the actual blight of Victorian industrialization and textual echoes of Bunyan, the Romantic poets, Shakespeare, pantomine and Jacobean tragedy. Contrasting youth and old age, beauty and deformity, innocence and cynicism, The Old Curiosity Shop is a compelling mixture of humour and brooding meance. This edition uses the Clarendon text, the definitive edition of the novels of Charles Dickens, and includes the original illustrations.

Download Description

The story of 'Little Nell' gripped the nation when it first appeared. Described as a 'tragedy of sorrows', it tells of Nell uprooted from a secure and innocent childhood and cast into a world where evil takes many shapes, the most fascinating of which is the stunted, lecherous Quilp. He is Nell's tormenter and destroyer, and it is his demonic energy that dominates the book.

Customer Reviews:

Little Nell was an Idea That Dickens Had to Revive Sales, but it Does Not Quite Work.......2007-08-07

This is among the bottom four novels by Dickens and it ranks a mediocre #25 in sales among the Dickens novels and short story collections. There is a reason. Unfortunately, this is a poorly planned and executed novel, partially saved by a few interesting characters including little Nell and Kit. It is not one of his great ones; and, if you are new to Dickens be encouraged because the others are mostly better.

After reading many of Dickens's novels and short stories in the last year or two, my pick for the best is the 750 page David Copperfield. It is both entertaining and it is a literary masterpiece, or close to it. There is a degree of charm and enthusiasm that is better the other novels. Oliver Twist is a close second, and I like the sleeper that is less well known: Nicholas Nickleby. Great Expectations is one of the lighter and fast moving novels, and it is very popular with many readers. It is a shorter work, about 400 pages. The novel does have a few interesting and famous Dickens characters such as the protagonist, Pip, Miss Havisham, and Abel Magwitch. Tale of Two Cities is a good read as well, and Edwin Drood is the worst book. Skip that one.

Now, back to the present book. Dickens only real writing failure was the Master Humphrey's Clock series which was stopped due to readership rejection after approximately six serial publications, and the readers had mostly gone after the first story. It followed his third and wildly popular novel, Nicholas Nickleby. In short, he departed from his popular themes and got ahead of the readers. As a result, he found himself with no audience. In his next novel, "The Old Curiosity Shop," he refers in the forward to the Humphrey series as "desultory" and was obviously not content with his own efforts there. But he carries some of the problems of that failed series into the present novel. He searched for a literary mechanism to get the readers back for his fourth novel, the present novel, and he decided that a small vulnerable girl surrounded by grotesque characters would make a good theme, hence we have the present novel.

The first few chapters of The Old Curiosity Shop follow the narrative style of Humphrey's Clock. But then after three chapters he switches gears. There is a feeling of darkness or foreboding in the novel that is not offset with positive characters, and instead it is dominated by the negative the character named Quilp, who is a wife beater and nasty character. His impact on the story is very negative. There are few sympathetic characters here, unlike say Oliver Twist where we have an array of nasty people offset by good characters. Also, the novel contains two parallel plots which leaves the reader somewhat scratching their head and wondering why?

Overall, I thought the read was just average or worse. It is not a difficult read. The reading experience is smooth and sometimes interesting. I read the book then read the analysis and found that I agreed almost completely with the critical analysis: it is was a problem novel. It contains many signature elements of a Dickens novel, but also includes many problems and poor planning for the story. Dickens tried to save it using a highly dramatic ending in the last few chapters. But is it enough? I think not: too little too late.

As background information, I am in the process of reading most of Dickens's 22 novels and longer short stories, and set up a Listmania list. As a suggestion, avoid the Penguin Popular Classics with the plain green covers (I bought two). They fall apart and do not stand up to a read, especially books over 500 pages in length. The Regular Penguin Classics with the photo or painting on the front are excellent and some have maps and illustrations (drawings). The Wordsworth Classics are not as good, and some are illustrated.

Little Nell dies but this great novel is vibrant with life, laughter and pathos.......2007-01-11

