The Uncommercial Traveller by Charles Dickens 1860

The Uncommercial Traveller by Charles Dickens is a collection of essays that offers a glimpse into the author's experiences and observations as he wandered through various parts of London and beyond. Originally published in 1860 as a series in All the Year Round, this work showcases Dickens not as the grand novelist, but as the keen-eyed observer of the everyday, the mundane, and the overlooked corners of life.

In these essays, Dickens assumes the persona of the "Uncommercial Traveller," a roving figure who is neither bound by the strictures of business nor driven by the conventional goals of travel. Instead, he is free to explore the nooks and crannies of the world, from the bustling streets of London to the quieter, sometimes grim, realities of life that often escape notice.

Each essay in the collection is a little adventure of its own, packed with Dickens’s characteristic wit, sharp social commentary, and a deep empathy for the people he encounters. Whether he’s reflecting on the poverty-stricken neighborhoods or sharing the oddities of his journeys, Dickens draws readers into a world that is rich with detail and brimming with humanity.

The essays in The Uncommercial Traveller are as much about Dickens’s love of wandering as they are about the people and places he encounters. They reflect his insatiable curiosity and his unparalleled ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

This edition also has an interesting provenance, having been owned by Sir David Salomons and inscribed by Dickens himself, making it a fascinating piece not only of literary history but of personal and social history as well. It's a charming, lesser-known work by Dickens that offers a different perspective on the great author, showcasing his talents as a journalist and social commentator.