We all know Charles Dickens to be one of the greatest writers this world have ever seen. During his lifetime, he blessed the world with 15 novels. He also wrote various short stories, essays, articles and novellas. For those who don’t, here’s a little biography of the famous writer.
Charles John Huffam Dickens, (born 7 February, 1812 in Portsmouth, England), was an English writer and has been said to be the greatest writer of the Victorian era. The 2nd of eight children, he was born to John Dickens (a clerk) and Elizabeth Dickens.
Charles himself was married to Catherine Thompson Hogarth, with whom he had 10 children. They later got separated after 22 years of marriage and Charles was rumored to be in a secret relationship with Ellen Ternan up until his death on the 9th June, 1870 at the age of 58.
Top 5 Most Famous Novels by Charles Dickens
Here we’ll go through 5 of his most famous books. So sit back for the exciting ride!
5. THE PICKWICK PAPERS
This was Dickens’s first ever novel. It was published in 1836. As at the time he wrote this, he was just 25 years of age. The book centers on the adventure of the protagonist, Samuel Pickwick, a kind and wealthy old gentleman, who was the founder and president of the famous Pickwick club
He journeys on an adventure with 3 of his club members “Pickwickians” to remote places in London with the hope of giving feedbacks to other club members. He however has a big misunderstanding with his landlady, Mrs. Bardell which led to the incarceration of both parties. Pickwick however realised the only way to free himself was to pay her costs.
4. OLIVER TWIST
Dickens’s 2nd novel. It depicts the story of a young orphan boy named Oliver who was born in a workhouse and then sold as an apprentice to an undertaker. Oliver was born into a life of poverty and was unfortunate to have been a recipient of ill treatments and a forced and unwanted life of crime based on the experiences he had to go through.
This novel clearly depicts the devastating and inhumane treatment orphans were made to undergo in London in the mid-19th century.
3. DAVID COPPERFIELD
The famous autobiographic novel written by Dickens. Probably regarded as the best novel Dickens ever wrote. Tells the story of the growth of a boy named David Copperfield from infancy to maturity, a story of his social ascent in the society.
Although suffering certain step backs in life at a young age like the death of his mother and his infantile brother, he flees after realizing he has no one to care for him. He eventually ends up at his aunt’s, who sends him to a better school than he was before life took a swipe at him.
He completes school and starts toiling, ends up marrying a woman named Dora Spenlow with whom he has a toxic relationship with up until her death, after suffering a miscarriage in the early years of their marriage.
He later re-marries years later to a woman named Agnes, who was the daughter of the man he lodged with while in school and was also his solace after Dora’s death and together they had 5 children.
2. BLEAK HOUSE
A novel about a long-running legal battle named Jarndyce and Jarndyce. The story is being told by the novel’s heroine, Esther Summerson who became a ward to John Jarndyce. John took custody of two other wards, Richard Carstone and Ada Flare, who are beneficiaries of a will that soon conflicts with another will their guardian is a beneficiary of.
Despite intense criticism from many in the legal profession, the story birthed a judicial reform movement which led to the enactment of the legal reform in the 1870s.
1. GREAT EXPECTATIONS
The great novel! This was Dickens’s 13th novel and it was a revolutionary one that captured the world. Set in the early to mid-19th century, it’s about a roughly seven year old orphan named Pip, who lives with his older short-fused sister and her blacksmith husband, Joe.
On a visit to the graves of his parents and siblings, he comes across an escaped convict who threatens to kill him if he doesn’t return with food and tools.
Fear spurs him to steal a tool from Joe and part of the dinner meant for Christmas, which he delivers to the convict. Pip’s sister notices the missing part of the dinner and was about questioning when soldiers seek Joe’s service.
They were able to capture the convict who scared Pip while he was fighting another escaped convict and the first convict ends up admitting to stealing food which absolves Pip of his crime at home.
The story further continues telling of how Pip gets to work for a jilted spinster whose adopted daughter was hostile to Pip until he won a fight with another boy, Herbert, who came visiting and they eventually ended up kissing each other.
Years later, after moving to London, Pip meets Herbert and they become friends. Pip eventually gets to uncover so many secrets, some of which almost claimed his life in the process. But despite all, he ended up riding into the sunset with his first love Estella.