Charles Dickens

British author Charles Dickens, a Victorian era novelist, is considered one of the greatest writers in the English language.

Dickens' most popular works include: A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, and A Tale of Two Cities.

Background

Charles Dickens was born Born in Portsmouth, England, on February 7, 1812. He was the second child out of eight to be born to John and Elizabeth Dickens. His father worked for the British Navy in the pay office at the time of his birth. Around the time that Dickens was 12, his father was imprisoned for outstanding debts.

Personal Life

In 1824, at the age of 12, Dickens began work at a boot blacking factor after his father went to prison. Some time later in 1827 he began work as a law clerk for the offices of Ellis and Blackmore. His writing career really began, however, in 1834 when he started work as a political journalist. Married in 1836 to Catherine Thomas Hogarth, he finally purchased a family home in 1856. Now known as Gad's Hill Place, it is located in Higham, Kent. He survived the infamous Staplehurst Rail Crash in 1865. He died from a stroke on June 9, 1870.

Career

Working for the Morning Chronicle as a political journalist, his first serialized work was published in 1836. Originally known as Sketches by Boz, this material became what we know today as The Pickwick Papers. His next two novels were also published as serials over the course of the next two years. Finally, in 1843, A Christmas Carol was published in its entirety. Dickens continued to publish serialized novels for the next twenty years before publishing his next full book on its own. His last work, The Mystery of Edwin Drood was published it its unfinished state as a serial, with the final episodes appearing after Dicken's death.

MASTERPIECE CLASSIC | The Tales of Charles Dickens | PBS

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MASTERPIECE CLASSIC | The Tales of ...

source: www.youtube.com

Set to a musical backdrop, here is a video overview of the works of Charles Dickens that were made into episodes of Masterpiece Classic for the Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) and began airing on Sunday in 2009. Each segment is just a glimpse of the films,

Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit is set in London in the 1820s and is a strangely prophetic novel. It is an age-old story of debt, greed, and love. It aired along with three of Dickens' other great works, Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop and David Copperfield on the television show.