Book excerpt: "It is a grand thing to be mad" A rich, self-confessed madman meets a poor girl and, wishing to marry her, he puts on a "normal" persona and a fake smile. The girl’s family pushes her into his arms, but when the madman finds out that she is in love with someone else his true colours start to show. Similar to Joker (2019) starring Joaquin Phoenix, A Madman's Manuscript gives us an understanding of the inner workings of a seriously delusional and mentally ill person. Unnerving but very fascinating. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).