The Old Curiosity Shop appeared in 1840-1841 in monthly installments in
a magazine edited by the young Charles Dickens (1812-1870). The novel was an instant success winning the author of "The Pickwick Papers" and "Oliver Twist" great fame and riches.
The long novel deals with Little Nell Trent. She lives in the Old Curiostiy Shop with her granfather. He is an alcoholic old man who is weak and has a dangerous gambling addiction. Due to this vice he loses his shop which is taken over by the evil dwarf Quilp. Quilp delights in evil and is one of Dickens most malevolently grotesque creations.
Nell and her granfather flee London encountering many adventures and meet many characters on their peregrinations throughout England. Among the most interesting characters are the kindly schoolmaster who befriends the hapless pair; Mrs. Jarley who owns a waxworks employing in a time of dire need and the old church sexton who shares advice on eternity with Nell.
Back in London we meet the man about town Dick Swiveller and Nell's wild brother Fred Trent. Swiveller becomes a clerk at the notorious lawfirm of Sampson Brass and his mannish sister Sally Brass who is also an attorney.
Here in this law office we meet the little servant the Marchioness who falls in love with Swiveller.
Kit Nubbles works for Quilp and is accused of theft by Brass. He is an endearing simpleminded young man who cares for Nell. He and his mother and family are delightful.
Nell dies as the novel concludes. She is modelled on Dickens' 17 year old sister-in-law Mary Hogarth who died in that year of her short life.
Dickens mourned for her all of his days. Nell is an etheral angelic girl who lacks realism but does make one love her. A New York mob awaited the arrival of the installment dealing with her demise by crying out "Does Little Nell live?" Alas, the answer is no regarding the charcter but yes in literary annals. She will always live as long as Dickensians savor this fine novel.
"The Old Curiosity Shop" is episodic but does contain scense of great comicality and wit. Dickens also writes a good mystery story and this novel is no exception as we learn who the solitary gentleman is! This is a good novel to begin your reading of the immense corpus of works left by
Dickens. I enjoyed it very much. The period illustrations in the Penguin edition are also an enhanced pleasure to the total experience of this
journey back to the days when Victoria ruled the British Empire.
Excellent!

The Old Curiosity shop.......2005-07-20

i have never read Dickens before, and I found this book intriging. I love his characters, and the way he intertwined all of them, and brought them all together in the end.

A strange brew.......2005-05-19

A Curiosity, indeed, that Dickens should still be read today when most of his then-popular contemporaries are long forgotten. His stories are rambling, with little action, and sometimes don't even make sense. They take place in a mystical early Victorian age that exists only in Dickens's imagination, and the characters are placed like chess pieces in their places to be manipulated.

But what characters! Little Nell, Daniel Quilp, Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness, Sally Brass - just the names bring a fully detailed picture to life with all their delicious idiosyncrasies.
It's in them that Dickens's appeal lives on.

This book was written in installments for a magazine, and the chapters don't always follow one another logically, so that's the way I read it, a chapter or two at a time, without worrying too much about continuity. It's a strange mix of sentimentality and sexual perversity, innocence and evil sometimes repelling one another and sometimes attracting one another.

It's not a good introduction to Dickens, but a definite recommendation for the Dickens veteran.

I love the characters in this book!.......2005-02-05

I loved this book for its characters, especially Little Nell. In fact, when I think of Dickens and his work, Little Nell is the character that comes to mind. She so embodies everything that he wrote about in all his wonderful books. The plot in this book is a little simpler than some of his plots. It centres around Little Nell and her grandfather's search throughout the roads and fields of England for a home where they can live happily and comfortably. The book has been accused of being "schmaltzy" and perhaps it is, but the ending is actually quite sad. It's a heartwarming book, and I think a good introductory book to Dickens and his works. Read this one, and then try tackling some of the other, more complex ones. That's my advice.

Average customer rating:

Old Curiosity Shop
Charles Dickens
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A tale written by the unsurpassed Charles Dickens. Reprinted from the stereotype plates of Master Humphrey's Clock where it was occasionally interrupted by other matter, which is expunged from this volume. It is presented here, complete, in one volume. Some of the page numbers will be occasionally found to be defective, in consequence.

The Old Curiosity Shop (Dover Thrift Editions)

Average customer rating:

A Grand Beginning, But...
For fan's of Dickens's remarkable characters

The Old Curiosity Shop (Dover Thrift Editions)
Charles Dickens
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0486426793

Book Description

The emotional tale of Little Nell and her doting grandfather was an immediate popular success in 1840-41. Played out against the backdrop of a cold and brutal London, the twosome abandon their home to escape debt and roam the countryside as beggars. Dickens' tale brims with pathos and villainy.

