Chesterton's eulogy of Charles Dickens is something more than a biography or a literary discussion, though it combines elements of both. Chapters two to nine roughly follow Dickens' life, without overwhelming the reader with dates and events. All of Dickens' main works are discussed, though some in less than one page.
Several general chapters, one and ten to twelve, discuss topics as Dickens' 'alleged optimism' in a purely Chestertonian manner: he points out that Dickens actually caused many reforms through insisting that the poor man is both admirable and pitiable.
Chesterton assures us that Dickens will be remembered as (the?) one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century; this book caused a renewed interest in Dickens. Dickens, who created unforgettable characters, will be remembered longer than realists, who described characters and happenings that were linked to a certain time and culture.
I enjoyed the book; perhaps I am most impressed by Chesterton's memory of dozens of minor characters from the different novels. I realize that my enjoyment of Dickens has been different than Chesterton's: I never appreciated all those comic and irrelevant characters as Chesterton does. It makes me read Dickens in a new way; Chesterton definitely helped me to broaden my view.
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