Charles Dickens’s novels are all about the characters. From Stage villain to Beatific virgin, from Devious lawyer to Ludicrous spinster, they are powered by archetypes that have seeped off the page and into our collective consciousness. But where to begin if you haven’t yet encountered them between soft covers? The Guardian shows which of his novels assemble the strongest casts – the perfect start for a Dickensian voyage of discovery.

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