Charles Dickens is one of the classic authors in British literature. His works provide us with an insight to Victorian society as well as delight, and also horror, at some of his characters and stories. This is the third of our four quizzes on the life and works of possibly the 19th Century’s most important author. Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. He was sent to school at the age of nine, but unfortunately this came to an end when his father was sent to a debtor’s prison. Charles was sent to work in a factory where he had to put up with terrible conditions as well as separation from... Show more

Charles Dickens is one of the classic authors in British literature. His works provide us with an insight to Victorian society as well as delight, and also horror, at some of his characters and stories. This is the third of our four quizzes on the life and works of possibly the 19th Century’s most important author.

Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. He was sent to school at the age of nine, but unfortunately this came to an end when his father was sent to a debtor’s prison. Charles was sent to work in a factory where he had to put up with terrible conditions as well as separation from his family. After three years he went back to school, but the incident had an effect on Dickens who used it as inspiration in some of his books, most notably in Great Expectations and David Copperfield.

Dickens’ literary career began in the world of journalism. He started writing for the journals The Mirror of Parliament and The True Sun before he was made the parliamentary journalist for The Morning Chronicle newspaper. From here his career began to pick up and Sketches by Boz, collection of short works written under an assumed name was published in 1837. His first novel, The Pickwick Papers, was published around the same time and Dickens success bloomed.

In a career which spanned 34 years Dickens wrote a total of 20 novels and a host of short stories. In addition to these he also wrote his autobiography, several plays, poetry and travel books. But that’s not all! He also edited weekly publications and administered some charities. In his spare time he was also an actor and he performed for Queen Victoria in 1851. A good deal of his time was spent abroad and he went to the United States of America to campaign against the slavery practised there.

Charles Dickens is and was thought of as a literary giant of the Victorian age. Possibly his most famous work, A Christmas Carol, published in 1843 is still popular today. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also well known and loved by readers and viewers all around the world. This is the last of our set of four quizzes on the classic author, Charles Dickens.

Dickens was a master at describing contemporary society, and his works were a form of social commentary.

On the 8th of June 1870, Charles Dickens suffered a stroke at his home after a full day's work on his final novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood. He died the next day. He had stated that he wanted to be buried at Rochester Cathedral but was instead buried in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. An epitaph to him reads: 'To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world.'

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