Treat yourself to a short, engaging lecture followed by a group discussion and reception. At this Salon at Sunset, Joanna O'Leary presents "Drinking with Dickens's Demons: Constructing Evil through Ethanol in the Victorian Novel." The works of Charles Dickens are sprinkled with scenes of convivial intoxication that promote alcohol as a welcome social lubricant and a liquid facilitator of good fun. However, Dickens also highlighted the darker side of drinking by showcasing the many dimensions of alcohol use (and abuse) in the development of his villains and less-admirable characters.

See how Dickens intertwines booze and bad behavior in works such as Oliver Twist, Our Mutual Friend and David Copperfield.