Charles John Huffam Dickens
- Born:
- 7 February 1812, Landport, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
- Died:
- 9 June 1870, Gad's Hill Place, Higham, Kent, England
- Nationality:
- British (English)
- Profession(s):
- Novelist, Journalist, Editor, Social Critic, Actor
Early Life and Education
- Experienced poverty and forced to work in a blacking factory as a child due to his father's imprisonment for debt.
- Received limited formal education but was largely self-educated through extensive reading.
- Worked as a clerk and later a parliamentary reporter.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began his writing career as a journalist and sketch writer, using the pseudonym "Boz."
- Achieved instant success with the publication of The Pickwick Papers (1836).
- Established himself as a leading novelist of the Victorian era through serial publications and full-length novels.
- Founded and edited several journals, including Household Words and All the Year Round.
- Embarked on successful public reading tours of his works in Britain and the United States.
Notable Works
- The Pickwick Papers (1836)
- Oliver Twist (1838)
- Nicholas Nickleby (1839)
- A Christmas Carol (1843)
- David Copperfield (1850)
- Bleak House (1853)
- Little Dorrit (1857)
- A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
- Great Expectations (1861)
- Our Mutual Friend (1865)
Legacy and Impact
Charles Dickens, a key figure in Victorian literature, used his novels to comment on social injustices and the realities of life in 19th-century England. A detailed "dickens brief biography" illustrates his impact on literature, social reform, and popular culture. His characters and stories continue to resonate with readers and have been adapted into numerous films, television series, and stage productions.