Complete Works of Charles Dickens from MobileReference
List of Works by Genre and Title
List of Works in Alphabetical Order
List of Works in Chronological Order
Charles Dickens Biography
About and Navigation
List of Works by Genre and Title
Fiction :: Short Stories :: Non-Fiction
Fiction
American Notes
Barnaby Rudge
The Battle of Life
Bleak House
The Chimes
A Christmas Carol
The Cricket on the Hearth
David Copperfield
Dombey and Son
Great Expectations
Hard Times
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain
Holiday Romance
Hunted Down
The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices
Little Dorrit
The Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman
Martin Chuzzlewit
Master Humphrey's Clock
A Message from the Sea
Mudfog and Other Sketches
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Nicholas Nickleby
No Thoroughfare
The Old Curiosity Shop
Oliver Twist
Our Mutual Friend
The Pickwick Papers
Reprinted Pieces
Sketches by Boz
A Tale of Two Cities
The Uncommercial Traveller
Short Stories
Some Christmas Stories:
A Christmas Tree
The Child's Story
Nobody's Story
The Poor Relation's Story
The Schoolboy's Story
What Christmas is as we Grow Older
Three Ghost Stories:
The Haunted House
The Signal-Man
The Trial For Murder
Doctor Marigold
George Silverman's Explanation
Going into Society
The Boots at the Holly Tree Inn
The Holly-Tree
A House to Let
The Lamplighter
Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy
Mrs. Lirriper's Lodging
Mugby Junction
Perils of Certain English Prisoners
The Seven Poor Travellers
Sketches of Young Couples
Sketches of Young Gentlemen
Somebody's Luggage
Sunday under Three Heads
To Be Read at Dusk
Tom Tiddler's Ground
Wreck of the Golden Mary
Non-Fiction
A Child's History of England
Miscellaneous Papers (11 essays)
Pictures from Italy
Speeches: Literary and Social
General Index
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Adelaide Anne Procter
Agricultural Interest
American Notes for General Circulation
Barnaby Rudge, A Tale of The Riots of 'Eighty'
Bashful Young Gentleman
Battle of Life
Begging-Letter Writer
Betrothal
Bill-Sticking
'Biths. Mrs. Meek, of a Son
Bleak House
Capital Punishment
Censorious Young Gentleman
Chauncey Hare Townshend
Child's Dream of a Star
Child's History of England
Child's Story
Chimes
Christmas Carol
Christmas Tree
Contradictory Couple
Cool Couple
Couple Who Coddle Themselves
Couple Who Dote Upon Their Children
Cricket On The Hearth
Crime And Education
David Copperfield
Detective Police
Doctor Marigold
Dombey and Son
Domestic Young Gentleman
Down With The Tide
Egotistical Couple
Familiar Epistle From A Parent To A Child Aged Two Years And Two Months
First Branch--Myself
Flight
Formal Couple
Full Report of The First Meeting of The Mudfog Association
Full Report of The Second Meeting of The Mudfog Association
Funny Young Gentleman
George Silverman's Explanation
Ghost of Art
Going Into Society
Great Expectations
Hard Times
Haunted House
Haunted Man And The Ghost's Bargain
Holiday Romance - In Four Parts
Holly-Tree -- Three Branches
House To Let
Hunted Down
In Memoriam--W. M. Thackeray
Lamplighter
Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices
Let At Last
Life And Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit
Life And Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Literature of America
Little Dorrit
Long Voyage
Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman
Loving Couple
Lying Awake
Manchester Marriage
Marriage
Master Humphrey's Clock
Message From The Sea
Military Young Gentleman
Miscellaneous Papers
Monument of French Folly
Mr. Robert Bolton: The 'Gentleman Connected With The Press'
Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy
Mrs. Lirriper's Lodgings
Mudfog And Other Sketches
Mugby Junction
Mystery of Edwin Drood
Nice Little Couple
No Thoroughfare
Noble Savage
Nobody's Story
Old Couple
Old Curiosity Shop
Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress
On Duty With Inspector Field
On Mr. Fechter's Acting
Our Bore
Our English Watering-Place
Our French Watering-Place
Our Honourable Friend
Our Mutual Friend
Our Parish
Our School
Our Vestry
Out-and-out Young Gentleman
Out of The Season
Out of Town
Over The Way
Pantomime Of Life
Perils of Certain English Prisoners
Pickwick Papers
Pictures From Italy
Plated Article
Plausible Couple
Poetical Young Gentleman
Political Young Gentleman
Poor Man's Tale of a Patent
Poor Relation's Story
Prince Bull. A Fairy Tale
