I highly recommend using
http://www.sparknotes.com/
or similar when reading Dickens. To have the works contextualised is wonderful in my opinion.
Like Gullivers Travels, many are political observations that have been gutted for the kids/entertainment markets. I can't remember/find the list of "episodes" for Dickens books, but at school we read some with the original "cliffhangers", which we mostly enjoyed. Our Lit teacher was connected in some way.
love'n'joy
Lloyd