Dickensland by Lee Jackson offers an intriguing delve into the historical evolution of Dickensian tourism over 150 years. The book is rich in detail and obviously well-researched, but it doesn't have an engaging narrative, so I think it's best suited for someone who has more of an interest in Dickens than I do. The author paints a vivid picture of Charles Dickens's London and the evolving landscape as tourists sought out the landmarks immortalized in his novels, but I found myself wishing it was more inviting. So many obscure details and a focus on the minutiae was overwhelming even for someone like me who has read all of the referenced works by Dickens.

This is a detailed guide through the physical, creative and metaphorical spaces of Dickensian London.

The author takes us nicely through various Dickens’ novels and how real life spaces feature in the novels. We also learn how people decided to ‘fake it’ and try to sell buildings as being based on places in Dickens. Once we’ve moved on from the real life places, we get to see the fictional spaces in musicals like Lionel Bart’s Oliver.

All in all this is a a descriptive, well researched book that fans of Dickens will love.

As a fan of Dickens and also London this book appealed to me. It’s very in depth and does bring Dickens London to life. A very in depth read, a bit more detailed than I expected so not a book to dip in and out of. However if you are a fan of Dickens it would be an interesting read.

This was a slower read for me, but in a good way- Jackson is obviously passionate about his subject, and there is so much to absorb.
In terms of literary tourism, I am much more familiar with the world of Jane Austen. I spent quite a bit of time in Bath tracing her time there, I find it fascinating when you can place yourself in an author’s world. However, Dickens and his world is not quite as familiar. Many of my undergraduate coursework was done on nineteenth century Britain, but I loved diving into Dickens’ London specifically.
Setting played such a large part in Dickens’ novels but a lot of that flies past us modern readers. The London that you will read about does feel unfamiliar to anyone who has spent time in modern London, but it really does help flesh out his works and let us in on quite a different period in London’s history.

Okay, let's put it this way: I'm not of British nationality, and I don't live in London. I am familiar, of course, with Dickens' works, at least the major ones, and when I requested a copy of this book, I genuinely believed that I could do a good service to the publishing house and the (Italian) readers of my historical outreach blog ,by finding many little gems to share inspired by the most important Dickensian novels. Maybe even "A Christmas Carol," who knows: given the time of year, I had high expectations for some curious themed articles.

In practice, I reached the end of the book realizing that, in my opinion, this volume can be truly appreciated only by those who have a very in-depth knowledge of Dickensian literature (and preferably of the city of London). The author focuses on anecdotes, novels, and stories that are not so popular abroad; much of this book is dedicated to what I, as a foreigner, would call "minor Dickens." Unfortunately, I realize that I am not in a position to appreciate it 100%, nor can I feel confident to suggest it to my audience.

The work is certainly impeccable; however, I believe it expresses itself best in front of a narrower audience than I initially thought.

Lee Jackson has done a great job with Dickensland. It goes down to details in how we can reconstruct the scenery and locations of Dickens's great works. Its not a simple matter of saying what was there. Jackson goes to great lengths to show how things have changed and what we would expect to find in such places at the time Dickens was writing. I think this book is very readable and a must read for history buffs and Dickens's fans.

This is a really interesting look at London in the time of Dickens and the influence he's had since. For anyone who's never visited London it might be a bit bewildering to read this and also it helps to know some of Dickens' work! This goes into incredible detail, I found it a little hard going at times, but it's so well researched and fact dense it's a treasure trove of information.

In 'Dickensland', Lee Jackson gives us a fantastic trip around London through the eyes of both Dickens and his fans. The idea of media fans travelling around to find the spots mentioned in their favourite stories seems quite modern, yet Jackson explains how people began doing this in the 19th century. Giving an insight into both the imaginary and the real, Dickensland invites the reader on a journey through the history of Dickens tourism and particularly the increased interest after his death.

I think Jackson explains it best in the early pages of the book, explaining that "Dickens had become a commodity, a brand, a visitor experience" (p. 3). My favourite chapter was about the locations from The Old Curiosity Shop, as it's my personal favourite of Dickens' works; Jackson brings alive the buildings and streets of London in a way that makes you want to hunt out your battered and dog-eared copies of Dickens' works and take them along with you on a pilgrimage made by so many others.