Public Life of Mr. Tulrumble--Once Mayor Of Mudfog
Reprinted Pieces
Schoolboy's Story
Seven Poor Travellers--In Three Chapters
Signal-Man
Sketches By Boz
Sketches of Young Couples
Sketches of Young Gentlemen
Some Particulars Concerning A Lion
Some Short Chris
tmas Stories
Somebody's Luggage
Speech: Boston, April 8, 1868
Speech: Edinburgh, March, 26, 1858
Speech: Liverpool, April 10, 1869
Speech: London, February 14, 1866
Speech: London, June 5, 1867
Speech: London, May 1, 1853
Speech: New York, February 18, 1842
Speech: Administrative Reform. Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Speech: Birmingham, February 28, 1844
Speech: Birmingham, December 30, 1853
Speech: Birmingham, January 6, 1853
Speech: Birmingham, January 6, 1870
Speech: Birmingham, September 27, 1869
Speech: Commercial Travellers. London, December 30, 1854
Speech: Coventry, December 4, 1858
Speech: Edinburgh, June 25, 1841
Speech: February 7, 1842
Speech: February 1842
Speech: Gardeners And Gardening. London, June 14, 1852
Speech: Gardening. London, June 9, 1851
Speech: Glasgow, December 28, 1847
Speech: January, 1842
Speech: Knebworth, July 29, 1865
Speech: Leeds, December 1, 1847
Speech: Liverpool, February 26, 1844
Speech: London, April 14, 1851
Speech: London, April 29, 1858
Speech: London, April 30, 1853
Speech: London, April 6, 1846. {20}
Speech: London, February 9, 1858
Speech: London, July 21, 1858
Speech: London, March 28, 1866
Speech: London, March 29, 1858
Speech: London, March 29, 1862
Speech: London, May 11, 1864
Speech: London, May 1, 1858
Speech: London, May 20, 1862
Speech: London, May 7, 1866
Speech: London, May 8, 1858
Speech: London, May 9, 1865
Speech: London, November 2, 1867
Speech: London, November 5, 1857
Speech: London, September 17, 1867
Speech: Macready. London, March 1, 1851
Speech: Manchester, December 3, 1858
Speech: Manchester, October 5, 1843
Speech: New York, April 18, 1863
Speech: New York, April 20, 1868
Speech: Newspaper Press Fund.--london, May 20, 1865
Speech: Sanitary Reform. London, May 10, 1851
Speech: Sheffield, December 22, 1855
Speech: The Farewell Reading. St. James's Hall, March 15, 1870
Speech: The Newsvendors' Institution, London, April 5, 1870
Speech: The Oxford And Harvard Boat Race. Sydenham, August 30
Speech: The Royal Academy Dinner. London, May 2, 1870
Speech: The Royal Literary Fund. London, March 12, 1856
Speeches: Literary And Social
Spirit Of Chivalry In Westminster Hall
Sunday Under Three Heads
Tale of Two Cities
Theatrical Young Gentleman
Threatening Letter
Three 'Detective' Anecdotes
Three Evenings In The House
Three Ghost Stories
'Throwing-Off' Young Gentleman
To Be Read At Dusk
Tom Tiddler's Ground
Trial For Murder
Trottle's Report
Uncommercial Traveller
Very Friendly Young Gentleman
Walk in a Workhouse
What Christmas Is As We Grow Older
Wreck of The Golden Mary
Young Couple
Young Ladies' Young Gentleman
________
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Biography of Charles Dickens
Life | Literary style | Legacy | Adaptations of readings | Museums and festivals | Notable works by Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens; (7 February 1812 - 9 June 1870), pen-name "Boz", was the foremost English novelist of the Victorian era, as well as a vigorous social campaigner. Considered one of the English language's greatest writers, he was acclaimed for his rich storytelling and memorable characters, and achieved massive worldwide popularity in his lifetime.
Later critics, beginning with George Gissing and G. K. Chesterton, championed his mastery of prose, his endless invention of memorable characters and his powerful social sensibilities, yet writers such as George Henry Lewes, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf fault his work for sentimentality, implausible occurrence and grotesque characters.
The popularity of Dickens's novels and short stories has meant that none has ever gone out of print. Dickens wrote serialised novels, which was the usual format for fiction at the time, and each new part of his stories was eagerly anticipated by the reading public.
Life
Early years
Charles Dickens was born in Landport, Portsmouth in Hampshire, the second of eight children to John Dickens (1786-1851), a clerk in the Navy Pay Office at Portsmouth, and his wife Elizabeth Dickens (née Barrow, 1789-1863) on February 7, 1812. When he was five, the family moved to Chatham, Kent. When he was ten, the family relocated to 16 Bayham Street, Camden Town in London.
