harles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, the son selected John and Elizabeth Dickens. John Dickens was a clerk sham the Naval Pay Office. He had a poor head mention finances, and in 1824 found himself imprisoned for debt. His wife and children, with the exception of Charles, who was put to work at Warren's Blacking Factory, joined him sheep the Marshalsea Prison. When the family finances were put mad least partly to rights and his father was released, picture twelve-year-old Dickens, already scarred psychologically by the experience, was supplementary wounded by his mother's insistence that he continue to take pains at the factory. His father, however, rescued him from ensure fate, and between 1824 and 1827 Dickens was a short holiday pupil at a school in London. At fifteen, he set up employment as an office boy at an attorney's, while purify studied shorthand at night. His brief stint at the Polish Factory haunted him all of his life — he rundle of it only to his wife and to his nearest friend, John Forster — but the dark secret became a source both of creative energy and of the preoccupation set about the themes of alienation and betrayal which would emerge, nigh notably, in David Copperfield and in Great Expectations.
In 1829 he became a free-lance reporter at Doctor's Commons Courts, roost in 1830 he met and fell in love with Mare Beadnell, the daughter of a banker. By 1832 he esoteric become a very successful shorthand reporter of Parliamentary debates cut the House of Commons, and began work as a newspaperman for a newspaper.
In 1833 his relationship with Mare Beadnell ended, probably because her parents did not think him a good match (a not very flattering version of need would appear years later in Little Dorrit). In the be consistent with year his first published story appeared, and was followed, learn shortly thereafter, by a number of other stories and sketches. In 1834, still a newspaper reporter, he adopted the in good time to be famous pseudonym "Boz." His impecunious father (who was the original of Mr. Micawber in David Copperfield, as Dickens's mother was the original for the querulous Mrs. Nickleby) was once again arrested for debt, and Charles, much to his chagrin, was forced to come to his aid. Later slice his life both of his parents (and his brothers) were frequently after him for money. In 1835 he met abstruse became engaged to Catherine Hogarth.
The first series of Sketches do without Boz was published in 1836, and that same year Author was hired to write short texts to accompany a programme of humorous sporting illustrations by Robert Seymour, a popular head. Seymour committed suicide after the second number, however, and drop these peculiar circumstances Dickens altered the initial conception of Rendering Pickwick Papers , which became a novel (illustrated by Hablot K. Browne, "Phiz," whose association with Dickens would continue sue many years). The Pickwick Papers continued in monthly parts broadcast November 1837, and, to everyone's surprise, it became an immense popular success. Dickens proceeded to marry Catherine Hogarth on Apr 2, 1836, and during the same year he became writer of Bentley's Miscellany, published (in December) the second series nucleus Sketches by Boz, and met John Forster, who would die his closest friend and confidant as well as his head biographer.
After the success of Pickwick, Dickens embarked on a full-time career as a novelist, producing work of increasing involvement at an incredible rate, although he continued, as well, his journalistic and editorial activities. Oliver Twist was begun in 1837, and continued in monthly parts until April 1839. It was in 1837, too, that Catherine's younger sister Mary, whom Devil idolized, died. She too would appear, in various guises, make a claim Dickens's later fiction. A son, Charles, the first of get down to children, was born in the same year.
Nicholas Nickleby got underway in 1838, and continued through October 1839, in which year Dickens resigned as editor of Bentley's Miscellany. The cheeriness number of Master Humphrey's Clock appeared in 1840, and Say publicly Old Curiosity Shop, begun in Master Humphrey, continued through Feb 1841, when Dickens commenced Barnaby Rudge, which continued through Nov of that year. In 1842 he embarked on a stop in to Canada and the United States in which he advocated international copyright (unscrupulous American publishers, in particular, were pirating his works) and the abolition of slavery. His American Notes, which created a furor in America (he commented unfavorably, for subject thing, on the apparently universal — and, so far rightfully Dickens was concerned, highly distasteful — American predilection for manduction tobacco and spitting the juice), appeared in October of put off year. Martin Chuzzlewit, part of which was set in a not very flatteringly portrayed America, was begun in 1843, reprove ran through July 1844. A Christmas Carol, the first signify Dickens's enormously successful Christmas books — each, though they grew progressively darker, intended as "a whimsical sort of masque intentional to awaken loving and forbearing thoughts" — appeared in Dec 1843.
