Short Biography of Charles Dickens

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Short Note on Charles Dickens

The Early Life of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was born on May 30, 1840, in Portsmouth, England. His father was a small-town vicar, and his mother was a seamstress. The family moved to Chatham, where Charles was named after his friend, who was also named Charles. He grew up there until the age of 10. From then on, he lived and worked in London.

At 17, Dickens gained employment as a schoolmaster by joining the Oxford Mail coach service and later with the firm of stationers that his brother ran. Throughout his career, he would work for several publishing houses: Charles DogueStanley& Co., Blackie & Son (publishers), J.M. Dent & Sons (dental publishers), William Collins Sons (booksellers), and finally, Harper & Brothers (publishers).

Dickens published his first novel while still an adult—A Tale of Two Cities—in 1859 at 40. It immediately became one of the most successful novels ever written, selling over 3 million copies worldwide. It has been called “the greatest fictional account of one city” and “one of literature’s great epics,” although not everyone agrees with that assessment.

Career

During the 1860s, Dickens worked on several projects at the same time. The first was an autobiography that he hoped to write with the help of the famous criminal lawyer John Alexander Knight, who was later to be his friend. The second was a series of novels that he hoped would spark great controversy and change the way people viewed European society. They were Our Mutual Friend, A Tale of Two Cities, and A Hairy Situation.

Reputation

When Dickens died in 1880 after a long and painful illness, he had achieved worldwide fame and fortune. His work has been translated into over 50 languages, and millions of copies of his books are circulating worldwide. He had achieved a legendary status that would remain in place for the rest of his life.

Legacy

The legacy of Charles Dickens lives on in many ways. His books have been translated into over 50 languages, and millions of copies of his books are circulating worldwide.

Works

In addition to novels, Charles Dickens also wrote several non-fictional works:

An autobiography: “I was a Man” (1854)
A collection of short stories: Pickwick Papers (1836)
A travelogue: “A British Tour” (1843)
Biographies of great and lesser novelists (not limited to English writers): “The Life of Charlotte Brontë” (1855)
A history of modern Europe: “A History of Modern Europe” (1859)
A history of England: “A History of England” (1862)
A novel-length sketch of a person in history: “A Character Sketch of Cromwell” (1858)
A novel: “Bleak House” (1894)
A play: “A Christmas Carol” (1937)
A study of Classicism in literature: “A Study of Classics in English Literature” (1869) – A study of popular culture: “Popular Culture in England in the Nineteenth Century” (1919)

Later life and Death

In 1867, Charles Dickens died of a cerebral hemorrhage after a long illness. He was 51 years old. He had suffered from a brain tumor and epilepsy for several years. Before he died, he had wanted to be buried next to his wife in the churchyard at Finsbury Park in London, but his wish was not granted. In his will, he had asked his brother, John Dickens, to be buried next to him in the same grave.

Charles Dickens’s memorial

In 1882, Charles Dickens’s remains were transferred from Finsbury Park to the churchyard at Highgate Cemetery, where they remain today. Today Charles Dickens’s grave is the final resting place for many famous people, including Winston Churchill and Michael Collins.