The Uncommercial Traveller : Oxford University Press : 9780199686650 : 0199686653 : 08 Oct 2015 : At the height of his career, around the time he was working on 'Great Expectations' and 'Our Mutual Friend', Charles Dickens wrote a series of sketches, mostly set in London, which he collected as 'The Uncommercial Traveller'. In the persona of 'the Uncommercial', Dickens wanders the city streets and brings London, its inhabitants, commerce and entertainment vividly to life. Sometimes autobiographical, as childhood experiences are interwoven with adult memories, the sketches include visits to the Paris Morgue, the Liverpool docks, a workhouse, a school for poor children, and the theatre. They also describe the perils of travel, including seasickness, shipwreck, the coming of the railways, and the wretchedness of dining in English hotels and restaurants. The work is quintessential Dickens, with each piece showcasing his imaginative writing style, his keen observational powers, and his chara