Customer Reviews:

A Grand Beginning, But..........2006-07-26

It can be quite harmful to a great writer like Charles Dickens when you insist that one his medicore books is one of his best. This book certainly has its moments and good points, but it also has a number of flaws. The start is actually quite grand. Charles Dickens puts himself into the first few pages and finds the lost Nell. Charles Dickens helps Nell find her way home to her grandfather and in a fierce way tells him to take better care of her. (Obviously Dickens writing this knows that he is not exactly grandfather of the year or even week.) Moving on, under the impression that his grandfather is rich, Nell's brother Fred insists on his share. (We don't know yet how poor Nell and her grandfather are.) Well, in comes Daniel Quilp. He lends some money to Trent (Nell's grandfather) for a purpose that Trent does not reveal. Soon afterwards, Nell brings a letter from her grandfather asking Quilp for more money. Now Quilp is starting to suspect something is up. It is not long before he realizes that Trent has been losing all the money at gambling. Quilp is furious, and we can scarcely blame him. Well, Quilp gains possession of Trent's house and gets at least part of his money back. Well, this was a grand start, but things start to drop from here. Nell and Trent decide to flee the area. Now, this is fine, but the fact that they wander with no clear destination does not work for me. (Even Oliver Twist knew he was heading towards London when he ran away from the Sowerberrys. Do Nell and Trent plan to spend the rest of their lives running away?) Well, this is sadly not the end. Quilp meets the eccentric but benevolent Dick Swiveller and he plots to have him marry Nell. (Being that Nell is a beggar.) It would seem that Quilp has been reduced from a sharp observer who had justifiable reasons for his anger to a simple prankster. Did Quilp even have a reason to dislike Swiveller? This does not work for me. Jingle (from "Pickwick Papers") was at least after some financial benefit. But a villain who enjoys pranks with no reason would seem beneath the genius of Dickens. Well, moving on, Trent and Nell find generosity and relief from several people along the way. Nell and Trent then find sanctuary under the benevolent Mrs. Jarley who owns a wax museum. (Mrs. Jarley is a lively character who is quite likable.) Well, moving on, under Quilp's orders, Sampson Brass (a crooked lawyer) hires Dick Swiveller. (This seems to be a lot of work for the prank of getting Dick and Nell to marry.) Quilp is indeed a fascinating character, but could it be that Dickens came up with this character and then realized he couldn't really encounter the main characters Trent and Nell anymore? Did Dickens perhaps feel that Trent would be enough of a villain to Nell, and himself for that matter? That brings me to the next problem I have with this story. After finding the much needed relief and sanctuary, Trent has no problem stealing from Nell to gamble again. To be sure, gambling can be addicitive, but he doesn't even hesitate. (This is inconceivable. Does he not realize how much the gambling cost him? Has he forgotten so soon how Nell stood by him through the troubles that gambling got him into?) Well, we can at least speculate. Charles Dickens's grandfather was a compulsive gambler. And perhaps Dickens could not hold back his contempt for his real grandfather when he wrote this book. Digressing a moment, varied opinions about Fagin from "Oliver Twist" exist. Some see Fagin as an outright villain who corrupts children, some see him as heroic, and some people see him as a man who has both faults and redeeming points. (Well, Trent makes Fagin look like a saint!) Back to the subject at hand, Trent continues to steal from Nell, and he even agrees to steal from Mrs. Jarley who was so kind to them! Is the much needed sanctuary worth a few more hands of cards?! Well, Nell convinces her grandfather to flee with her before this can happen. An interesting sub plot is when Dick Swiveller befriends the abused servant girl of Sampson and Sally Brass. Well, in comes Abel. He is Trent's brother and wants to help him, if only he can find him. They look for Trent and Nell at Jarley's Wax Works, but of course they are gone. Nell and Trent find that generosity is growing more scarce, but a man does offer them a night of hospitality. They then encounter the benevolent Martin who promises to provide them with a means of income. Moving on, Quilp once more engages in a prank that seems beneath him. He plans to frame Kit for theft. We can only infer that Quilp wants revenge because Kit threatened him earlier. But again, it seems inconceivable that a man of Quilp's sharpness and shrewdness would feel so threatened by this as to engage in an action that may prove dangerous to him. Well, Kit is framed, but under nominal threats, Sampson Brass confesses and fingers Quilp. Could the intelligent and shrewd Quilp have failed to foreseen that Sampson Brass would not be so brave if things started to go bad? Well, Quilp drowns trying to escape. Nell and her grandfather die, but Dick Swiveller has a happy end as he inherits a generous amount of money and marries the servant girl. While this book certainly has its redeeming elements, it does have its flaws. And to put it on the same level as "Oliver Twist," "David Copperfield," or "Great Expectations" borders on absurd.

