The 100 Things Challenge - Person 04
My fourth Person of Interest is Charles Dickens.
Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 1812 and died on 9 June 1870. He was an English writer and social critic who is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period, and the creator of some of the world's most memorable fictional characters. He was born in Portsmouth (England) and left school at an early age in order to work in a factory after his father was thrown into a debtors' prison. Although he had almost no formal education, Dickens' early impoverishment drove him to succeed. He edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, and hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
The majority of Dickens' novels revolve around young people struggling to succeed in life after a difficult childhood: characters such as Oliver Twist, Philip Pirrip (Pip), Nicholas Nickleby, Esther Summerson and others are either orphans or severed from their natural parents, and forced to make their own way in life despite their disadvantages. Many of Dickens' novels feature themes centring on English Law, especially Bleak House, which is famous for heavily criticising the Court of Chancery with its portrayal of the seemingly endless case of Jarndyce v Jarndyce, which concerns a disputed will.
The first Dickens novel I ever read was A Christmas Carol and it remains such a favourite that I re-read it or listen to an adaptation of it every year at Christmas. Most recently I listened to the Radio 4 adaptations of Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend, two of Dickens' later novels, both of which are peopled with a vast cast of memorable characters. Even the most minor of Dickens' characters are fascinating or repulsive, capturing the reader's imagination.
I personally consider Dickens the greatest English writer after William Shakespeare.
Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 1812 and died on 9 June 1870. He was an English writer and social critic who is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period, and the creator of some of the world's most memorable fictional characters. He was born in Portsmouth (England) and left school at an early age in order to work in a factory after his father was thrown into a debtors' prison. Although he had almost no formal education, Dickens' early impoverishment drove him to succeed. He edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, and hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
The majority of Dickens' novels revolve around young people struggling to succeed in life after a difficult childhood: characters such as Oliver Twist, Philip Pirrip (Pip), Nicholas Nickleby, Esther Summerson and others are either orphans or severed from their natural parents, and forced to make their own way in life despite their disadvantages. Many of Dickens' novels feature themes centring on English Law, especially Bleak House, which is famous for heavily criticising the Court of Chancery with its portrayal of the seemingly endless case of Jarndyce v Jarndyce, which concerns a disputed will.
The first Dickens novel I ever read was A Christmas Carol and it remains such a favourite that I re-read it or listen to an adaptation of it every year at Christmas. Most recently I listened to the Radio 4 adaptations of Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend, two of Dickens' later novels, both of which are peopled with a vast cast of memorable characters. Even the most minor of Dickens' characters are fascinating or repulsive, capturing the reader's imagination.
I personally consider Dickens the greatest English writer after William Shakespeare.