Charles Dickens was an English novelist famed for his memorable characters and vivid storytelling. His classic novels, including Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, offer sharp social commentary of Victorian society.
If you enjoy reading books by Charles Dickens then you might also like the following authors:
Readers who enjoy the storytelling and vivid characters found in novels by Charles Dickens might appreciate the novels of Wilkie Collins. A close friend and colleague of Dickens, Wilkie Collins is famous for blending mystery, suspense, and memorable characters in his plots.
His novel The Woman in White is an exciting story of secrets, mistaken identities, and unexpected twists.
It begins when Walter Hartright, a young drawing instructor, encounters a strange woman dressed entirely in white on a lonely road, leading him into a puzzling and dangerous world of deception.
Fans of Dickens’s atmospheric settings and intriguing characters will likely find Collins’s storytelling equally captivating and enjoyable.
If you enjoy Charles Dickens, you might also appreciate Victor Hugo. Hugo’s novels vividly portray the struggles of society’s forgotten and bring both heartbreak and hope.
His famous work, Les Misérables, follows Jean Valjean, a man imprisoned nearly twenty years for stealing bread. After his release, Valjean tries to build a new life but faces relentless pursuit by the obsessive inspector Javert.
Their bitter rivalry takes place amid the harsh realities of 19th-century Paris, where poverty, injustice, and revolutionary fervor shape countless lives.
Hugo’s storytelling combines powerful human drama with social awareness, qualities readers of Dickens will immediately recognize and appreciate.
Readers who enjoy Charles Dickens may appreciate Elizabeth Gaskell, an English novelist from the Victorian era whose stories deeply explore the social issues of her time. One of her notable books is North and South, a story of contrasts that centers on Margaret Hale.
Margaret moves from the calm, rural south of England to the industrial northern town of Milton. She quickly comes face to face with the harsh realities of industrial life, poverty, and class struggles.
The book also chronicles her relationship with John Thornton, a stern cotton mill owner whose perspectives challenge her own, as they navigate tensions between the workers and factory owners.
Elizabeth Gaskell portrays vivid, lifelike characters, giving readers a thoughtful look at the divisions and changes of Victorian society.
Books by George Eliot offer readers a thoughtful look into Victorian society, similar to the detailed worlds created by Charles Dickens. Eliot, whose real name was Mary Ann Evans, wrote novels that explored the inner thoughts of ordinary people facing moral challenges.
Her novel Middlemarch revolves around life in a small English town in the early 1830s. The story introduces readers to characters like Dorothea Brooke, a bright young woman dealing with unfulfilled ambitions and personal choices.
It follows the daily challenges, dreams, and disappointments of residents, showing how personal decisions shape their lives and community.
Anyone who appreciates the vivid characters and social commentary in Dickens’ novels will find Eliot’s realistic portrayal of human relationships appealing.
Anthony Trollope was an English novelist who portrayed social life and everyday human emotions with vivid detail and gentle humor. If you’re a fan of Charles Dickens’s colorful characters and detailed depictions of Victorian life, give Trollope a try.
His book The Warden tells the story of Reverend Septimus Harding, a kind-hearted clergy member who becomes embroiled in controversy over his comfortable position as warden of a charitable home for elderly men.
As debate heats up about the fairness of church finances, Harding finds himself caught between public criticism and his own sense of integrity.
Trollope skillfully explores themes of morality, duty, and social expectations through a charming cast of believable, flawed, and human characters.
Readers who appreciate the vivid characters and social themes of Charles Dickens may also enjoy the novels of Thomas Hardy. Hardy’s work often explores the struggles of ordinary people in Victorian England, especially those facing moral judgement and social difficulties.
For example, his novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles tells the story of a young woman named Tess who faces hardship, love, and tragedy due to circumstances largely beyond her control.
Hardy creates a realistic portrayal of rural life, while questioning the rigid morals and harsh judgments of his society.
His sympathetic and often heartbreaking examination of individual lives provides an engaging reading experience for those who enjoy Dickens’ distinct blend of social critique and compelling narrative.
Leo Tolstoy was a Russian author known for his profound storytelling and vivid characters, qualities that fans of Charles Dickens often admire. In his novel Anna Karenina, he presents a sweeping story about love, family, and society in 19th-century Russia.
The plot revolves around Anna, who struggles against social expectations when she falls in love outside her marriage, and Levin, a thoughtful man who seeks meaning and happiness in a changing world.
Dickens readers might find Tolstoy’s portrayal of complex social dynamics, moral tension, and engaging characters particularly appealing.
