Reading Dickens

I needed a project.  It's the 200th Anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth and I realize that I have only read one of his books, A Tale of Two Cities, and that was ages ago in a high school lit class.  I liked the book at the time, particularly the foreshadowing, but would I like him now?  I also have to admit, I'm not a fan of Victorian Literature, I tend to find it extremely bleak, so reading Dickens is a somewhat questionable endeavor for me, especially a whole year, or however long it takes me to get through it.  However, I also believe that he is an influential author who is quite often referred to in everyday writing and conversation, and that there are parallels to our world, especially in regard to wealth speculation and disparity.