Charles Dickens

Born

in Portsmouth, The United Kingdom

February 07, 1812

Died

June 09, 1870

Genre

Literature & Fiction

Influences

Thomas Carlyle, Miguel de Cervantes, Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Tob ...more

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Charles John Huffam Dickens (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 as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.

Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, Charles John Huffam Dickens (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 as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.

Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.

Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains 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. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.

On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day, five years to the day after the Staplehurst rail crash, he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.

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Combine Editions
Charles Dickens's Books

Average rating: 3.85 · 2,256,955 ratings · 58,159 reviews · 3,142 distinct works · Similar authors

	A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Richard Maxwell (Editor, Introduction), Hablot Knight Browne (Illustrator) 3.80 avg rating — 632,274 ratings — published 1859 — 1576 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Great Expectations 3.74 avg rating — 466,258 ratings — published 1861 — 1394 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Christmas Carol really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 391,026 ratings — published 1843 — 2010 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, George Cruikshank (Illustrator), Philip Horne (Introduction) 3.84 avg rating — 231,166 ratings — published 1838 — 1490 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Jeremy Tambling (Introduction) 3.95 avg rating — 152,970 ratings — 1034 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bleak House by Charles Dickens, Nicola Bradbury (Annotations), Hablot Knight Browne (Illustrations) 3.99 avg rating — 67,874 ratings — published 1853 — 548 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens, Katharine Kroeber Wiley (Introduction) 4.10 avg rating — 45,509 ratings — published 1843 — 40 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, Helen Small (editor), Stephen Wall (editor) 3.96 avg rating — 33,295 ratings — published 1857 — 365 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings by Charles Dickens, Michael Slater (Annotations) 4.12 avg rating — 29,109 ratings — published 1852 — 100 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hard Times 3.49 avg rating — 38,446 ratings — published 1854 — 600 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Charles Dickens…

Series by Charles Dickens

Christmas Books (5 books)
by Charles Dickens
3.99 avg rating — 399,055 ratings

The Old Curiosity Shop (2 books)
by Charles Dickens
3.45 avg rating — 44 ratings

Martin Chuzzlewit (2 books)
by Charles Dickens
3.82 avg rating — 17 ratings

Quotes by Charles Dickens

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

tags: humor, laughter

4510 likes

“Never close your lips to those whom you have already opened your heart.”
― Charles Dickens

tags: kissing, love, romance

3518 likes

“I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

tags: love

3380 likes

See all Charles Dickens's quotes »

Polls

What book would you like to read in March?

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A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

21 votes, 12.4%

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

21 votes, 12.4%

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

16 votes, 9.4%

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

10 votes, 5.9%

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9 votes, 5.3%

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5 votes, 2.9%

170 total votes

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