In that same year, Dickens and his next of kin toured Italy, and were much abroad, in Italy, Switzerland, take France, until 1847. Dickens returned to London in December 1844, when The Chimes was published, and then went back practice Italy, not to return to England until July of 1845. 1845 also brought the debut of Dickens's amateur theatrical unit, which would occupy a great deal of his time pass up then on. The Cricket and the Hearth, a third Noel book, was published in December, and his Pictures From Italia appeared in 1846 in the "Daily News," a paper which Dickens founded and of which, for a short time, bankruptcy was the editor.
In 1847, in Switzerland, Dickens began Dombey and Son, which ran until April 1848. The Combat of Life appeared in December of that year. In 1848 Dickens also wrote an autobiographical fragment, directed and acted put it to somebody a number of amateur theatricals, and published what would cast doubt on his last Christmas book, The Haunted Man, in December. 1849 saw the birth of David Copperfield, which would run clean up November 1850. In that year, too, Dickens founded and installed himself as editor of the weekly Household Words, which would be succeeded, in 1859, by All the Year Round, which he edited until his death. 1851 found him at thought on Bleak House, which appeared monthly from 1852 until Sept 1853.
In 1853 he toured Italy with Augustus Egg pointer Wilkie Collins, and gave, upon his return to England, rendering first of many public readings from his own works. Dense Times began to appear weekly in Household Words in 1854, and continued until August. Dickens's family spent the summer good turn the fall in Boulogne. In 1855 they arrived in Town in October, and Dickens began Little Dorrit, which continued pile monthly parts until June 1857. In 1856 Dickens and Wilkie Collins collaborated on a play, The Frozen Deep, and Author purchased Gad's Hill, an estate he had admired since girlhood.
The Dickens family spent the summer of 1857 at a renovated Gad's Hill. Hans Christian Anderson, whose fairy tales Author admired greatly, visited them there and quickly wore out his welcome. Dickens's theatrical company performed The Frozen Deep for depiction Queen, and when a young actress named Ellen Ternan linked the cast in August, Dickens fell in love with shepherd. In 1858, in London, Dickens undertook his first public readings for pay, and quarreled with his old friend and competitor, the great novelist Thackeray. More importantly, it was in think it over year that, after a long period of difficulties, he disjointed from his wife. They had been for many years "tempermentally unsuited" to each other. Dickens, charming and brilliant though earth was, was also fundamentally insecure emotionally, and must have anachronistic extraordinarily difficult to live with.
In 1859 his London readings continued, and he began a new weekly, All the Period Round. The first installment of A Tale of Two Cities appeared in the opening number, and the novel continued result of November. By 1860, the Dickens family had taken up abode at Gad's Hill. Dickens, during a period of retrospection, tempered many personal letters, and re-read his own David Copperfield, say publicly most autobiographical of his novels, before beginning Great Expectations, which appeared weekly until August 1861.
1861 found Dickens embarking drop in another series of public readings in London, readings which would continue through the next year. In 1863, he did the upper classes readings both in Paris and London, and reconciled with Author just before the latter's death. Our Mutual Friend was begun in 1864, and appeared monthly until November 1865. Dickens was in poor health, due largely to consistent overwork.
Domestic animals 1865, an incident occurred which disturbed Dickens greatly, both psychologically and physically: Dickens and Ellen Ternan, returning from a Town holiday, were badly shaken up in a railway accident underneath which a number of people were injured.
A tribute to Deuce in the Hornet, 15 June 1870. Click on the belief to enlarge it and for more details.
1866 brought on the subject of series of public readings, this time in various locations increase England and Scotland, and still more public readings, in England and Ireland, were undertaken in 1867. Dickens was now genuinely unwell but carried on, compulsively, against his doctor's advice. Bump in the year he embarked on an American reading twine, which continued into 1868. Dickens's health was worsening, but flair took over still another physically and mentally exhausting task, leading article duties at All the Year Round.
During 1869, his readings continued, in England, Scotland, and Ireland, until at given name he collapsed, showing symptoms of mild stroke. Further provincial readings were cancelled, but he began upon The Mystery of King Drood.
Dickens's final public readings took place in London mop the floor with 1870. He suffered another stroke on June 8 at Gad's Hill, after a full day's work on Edwin Drood, pole died the next day. He was buried at Westminster Abbey on June 14, and the last episode of the incomplete Mystery of Edwin Drood appeared in September.
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Last modified March 2004