--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever the word \"great\" means, Dickens…" description: "\"“Whatever the word \"great\" means, Dickens was what it means. Even the fastidious and unhappy who cannot read his books without a continuous critical ex..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/g-k-chesterton-224_books_whatever-the-word-great-means-dickens-wa_1991270.jpg" --- # Whatever the word "great" means, Dickens was what it… ![“Whatever the word "great" means, Dickens was what it means. Even the fastidious and unhappy who cannot read his books without a continuous critical exasperation, would use the word of him without stopping to think. They feel that Dickens is a great writer even if he is not a good writer.” quote by G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/g-k-chesterton-224_books_whatever-the-word-great-means-dickens-wa_1991270.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/g-k-chesterton-224_books_whatever-the-word-great-means-dickens-wa_1991270.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/g-k-chesterton-224_books_whatever-the-word-great-means-dickens-wa_1991270.jpg) > ““Whatever the word "great" means, Dickens was what it means. Even the fastidious and unhappy who cannot read his books without a continuous critical exasperation, would use the word of him without stopping to think. They feel that Dickens is a great writer even if he is not a good writer.”” [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chesterton argues that Dickens is labeled "great" by readers regardless of literary merit, driven by emotional attachment rather than critical assessment. **In simple terms:** People call Dickens great because they love his stories, not because he is technically superior. Key Takeaway Recognize the gap between popularity and quality. Themes literature reputation subjectivity Mood nostalgic critical reflective Type literary analytical observational When to use this quote - book clubs - school curricula - personal reading choices - literary criticism Key Concepts canon formation emotional bias Questions to Reflect On - Do you judge works by emotion or skill? - How does fame affect your perception of quality? A Different Perspective Popularity can mask technical flaws in writing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Whatever the word "great" means, Dickens was what it means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/whatever-the-word-great-means-dickens-was-what-it-means/) [Gilbert K. 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