Project Gutenberg 1996-10-01 Public domain in the USA. 430 Dickens, Charles 1812 1870 Boz Dickens, Charles John Huffam The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cricket_on_the_Hearth Project Gutenberg has several editions of this eBook: #20795 (Some B & W illustrations) #37581 (Many fine B & W illustrations) #678 (Not illustrated) Transcribed from the Charles Scribner’s Sons “Works of Charles Dickens” edition by David Price "The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home" by Charles Dickens is a novella written in the mid-19th century. The story explores themes of domesticity and human connections through the lives of its characters, particularly focusing on the Peerybingle family. The narrative begins with whimsical interactions between a kettle and a cricket, which symbolize warmth and comfort at home, setting the stage for the unfolding domestic drama. At the start of the novella, we are introduced to Mrs. Peerybingle, who fills a kettle as she prepares for her husband John's return. The kettle and a chirping cricket become central figures, representing the cheer and coziness of home life. John, the carrier of the household, arrives with a humorous and heartwarming demeanor, showcasing the tender relationship he shares with Dot, his young wife. The story hints at deeper emotional currents, particularly regarding Dot’s feelings about their marriage and the lurking presence of Gruff and Tackleton, a toymaker with ulterior motives related to marriage. This blend of light-hearted domesticity with underlying tension invites readers to engage with the characters and their intertwined lives. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 79.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction Christmas stories, English Holidays -- Fiction PR Text Children's Literature Category: Novels Category: British Literature 218791 2025-07-01T06:47:48.214254 text/html 224128 2019-08-08T14:05:00 text/html 305671 2019-08-08T14:07:06 text/html application/zip 384813 2025-07-01T06:47:54.436698 application/epub+zip 386498 2025-07-01T06:47:51.136200 application/epub+zip 146670 2025-07-01T06:47:49.965231 application/epub+zip 534065 2025-07-01T06:47:56.935697 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 519324 2025-07-01T06:47:53.679695 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 235733 2022-09-01T07:37:37.618122 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 204898 2025-07-01T06:47:47.784217 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 204507 2013-08-27T09:30:02 text/plain; charset=utf-8 77904 2013-08-27T09:38:38 text/plain; charset=utf-8 application/zip 19719 2025-07-01T06:47:57.059681 application/rdf+xml 13992 2025-07-01T06:47:50.464244 image/jpeg 3341 2025-07-01T06:47:50.215232 image/jpeg 381981 2025-07-01T06:47:48.238276 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia