Charles Dickens

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Charles Dickens was born February 7, 1812.  He was at various times a court stenographer, a journalist, an essayist, an editor, a novelist, a performer, and a crusader for the poor and exploited.  His youth was poverty-stricken, and he wanted more.   Because he wanted to get more for his novels, he worked tirelessly for copyright laws and their enforcement, particularly in the United States, which had very lax enforcement.  His marriage was an unhappy one, and he left the mother of his 10 children for a succession of pretty young women, often actresses.  His tendency to overdo everything resulted in occasional collapses, and probably some strokes.  He died in 1870 before he was 60 of a stroke.  He is buried in the Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey.

If you're going to Britain this year for the Royal Diamond Jubilee or the 2012 Olympics, be sure to check out some of the festivities arranged for the Dickens Bicentennial, Dickens 2012.  And if you're not up for travel, serch his name in our catalog.  You'll find biographies, criticism, film adaptations, and most importantly his books, in a number of formats.  If you haven't read Dickens since Brit Lit all those years ago, this is the perfect time to meet the father of David Copperfield, The Artful Dodger, and Scrooge, among many other memorable characters.  And this time,  you don't have to write a book report.