For fan's of Dickens's remarkable characters.......2004-01-13

The Old Curiosity Shop is one of Dickens's most often-overlooked novels. A quite long (720+ pages) novel, it originally appeared in weekly segment in Dickens's short-lived journal, Master Humphrey's Clock. Appearing originally in this form in 1840, they were a huge success. In this novel format, separated from the journal, it still makes for some delightful reading, though sometimes it is clear that it was originally published in weekly portions. That is to say, the novel is largely episodic, to an even greater degree than his masterpiece, Great Expectations. Nell and her grandfather's trials and tribulations experienced during their travels through the English countryside are interspersed with parallel urban scenes involving different characters. Much of it goes along with little apparent connection to what has come before, with very little in the way of suspense and not much to speak of in terms of a traditional plot. The book's charm lies centrally with the characters and with the pathos and other emotions that their triumphs and travails evoke. There is little in the way of a theme -- no philosophizing or moralizing. These features belie the story's origin. It can make it something of a slow read at times, but the book certainly has its virtues.

These reside chiefly in, as always, the wonderful characters of Dickens. Here he, indeed, conjured up a motley crew -- from the innocent, angelic Nell to the demonic, malevolent Daniel Quilp, and everyone in-between. Like much of Dickens's work, the chief joy in reading this book comes from the pure enjoyment of reading about these delightful characters. They exist for their own sake, outside of the restrictions of the basic plot. The character of Mr. Swiveller is one of his best-loved and most-enduring characters -- and the aforementioned Quilp is a devilish, beastly fiend to rank with Iago and Cathy from John Steinbeck's East of Eden. This book's chief strengths and weaknesses being thus laid out, suffice it to say that this is not Dickens's best book, and it is not where the new Dickens reader should start; try Great Expectations or A Tale of Two Cities for that. It is, however, a delightful read for the Dickens fan and should definitely be picked up and read by them in time, as well as by anyone who loves character-driven literature.

Average customer rating:
The Old Curiosity Shop (International Collectors Library)
Charles Dickens
Manufacturer: International Collectors Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Dickens, Charles | Classics | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Hardcover | Dickens, Charles | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000HFU56W

Average customer rating:
The Old Curiosity Shop
Charles Dickens
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Dickens, Charles | Classics | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Dickens, Charles | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Paperback | Dickens, Charles | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Literature & Fiction | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0543899721
Release Date: 2000-05-31

Average customer rating:
(Carleton's New Illustrated Edition VIII) The Old Curiosity Shop

Manufacturer: G.W. Carleton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Dickens, Charles | Classics | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Hardcover | Dickens, Charles | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000IC50ZU

Average customer rating:
Charles Dicken's Works (Old Curiosity Shop; Reprinted Pieces; Barnaby rudge; Hard Times)

Manufacturer: Fields, Osgood & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Dickens, Charles | Classics | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Hardcover | Dickens, Charles | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000G8KCOK

Product Description

With 10 illustrations

The Charles Dickens Value Collection: The Old Curiosity Shop, Barnab Ridge, A Tale of Two Cities

Average customer rating:

good book

The Charles Dickens Value Collection: The Old Curiosity Shop, Barnab Ridge, A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

Radio Shows | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

General Broadcasting | Radio | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

The Old Curiosity Shop is a story of contrasts: youth and old age, beauty and deformity, freedom and restraint. Expansively comic, sentimentally tragic, it it sometimes fairytale and sometimes myth.

Barnaby Rudge, Dickens' magnificent tale of private lives and public events takes place in the seething unrest of the 1780's London. With a richly diverse cast of characters, Dickens weaves the complex themes of public authority and rebellion with the private conflicts of fathers and sons in a spellbinding, fictional recreation of the Gordon Riots.

The spectre of the revolution, the flaming chateaux, the ferocious mobs, the rumbling of the death carts, the hiss and thud of the guillotine, the storming of the Bastille - all are vividly portrayed in Charles Dickens' great French Revolutionary romance, A Tale of Two Cities which dashes back and forth from London to Paris during the nightmare of The Terror.

Customer Reviews:

good book.......2001-07-19

I was encouraged to buy another set of audio cassetes after listening to "Death in Holy Orders", which made our long trips in the car more enjoyable. Charles Dickens audio collection even more interesting. The only problem that we had is when characters' speech went too fast and it was hard to understand it. But for native English speakers it should be OK.

Charles Dickens' Complete Works. The Home Library Edition. The Old Curiosity Shop. Hard Times.

Average customer rating:

Charles Dickens' Complete Works. The Home Library Edition. The Old Curiosity Shop. Hard Times.
Charles Dickens
Manufacturer: Estes and Lauriat
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Comic World of Dickens; a Gallery of Unforgettable Characters Selected From the Pickwick Papers, the Old Curiosity Shop, Martin Chuzzlewit [and]

Average customer rating:

The Comic World of Dickens; a Gallery of Unforgettable Characters Selected From the Pickwick Papers, the Old Curiosity Shop, Martin Chuzzlewit [and]

Manufacturer: Fawcett Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books