Beginning on Feb. 15, Masterpeice Theater on PBS will be showing film adaptations of four of Charles Dickens’ novels– Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Little Dorrit, and the Old Curiosity Shop. If you would like to compare books and films, Manhattan Public Library has copies of each of these novels available for checkout. Besides these classic Dickens stories, the library has many more books by Dickens, as well as film versions of several of his works. My favorite film adaptation is the 2001 version of Nicholas Nickleby, starring Charles Dance, Sophia Myles and James D’Arcy as Nicholas Nickleby. The story follows the life of Nicholas, his mother and sister after the death of his father, and, in true Dickens style, is complete with a villanous uncle, a cruel schoolmaster and harships endured by the family. The acting is excellent and the story is well-told. Pick up a copy of a Dickens novel and compare with one of the films being shown on PBS–see which you enjoy the most!