"Dickens" and "Dickensian" redirect here.
For the television series, see Dickensian (TV series). For
other uses, see Dickens (disambiguation).
Charles Dickens
FRSA
Dickens in New York, c. 1867–1868
Born Charles John Huffam Dickens
7 February 1812
Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Died 9 June 1870 (aged 58)
Higham, Kent, England
Resting place Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey, England
51°29′57″N 00°07′39″W
Occupation Writer
Notable works The Pickwick Papers
Oliver Twist
Nicholas Nickleby
A Christmas Carol
David Copperfield
Bleak House
Little Dorrit
A Tale of Two Cities
Great Expectations
Spouse Catherine Thomson Hogarth
(m. 1836; sep. 1858)
Partner Ellen Ternan (1857–1870, his death)
Children Charles Dickens Jr.
Mary Dickens
Kate Perugini
Walter Landor Dickens
Francis Dickens
Alfred D'Orsay Tennyson Dickens
Sydney Smith Haldimand Dickens
Henry Fielding Dickens
Dora Annie Dickens
Edward Dickens
Signature
Charles John Huffam Dickens FRSA (/ˈdɪkɪnz/; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English
writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is
regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.[1] His works enjoyed unprecedented
popularity during his lifetime and, by the 20th century, critics and scholars had recognised him as a
literary genius. His novels and short stories are widely read today. [2][3]
Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school at the age of 12 to work in a factory when his father was
incarcerated in a debtors' prison. After three years he was returned to school, before he began his
literary career as a journalist. Dickens edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels,
five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and
performed readings extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for
children's rights, education and other social reforms.
Dickens's literary success began with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers, a
publishing phenomenon—thanks largely to the introduction of the character Sam Weller in the fourth
episode—that sparked Pickwick merchandise and spin-offs. Within a few years Dickens had become
an international literary celebrity, famous for his humour, satire and keen observation of character
and society. His novels, most of them published in monthly or weekly instalments, pioneered
the serial publication of narrative fiction, which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel
publication.[4][5] Cliffhanger endings in his serial publications kept readers in suspense. [6] The
instalment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audience's reaction, and he often modified his plot
and character development based on such feedback. [5] For example, when his
wife's chiropodist expressed distress at the way Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield seemed to
reflect her disabilities, Dickens improved the character with positive features. [7] His plots were
carefully constructed and he often wove elements from topical events into his narratives. [8] Masses of
the illiterate poor would individually pay a halfpenny to have each new monthly episode read to
them, opening up and inspiring a new class of readers. [9]
His 1843 novella A Christmas Carol remains especially popular and continues to inspire adaptations
in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted and, like
many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel A Tale of Two
Cities (set in London and Paris) is his best-known work of historical fiction. The most famous
celebrity of his era, he undertook, in response to public demand, a series of public reading tours in
the later part of his career.[10] The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent
of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social or working conditions, or comically repulsive
characters.[11][12]
