Spectral Dickens: The Uncanny Forms of Novelistic Characterisation.

Masculinity; Culture; Art patronage; Scientific literature; Science in literature; Human behavior; Musical perception

"Spectral Dickens: The Uncanny Forms of Novelistic Characterisation" by Alexander Bove is a thought-provoking monograph that explores the power of characters in Charles Dickens's novels to evoke emotions in readers. The book examines how language and literary techniques, such as caricature and the blurring of boundaries between animate and inanimate, contribute to this effect. Bove draws on psychoanalytic theories from Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan, as well as the specters of Karl Marx and Jacques Derrida, to analyze Dickens's work. While the book's theoretical framework may not appeal to all readers, it offers valuable insights into Dickens's writing and deserves attention from scholars. [Extracted from the article]