David Copperfield (Wordsworth Classics), Paperback Book, By: Charles Dickens

Introduction and notes by dr adrienne gavin, canterbury christ church university college. Illustrations by hablot k. Browne (phiz). Dickens wrote of david copperfield: 'of all my books I like this the best'. Millions of readers in almost every language on earth have subsequently come to share the author's own enthusiasm for this greatly loved classic, possibly because of its autobiographical form. Following the life of david through many sufferings and great adversity, the reader will also find many light-hearted moments in the company of a host of english fiction's greatest stars including mr micawber, traddles, uriah heep, creakle, betsy trotwood, and the peggoty family. Few readers, arriving at the end of david copperfield, will not wish to echo thackeray's famous praise, having read the first monthly part - 'bravo dickens'. About charles dickens Charles dickens (1812-1870), born in landport near portsea, grew up in chatham near london. When he was eleven years old, his father had to go to a prison for unredeemed promissory notes; his mother followed him there with charles' siblings. Charles, the second oldest child, had to work in a shoe wax factory. It was only after his father was released a few months later that charles went to school again. At fifteen he began working as a clerk in a law firm, and later became a newspaper reporter. He began his writing career with his sketches of everyday life in london. The first novels were then written in quick succession. Dickens became editor of the liberal london newspaper "Daily news", traveled to the usa and italy and wrote "David copperfield" in 1848/1849, which contains a lot of autobiographical material. Dickens' loving descriptions of human weaknesses, his cosmos of bizarre and quirky english "Originals" and the satirical denunciation of social grievances made him one of the most popular novelists in world literature during his lifetime. His books also brought him considerable wealth. From 1860 he lived on his country estate at gad's hill place in kent, where he died of a stroke at the age of only 58.