Praised by acclaimed biographer Claire Tomalin as "young Dickens at his most playful," this delightful volume showcases two collections of little-known sketches by Dickens, charmingly illustrated by Phiz. Whimsical, satirical, witty and exuberant, the sketches ridicule the behavior of their subjects with perfect comic effect, offering fascinating evidence of a writer learning his craft and refining his style. In his Introduction, Dickens scholar Paul Schlicke discusses the popularity of the sketch mode, and the special qualities of these examples. This unique edition includes Edward Caswall's Sketches of Young Ladies, whose success prompted Dickens to write his own sketches.

There is an amiable kind of young gentleman going about in society, upon whom, after much experience of him, and considerable turning over of the subject in our mind, we feel it our duty to affix the above appellation. Young ladies mildly call him a 'sarcastic' young gentleman, or a 'severe' young gentleman. We, who know better, beg to acquaint them with the fact, that he is merely a censorious young gentleman.

Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812-9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters and is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. During his life, his works enjoyed unprecedented popularity, and by the twentieth century he was widely seen as a literary genius by critics and scholars. His novels and short stories continue to be widely popular.