I don't understand why we have to read Dickens anymore. Yes, his stories were famous in his time for beinf satirical of Victorian life, but that really doesn't apply anymore. When you take away what makes his books "important", all you have is a boring and obsolete story written in incredibly obtuse language. There are better and more entertaining ways to learn about that time period than trying to slog through 400 pages of out-of-date crap.