Originally published as a serial from 1855 to 1857, Dickens's novel ¿Little Dorrit¿ tells the story of Amy Dorrit, the youngest child of her family born and raised in a debtors prison whose life is changed when she meets Arthur Clennam, returning home from a 20-year absence. ¿Little Dorrit¿ heavily criticises societal shortcomings of the time, in particular the existence of debtors prisons¿where Dickens's own father was incarcerated. This classic work is being republished now in a new edition complete with an introductory chapter from ¿Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens¿ by G. K. Chesterton. Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812¿1870) was an English writer and social critic famous for having created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters. His works became unprecedentedly popular during his life, and today he is commonly regarded as the greatest Victorian-era novelist. Although perhaps better known for such works as ¿Oliver Twist¿ or ¿A Christmas Carol¿, Dickens first gained success with the 1836 serial publication of ¿The Pickwick Papers¿, which turned him almost overnight into an international literary celebrity thanks to his humour, satire, and astute observations concerning society and character.