Abstract: The critical studies of Charles Dickens in China were characterized by the emergence of particular critical paradigms in different historical stages. As a consequence of being influenced by various foreign critical resources against the dominant political, social or cultural context in each stage, the critical paradigms have shifted from the traditional Chinese criticism, biological criticism, political criticism to the current multiple perspectives and approaches, which have replaced the ultraleftist criticism prevailing for long in the previous century. Compared with the AngloAmerican Dickens Industry in the past 180 years, the 110yearlong Chinese scholarship of Dickens remains neither profoundly impressive nor highly innovative, but extremely promising in future.

Key words:  Charles Dickens, critical paradigm, biological criticism, political criticism