Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English novelist who wrote many great works including Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations.

Youth

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England on February 7, 1812. At the age of five his family moved to London where he would live for most of the rest of his life. His father went to jail because he could'nt control his spending and young Charles was forced to quit school and go to work. It is here that he gained his knowledge of the working class that would be his focus for many of his works. After his father was released from prison, Dickens was allowed to return to school but then quit at the age of fifteen.

Early Years

After his withdrawal from formal schooling he became a clerk in a solicitor’s office and then a shorthand reporter in courtrooms. This is where he gained his knowledge both of the court system and of the government. During this time he got his literary start by contributing stories and essays to magazines and newspapers.

First Novels

During the years of 1837 to 1850 Dickens wrote some of his most successful novels: The Pickwick Papers (1837), Oliver Twist (1838), Nicholas Nickleby (1839), The Old Curiosity Shop (1841), Barnaby Rudge (1841), A Christmas Carol (1843), Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), Dombey and Son (1848), and David Copperfield (1850).

Middle Years

Dickens always had a longing for journalism which came to fruition in 1850 when he began writing for the weekly publication Household Wares and then All the Year Round. The 1850’s also brought about a more difficult time in Dickens’ life as he began having problems with his wife which led to their separation. However, his writing became more mature as his novels became darker and more developed and his characters became more complicated.

Middle Novels

During these more troubled times Dickens wrote Bleak House (1853), Hard Times (1854), and Little Dorrit (1857). His production slowed because he found he enjoyed spending his time traveling and reading to live audiences.

Last Years

In his latter years Dickens continued to spend time traveling and reading to audiences. This caused a great strain on his health culminating in his collapsing in the April of 1869. He died just over a year later on June 9, 1870 and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Final Novels

During the final decade of his life Dickens wrote several more successful novels: A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Great Expectations (1861), Our Mutual Friend (1865), and the unfinished novel of The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870).

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Resource:

Encyclopedia Britannica Online