Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

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Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is considered to be one of the greatest English novelists of the Victorian period. Dickens's works are characterized by attacks on social evils, injustice, and hypocrisy.

Charles Dickens was born in Landport, Hampshire on February 7, 1812. His father was a clerk in the navy pay office, who was well paid but often ended up in financial troubles. In 1814 Dickens moved to London, and then to Chatham, where he received some education. When he was only eleven , his father went to prison for his debts and the family, too. Only Charles didn't go to prison. He went to work in a blacking factory, where he washed a bottles. He worked ten hours a day and he was pay very little money. Charles used this experiens in many novels, expecially David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and Great Expectations.

In 1824-27 Dickens studied at Wellington House Academy, London, and at Mr. Dawson's school in 1827. From 1827 to 1828 he was a law office clerk, and then worked as a shorthand reporter at Doctor's Commons.

Dickens's career as a writer of fiction started in 1833. He wrote a short stories for magazine these were funny description of people that he met. Dickens' characters were full of coulor life. His short stories and essays appeared in periodicals. His Sketches By Boz and The Pickwick Papers were published in 1836. In the same year he married Catherine Hogarth. Dickens had ten chirdren, but he didin't have happy family live. He was successful in his work but not at home and his wife left him.

Dickens's novels first appeared in monthly instalments.

From the 1840s Dickens spent much time traveling and campaigning against many of the social evils of his time. In addition he gave talks and reading, wrote pamphlets, plays, and letters. In 1844-45 he lived in Italy, Switzerland and Paris. He gave lecturing tours in Britain and the United States in 1858-68.

From 1860 Dickens lived at Gadshill Place, near Rochester, Kent. He died at Gadshill on June 9, 1870. The unfinished mystery novel The Mystery Of Edwin Drood was published in 1870.