more photos (1)

Charles Dickens’s Followers (29,031)

Add New
Videos

Watch the trailer for THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS

Add a comment

Add a comment

Charles Dickens

Born

in Portsmouth, England

February 07, 1812

Died

June 09, 1870

Genre

Historical Fiction, Fiction

Influences

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

edit data

Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who 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.

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 campaign Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who 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.

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 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.

(from Wikipedia) ...more

Combine Editions
Charles Dickens’s books

Average rating: 3.91 · 3,937,401 ratings · 142,996 reviews · 15,759 distinct works • Similar authors

	A Tale of Two Cities 3.87 avg rating — 959,024 ratings — published 1859 — 9289 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 4.08 avg rating — 848,852 ratings — published 1843 — 9903 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 3.79 avg rating — 814,718 ratings — published 1860 — 3159 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 3.88 avg rating — 396,130 ratings — published 1838 — 7358 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 4.03 avg rating — 241,990 ratings — published 1850 — 3947 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 4.02 avg rating — 109,513 ratings — published 1853 — 2022 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 3.54 avg rating — 69,411 ratings — published 1854 — 3370 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 / The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens, Katharine Kroeber Wiley (Introduction) 4.14 avg rating — 58,206 ratings — published 1843 — 213 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 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 48,172 ratings — published 1857 — 551 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
	Nicholas Nickleby 3.94 avg rating — 45,121 ratings — published 1839 — 1581 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

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (3 books)
by

Charles Dickens

3.68 avg rating — 1,240 ratings

Dickens' Places (2 books)
by

Charles Dickens,

George Cruikshank (Illustrator)

3.75 avg rating — 67 ratings

Related News

A Reading Roadtrip Across the U.S.A.

Book lovers know that one of the greatest joys of reading is the ability to go anywhere, anytime, through the magic of the written word....

Polls

1st Quarter 2018 Long Read Poll

Ulysses by James Joyce, 1922, 810 pages

69 votes, 19.8%

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, 1849, 974 pages

68 votes, 19.5%

The Arabian Nights, 800, 1049 pages

47 votes, 13.5%

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, 1847, 867 pages

42 votes, 12.0%

All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, 1946, 661 pages

24 votes, 6.9%

Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence, 1913, 654 pages

20 votes, 5.7%

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, 1985, 945 pages

19 votes, 5.4%

An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser, 1925, 859 pages

14 votes, 4.0%

The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, 1353, 909 pages

14 votes, 4.0%

Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas, 1845, 788 pages

10 votes, 2.9%

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne, 1767, 784 pages

6 votes, 1.7%

From Here to Eternity by James Jones, 1951, 816 pages

6 votes, 1.7%

The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek, 1921, 752 pages

6 votes, 1.7%

Guard of Honor by James Gould Cozzens, 1948, 614 pages

2 votes, 0.6%

Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady, 1748, 1534 pages

2 votes, 0.6%

349 total votes

comments and details

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Book Council: The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry	49	262	Nov 19, 2008 01:09AM
The Book Challenge: Sarah's 2008 Book Challenge v2.0 - Fini!	5	1812	Dec 29, 2008 09:31AM
The Book Challenge: Elaine's Oct - Dec 2008 Book Challenge	13	212	Jan 01, 2009 09:33AM
SciFi and Fantasy...: February Theme: Historically inspired fantasy !	63	790	Jan 13, 2009 07:13AM
The Next Best Boo...: OFFICIAL WINTER CHALLENGE - 2008/2009	2159	4148	Mar 04, 2009 07:03AM
The Book Challenge: Katy's 2009 Book Challenge	6	645	Mar 23, 2009 06:33AM
The Book Challenge: Michelle Kay's Reads 2009	4	1178	Apr 17, 2009 12:42AM

More…

Charles Dickens’s Followers (29,031)

Add NewVideos

Charles Dickens

Combine EditionsCharles Dickens’s books

Series by Charles Dickens

Related News

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

Add New
Videos

Combine Editions
Charles Dickens’s books