Books by Honoré de Balzac offer the drama, social criticism, and vivid characters that fans of Charles Dickens might appreciate. Balzac was a French novelist famous for his insightful observations of French society in the 19th century.
In his novel Père Goriot, Balzac paints a realistic picture of Parisian society and the extremes people go to for wealth and social standing.
It follows the intertwined stories of several characters who live in a shabby boarding house in Paris, including young Eugène Rastignac, ambitious and eager to enter elite society, and Goriot, a once-wealthy merchant who sacrifices everything for the happiness and success of his two selfish daughters.
The novel explores the harsh realities of ambition, greed, and family loyalty with emotional depth that recalls Dickens’ exploration of Victorian society.
William Makepeace Thackeray was a novelist from the Victorian era whose stories often explored human nature and society with sharp insight and wit. If you enjoy Charles Dickens’ rich portraits of characters and society, try Thackeray’s famed novel Vanity Fair.
This satirical book follows Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley, two friends from very different backgrounds, who navigate life’s challenges in the competitive and often superficial society of early 19th-century England. Becky is ambitious and cunning, Amelia gentle and naive.
Their intertwined journeys reveal the hypocrisy and moral ambiguity beneath the polished veneer of high society. Readers who appreciate Dickens’ lively, detailed characters and keen social observations might also find Vanity Fair an insightful and entertaining read.
If you enjoy Charles Dickens’ detailed portrayal of social class and keen observation of human character, Edith Wharton may become one of your new favorite authors.
Wharton’s The Age of Innocence depicts New York’s upper-class society of the late 19th century with precision and insight.
The novel follows Newland Archer, a man torn between duty to his conventional fiancée, May Welland, and his attraction to May’s unconventional cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska.
Wharton weaves a story of suppressed desires, quiet rebellion, and the deep influence society can have on personal choices.
Through this careful study of manners and morals, the novel reveals the pressure individuals face to conform to expectations even at the cost of personal happiness.
Books by Herman Melville offer a vivid exploration of complex characters and moral conflicts, a style that fans of Charles Dickens will appreciate.
In his classic novel Moby-Dick, readers follow Ishmael, a young sailor who joins the obsessive Captain Ahab on a dangerous voyage to hunt the great white whale.
Through dramatic ocean adventures, intense relationships among the ship’s diverse crew, and deep questions about obsession and humanity, Melville creates a narrative rich with detailed characterization and engaging scenes.
Those who enjoy Dickens’ ability to weave compelling stories about human strengths, flaws, and struggles will easily connect with Melville’s powerful, unforgettable story.
Emile Zola was a French author known for his sharp social commentary and vivid storytelling, often compared to Charles Dickens for the way he depicted social struggles and human truths.
His novel Germinal focuses on the harsh lives of coal miners in northern France during the industrial revolution. Zola weaves together compelling characters from different backgrounds and portrays the harshness faced by working-class families.
He explores the desperation, injustice, and resilience within their daily experiences. Zola’s writing style is vivid and powerful, creating scenes so lifelike you feel as if you’ve stepped into the mining village yourself.
Readers who appreciate Dickens’s ability to represent social reality through unforgettable characters will likely find Zola’s Germinal equally engaging.
Mark Twain is a classic American author known for his sharp wit and profound storytelling, especially in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Like Dickens, Twain expertly paints a vivid picture of childhood life and society, filled with colorful characters, humor, and mischief.
The story follows Tom, a clever boy growing up along the Mississippi River, who spends his days pulling pranks, avoiding chores, and exploring hidden caves. While Twain’s story is adventurous and funny, it also takes a clear look at the social and moral issues of his time.
Readers who appreciate Dickens’s storytelling wrapped in social commentary will likely find Twain’s writing appealing.
Nathaniel Hawthorne is an American author whose works explore moral struggles, hidden guilt, and the complexities of human nature. His novel The Scarlet Letter follows Hester Prynne, a woman condemned by her Puritan community for bearing an illegitimate child.
Forced to wear a scarlet A as a symbol of shame, Hester struggles against isolation and public judgment.
Hawthorne captures the rigid societal pressures of 17th-century New England, and readers who appreciate the strong characters, vivid settings, and moral themes found in Dickens’ novels may find Hawthorne appealing as well.
Books by Fyodor Dostoevsky often remind me of Charles Dickens because both authors create vividly detailed characters set in tough realities. Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment follows Raskolnikov, a young student burdened by poverty, who commits a desperate act.
The story explores Raskolnikov’s inner struggles, guilt, and search for redemption within the poverty-stricken streets of nineteenth-century Saint Petersburg.
Those who appreciate Dickens’ attention to social issues and complex characters might find Dostoevsky’s exploration of morality and conscience equally fascinating.