'[A] fascinating, detailed study of the complex and revealing relationship between Dickens and Boz, his nom-de-plume - or more accurately, his alter ego - through the formative years of his career.' Morning Star 'Dense and thoughtful.' Literary Review 'Patten evinces a fascination for his subject matter that carries the reader through this extraordinarily intricate study.' Times Literary Supplement 'Patten's long ... Read morelabours in the archives of Dickens's publishing history bring a valuable new reading of Dickens's earliest work into the light.' Simon J. James, Modern Language Review '… a monumental study of a decidedly un-monumental figure, an at times moment-by-moment account of a writer living by his wits, improvising and inventing not just fiction but a new way of being an author … Patten makes an impressively coherent case out of a story full of loose ends, changed minds and abandoned plans, as readers, publishers and critics sought to chain down the protean Boz.' Dickens Quarterly Show Less