In The Man Who Liked Dickens, an Englishman finds himself ensnared in the Brazilian jungle, held captive by a maniac who has a peculiar obsession with the works of Charles Dickens. The protagonist, suffering from fever and delirium, is forced to read Dickens' novels over and over, a task that becomes increasingly torturous as his physical and mental state deteriorates. The story opens with a vivid depiction of the jungle setting, where the protagonist recalls the ill-fated expedition that led him to this dire predicament.