Charles Dickens is considered to be one of England’s greatest novelists of the Victorian period, and novels like “Oliver Twist” and “David Copperfield” has made him a known and beloved writer throughout most of the world.
Charles Dickens was one of H.C. Andersen’s dear friends, and Andersen actually visited him twice in his home in England. Dickens and Andersen wrote letters to each other for more than ten years and even though there were only a few, these letters always contained a lot of kind and loving words from both sides, also in the end when Dickens couldn’t stand Andersen.
Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7th 1812 in Landport near Portsmouth in the South of England. His mother was Elizabeth Darrens, and his father was John Dickens, who worked as a clerk in the navy pay office.
To be a clerk in the navy pay office was a well paid job, but the father often spent more money than he had, and in 1824 the father was imprisoned for debt at the Marshalsea debtor’s prison. While the family was imprisoned, 12-year-old Dickens was left all alone and he had to work at a blacking factory, Hungerford Market, to earn some money for him and also the family. Fortunately the family inherited about a year later, and the father was then able to pay off his debt.
After finishing school as a 15-year-old Charles Dickens began working first as a clerk and then, successfully, as a reporter. It was obvious that Charles Dickens had a talent for writing, and he rapidly got a good reputation as a reporter.
In 1833 Charles Dickens began his career as a novelist. In the beginning he only wrote short stories and essays which appeared in periodicals, but after his great success with the publication of his “Pickwick Papers”, he began writing the novels, which would make him a world known novelist.
In 1836 Charles Dickens got married to Catherine Hogarth. The couple got in all six children, but they split up in 1858. The reason for the separation should allegedly be that Dickens was very much in love with Catherine’s sister, Mary, who died as a 17-year-old in 1837 in the arms of Charles Dickens. After the divorce another of Catherine’s sisters, Georgina, moved in with the family, and
Dickens fell in love with her.
Charles Dickens was a very productive writer. He wrote in all 15 novels, countless short stories, essays and articles and he also gave readings of his stories all over the world.
The experiences from his childhood very much affected his life and his books. For instance Charles Dickens often wrote about orphans and abandoned children, who had to take care of themselves in a world of cruelty and evil persons.
Charles Dickens died in his home, Gad’s Hill, on June 8th 1870 after suffering from a stroke the previous day. He was buried in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey.