If you'd like to learn more about both the locations Dickens used in his works, but also the history of what happens after he does so and why people flocked to different locations (sometimes the wrong ones!), then Dickensland is the perfect book. I do try to be liberal in my use of five stars, but for the content, the accessible writing style, and for the real passion and interest you can feel coming from the author through the pages, I think it's well-deserved.

Focusing more on the places during the time of Dickens himself, this book is a better fit for those who are familiar with his books and the influences surrounding his writing.

I love anything London so this book really appealed to me. I have to admit I'm not a Dickens fan and don't really like classic reads, however the idea of visiting Dickens London past and present seemed interesting. For me though this book wasn't quite what I imagined it to be. You really do need to know your Dickens! The author goes into a lot of depth from the novels and visited areas from these but in Dickens time and not in present time as I imagined it would have been. I thought it would be more spread over time and we would see a lot more of what London Dickens would be like today. Not having read any of the books I found it really hard to understand some of the references. It was a different read to what I expected. However, for a Dickens fan I would imagine this book would be a great read.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Literary tourism is not something new. In fact, it has been alive and well since the time of Charles Dickens. So much so that there has been both a cottage and a professional industry that has attracted flocks of people to walk in the steps of the great author and his various creations.

Perhaps the greatest irony of it is the London of Dickens no longer exists. In fact, by the time of the later Victorians, many of the places of which he wrote had been swept away by progress and rebuilding. The slums, the buildings, the streets and even entire neighbourhoods were flattened to make way for Victorian improvements. There are snatches here and there but even some of the things that do remain now have been adapted to his books and characters. In some respects what they are seeing is as much a theme park as Disneyland.

If you are expecting a light travelogue of London from a Dickensian view, you will be disappointed,. But if you are looking for a well researched and detailed account of various factors that have helped keep his legend alive, you will find it here. Four purrs and one paw up.

I picked this book up out of curiosity, because, like many I enjoy Dickens's works. It's a very detailed, well-researched piece on the author's long-lasting influence with a fresh, original angle. It's packed with a ton of details so it can get a bit boring at times. But very informative nonetheless.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
I highly recommend this book to any reader of classic literature and any fan of Charles Dickens, the author.
Author and lecturer, Lee Jackson, approaches the topic of the draw Charles Dickens still has upon readers from a unique perspective. His focus is on the places featured in the novels; fictional though they are; and the desire for the readers to see the places they envisioned as they read. Fans still flock to Britain as literary tourists. With excerpts from the novels, historical and architectural facts, Jackson has written an interesting and enjoyable book on place and time, fictional and real. Well written and highly entertaining! Armchair travellers and actual tourists to London will find this book a wonderful reference.

This sounds super niche, but I loved this book. I have another book about Dickens obtained from Netgalley, and I thought this one would be a great introduction. It's about the whole tourism industry that developed in Victorian London around Charles Dickens and the places he ,mentions in his novels - including some where the landlords stretched facts a bit to get that Dickens connection and make some profit. It also talks about the Blue Plaque scheme and how it developed, how entrepreneurs tried to woo American tourists - including Louisa May Alcott who visited highlights of Dickens places before everyone had come up with the idea -, women guides who had their own walking tours for and by women... I found it fascinating and really interesting, and it reads really well. The research seems thorough and solid but it was not dry. Would absolutely recommend.

A fascinating insight to Dickens' London. and its reinvention since the novelist's death. Jackson follows in Dickens' footsteps to look more closely at the locations - some have disappeared, others have moved and some are works of fiction themselves. There are many spoilers scattered throughout the work so don't read this before reading the novels. An imaginary Victorian world comes to life and add some tine resting tales of their own. It is evident that Jackson is an expert in his field and knows London and its associations with Dickens firsthand.

~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

Having taught Dickens for a while, I have read a fair amount of biographies and articles to enhance my teaching. When aimed at the general public, these often lack depth or sources, which I find will always enhance the reading process. This book, however, pleasantly surprised me.
It is a lovely compendium of historical facts and anecdotal information about Dickens's London (or Dickensland), all encompassed in a way that connects the author with the influence he had both in life and after his death.

A wonderful reading for lovers of Dickens, Victorian London and history!

I loved reading this book and having the opportunity to learn not only about Dickens but the influence he had and still has.

This was such a fascinating read. I love books talking about how a readership of an author affects the world around them. This was very interesting to see how the tourism on Dickens’ London has blurred the lines of what is fiction and what is reality.