Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
I want to read the book!
All characters reduced
A Floating City - cover

A Floating City

Jules Verne

Publisher: CLXBX

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

A Floating City is a fascinating travel narrative by Charles Dickens that captures the excitement, novelty, and social diversity of transatlantic travel in the nineteenth century. Based on Dickens's own journey to America, the book offers a lively and observant account of life aboard a large ocean steamship—an entire world in motion upon the sea.

Through vivid description and sharp commentary, Dickens portrays the ship as a "floating city," populated by passengers from all walks of life. As the voyage unfolds, he records the routines, conversations, tensions, and entertainments that shape daily life at sea, along with the awe and danger of crossing the vast Atlantic Ocean. His keen eye for human behavior transforms ordinary moments into engaging social observations.

Beyond travelogue, A Floating City reflects Dickens's broader interest in modern progress, technology, and human adaptability. The steamship becomes a symbol of industrial advancement and global connection, while also revealing how social hierarchies and personal habits persist even in confined and unfamiliar surroundings.

Informative, witty, and richly atmospheric, A Floating City offers readers a unique glimpse into nineteenth-century travel and Dickens's talent as a nonfiction storyteller. The work stands as an engaging blend of observation, reflection, and historical insight—bringing to life a remarkable journey across the open sea.
Available since: 02/05/2026.
Print length: 141 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • Tough Crowd: The brand new hilarious feel-good romantic comedy novel of 2023 from the bestselling author of Asking for a Friend - cover

    Tough Crowd: The brand new...

    Andi Osho

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    Don’t miss the new laugh-out-loud novel from Andi Osho, the bestselling author of Asking for a Friend! 
‘Andi Osho brings lots of laughs to this heartfelt romcom.’ Woman’s Weekly 
‘Another wildly entertaining novel from the much-loved British comedian.’ I News 
* * * 
A NEW MAN ON THE SCENE. 
Aspiring comedian Abi has always been told that she’s too much, but never felt like enough. Until she meets Will, who changes everything she’s been made to believe by men, the media and her mum. He loves her just the way she is. 
HIS KIDS. 
But Will is a package deal and comes with two daughters from a previous relationship. Suddenly Abi finds herself thrown into the spotlight, and not just on the stage… 
CAN SHE WIN OVER THIS TOUGH CROWD? 
Abi is used to playing to difficult audiences, but step-parenting, and winning over the girls, is going to be her toughest challenge yet. Can she finally prove her critics wrong and triumph at her biggest gig to date? 
A fun and feel-good romantic comedy about love, friendship and family for anyone who’s struggled to feel like enough and find their place. Fans of Beth O’Leary and Ruth Jones will love this warm and witty page-turner. 
–-Praise for Andi Osho: 
‘A mistressclass in combining humour and lovely characters’ Jo Brand 
‘Witty, pacy and joyful’ Beth O’Leary 
‘A fresh, funny, relatable page-turner’ Deborah Frances-White 
‘Written with so much heart’ Daisy Buchanan 
This top, long-listed fiction book is a testament to Andi Osho's storytelling prowess, blending humour and romance in a narrative that is as engaging as it is thought-provoking. 
For fans of Talia Hibbert (The Roommate Risk), Charish Reid (Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up), Kennedy Ryan (Can’t Get Enough), Beth O'Leary (Swept Away), and Tia Williams (The Accidental Diva). 
HarperCollins 2023
    Show book
  • How to create trouble? - cover

    How to create trouble?

    BARAKATH

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    Fictional and funny ways to create trouble. Listen and enjoy.
    Show book
  • Call the police - cover

    Call the police

    BARAKATH

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    Welcome to the wild world of ridiculous emergencies! Call the Police Dummy is a hilariously nonsensical guide to knowing exactly when to dial 100. From coconut trees to moon laughter, traffic jams to floral torture chambers, this satirical masterpiece offers absurd scenarios that will leave you laughing and asking, “Wait… should I actually call the police?” With a repeated chorus of “Phrase, police,” this collection of bizarre situations turns everyday chaos into comedic gold. Perfect for readers who love random humour and twisted logic.
    Show book
  • Freaky School - Where not everything is quite what it seems - cover

    Freaky School - Where not...

    Monty Lord

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    Two school friends, Monty & Izzy, leave their old school and join a new school half-way through the year. Their parents, like all the parents at the new school, are completely oblivious to the strange goings-on behind the closed doors of the new school. Crazy-named teachers, a Headmistress that knows and sees everything, cruel prefects, amazing school lunches, science teachers and magic potions, strangely obedient children and an emu.....what could possibly happen on their first day in this 'perfect' new school? 
The author Monty Lord, launched the paperback version of this book in 2012 at the age of just 7 years old. Originally published in eBook format, overnight it soared up the Bestseller list and became a No.1 Bestseller, making Monty the UK's youngest bestselling author. 
He went on to receive widespread media coverage on BBC & ITV television news, along with radio, magazine and newspaper coverage across the globe.
    Show book
  • Handcuffs in the Heather - cover

    Handcuffs in the Heather

    Dale Mayer

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    Book 8: Lovely Lethal GardensRiches to rags. ... Everything is under control, ... until it isn’t. And Doreen’s in the middle of it!​​​​​​​The four boxes of files Doreen inherited from journalist Bridgeman Solomon have already helped her solve one crime, and Doreen hopes they’ll continue to assist her as she sticks her nose into future cases. But, when she stumbles over a pair of pink satin handcuffs in her standoffish neighbor Richard de Genaro’s heather patch, it’s hard to believe that those reporter’s files could have anything useful to offer regarding that.Doreen takes a look though, and soon she’s headed down a merry trail of prostitution, embezzlement, and, of course, murder. But the minute the files suggest a connection to Doreen’s specialty, a cold case, her beau and partner in crime, Corporal Mack Moreau, starts breathing down her neck.With her trusty animals leading the way, Doreen sets out to find the connection between the reputable banker who died in an unsolved hit-and-run and the prostitute who owned the pink satin handcuffs. As Doreen puts it all together, even she is surprised at the outcome of her latest investigation.
    Show book
  • I'm Single Because I Hate My Friends' Husbands - And Other Confessions Of A Middle-Aged Spinster - cover

    I'm Single Because I Hate My...

    Sarah Amy Jennifer Jones

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    “To be fair, there are lots of reasons I’m single, but some of my friends’ husbands certainly make me happy with that choice.” 
In this series of essays, Sarah Amy Jennifer Jones (not her real name), a self-described hot mess masquerading as a normal human being discusses love, relationships, and the often confusing life of a true, modern-day spinster. 
Join her for the laughs, misery, and insights that only someone with too much time on their hands can deliver.
    Show book