I hadn’t read any Dickens for years, having disliked his style when forced to read it as a young student. Nor had I read any of his nonfiction, so I was pleasantly surprised by the wit and humor in this travelogue. As always, he gets into granular detail on anything - from boat accommodation to prison practices - that interests him, but his wry observations of American mannerisms and the physical discomforts of 19th century travel are hilarious.

Typical of many writers of his time, the book ranges from humor to pathos to righteous indignation from one chapter to the next. It culminates in a chapter condemning slavery that is utterly uncompromising, earning him the wrath of many Americans, and the admiration of some, including this reviewer.