THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH 📚 : with Lydia Craig

About this episode

Dominic and Dr. Lydia Craig explore Dickens' 'The Cricket On The Hearth' with readings and discussions about its themes and characters.

Dominic is joined again by the inimitable Dr. Lydia Craig where they dive into Dickens' third Christmas Book, with readings from the award-winning actress Penelope Rawlins The Cricket On The Hearth - published 180 years ago this year - explodes into life from the very start and hardly pauses for breath until the very end. Its unrelenting pace sweeps its characters along whether they be human, animal, insect or household object … Centred around that fabled victorian fireside. Where dream...

People in this episode

Host: Dominic Gerrard

Guest: Dr. Lydia Craig

Topics covered

• Charles Dickens
• Christmas literature
• Victorian era
• storytelling
• character analysis

Keywords

• Charles Dickens
• The Cricket On The Hearth
• Christmas Book
• Victorian literature
• story analysis

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Cricket On The Hearth

More episodes of Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire! 🔥

• NEW EPISODES for 2026 !!! 📚 · February 28, 2026 · 2 min
• Look Closer: with Robert Douglas-Fairhurst · January 31, 2026 · 43 min
• The Muppet Christmas Carol: with Meredith Braun · December 24, 2025 · 43 min
• Dickens' Carol Manuscript : with Philip Palmer · December 18, 2025 · 28 min
• "Master Humphrey's Christmas": Read by Dominic Gerrard · December 5, 2025 · 14 min
• What Matters in Jane Austen & Charles Dickens? : with John Mullan · November 21, 2025 · 41 min