Although his early years seem to have been an idyllic time, he thought himself then as a "very small and not-over-particularly-taken-care-of boy". He spent his time outdoors, reading voraciously with a particular fondness for the picaresque novels of Tobias Smollett and Henry Fielding. He talked later in life of his extremely poignant memories of childhood and his continuing photographic memory of people and events that helped bring his fiction to life. His family was moderately wealthy, and he received some education at the private William Giles's school in Chatham. However, this time of prosperity came to an abrupt end when his father, after spending too much money entertaining and retaining his social position, was imprisoned at Marshalsea debtors' prison.
A 12-year-old Dickens began working 10 hour days in a Warren's boot-blacking factory, located near the present Charing Cross railway station. He earned six shillings a week pasting labels on the jars of thick polish. This money paid for his lodging in Camden Town and helped support his family.
After a few months his family was able to leave Marshalsea but their financial situation did not improve until later, partly due to money inherited from his father's family. His mother did not immediately remove Charles from the boot-blacking factory, which was owned by a relation of hers. Dickens never forgave his mother for this, and resentment of his situation and the conditions under which working-class people lived became major themes of his works. As Dickens wrote in David Copperfield, judged to be his most clearly autobiographical novel, "I had no advice, no counsel, no encouragement, no consolation, no assistance, no support, of any kind, from anyone, that I can call to mind, as I hope to go to heaven!" Eventually he attended the Wellington House Academy in North London.
In May 1827, Dickens began work in the office of Ellis and Blackmore as a law clerk, a junior office position with potential to become a lawyer, a profession for which he later showed his dislike in his many literary works. He later became a court stenographer at the age of 17. In 1830, Dickens met his first love, Maria Beadnell, who has been said to be the model for Dora in David Copperfield. Her parents disapproved of their courtship and they effectively ended the relationship when they sent her to school in Paris.
Journalism and early novels
In 1834, Dickens became a journalist, reporting parliamentary debate and travelling Britain by stagecoach to cover election campaigns for the Morning Chronicle. His journalism, in the form of sketches which appeared in periodicals from 1833, formed his first collection of pieces Sketches by Boz which were published in 1836 and led to the serialization of his first novel, The Pickwick Papers in March 1836. He continued to contribute to and edit journals throughout much of his subsequent literary career.
On 2 April 1836, he married Catherine Thompson Hogarth (1816-1879), the daughter of George Hogarth, editor of the Evening Chronicle. After a
brief honeymoon in Chalk, Kent, they set up home in Bloomsbury where they produced ten children:
Charles Culliford Boz Dickens (6 January 1837-1896).
Mary Angela Dickens (6 March 1838-1896).
Kate Macready Dickens (29 October 1839-1929).
Walter Landor Dickens (8 February 1841-1863). Died in India.
Francis Jeffrey Dickens (15 January 1844-1886).
Alfred D'Orsay Tennyson Dickens (28 October 1845-1912).
Sydney Smith Haldimand Dickens (18 April 1847-1872).
(Sir) Henry Fielding Dickens (15 January 1849-1933). Henry Charles Dickens (1882-1966), barrister. (Grandson) Monica Dickens (1915-1992). (Great-granddaughter)
Dora Annie Dickens (16 August 1850-April 1851).
Edward Bulwer Lytton Dickens (13 March 1852-23 January 1902). He migrated to Australia, and became a member of the New South Wales state parliament. He died in Moree, NSW.
In the same year, he accepted the job of editor of Bentley's Miscellany, a position he would hold until 1839 when he fell out with the owner. However, his success as a novelist continued, producing Oliver Twist (1837-39), Nicholas Nickleby (1838-39), then The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge as part of the Master Humphrey's Clock series (1840-41), all being published in monthly instalments before being made into books.
In 1842, he travelled with his wife to the United States and Canada, a journey which was successful despite his support for the abolition of slavery. The trip is described in the short travelogue American Notes for General Circulation and is also the basis of some of the episodes in Martin Chuzzlewit. Shortly thereafter, he began to show interest in Unitarian Christianity, although he remained an Anglican, at least nominally, for the rest of his life. Dickens's work continued to be popular, especially A Christmas Carol written in 1843, the first of his Christmas books, which was reputedly written in a matter of weeks.
After living briefly abroad in Italy (1844) and Switzerland (1846), Dickens continued his success with Dombey and Son (1848); David Copperfield (1849-50); Bleak House (1852-53); Hard Times (1854); Little Dorrit (1857); A Tale of Two Cities (1859); and Great Expectations (1861). Dickens was also the publisher and editor of, and a major contributor to, the journals Household Words (1850-1859) and All the Year Round (1858-1870).
Middle years
In 1856, his popularity had allowed him to buy Gad's Hill Place. This large house in Higham, Kent, had a particular meaning to Dickens as he had walked past it as a child and had dreamed of living in it. The area was also the scene of some of the events of Shakespeare's Henry IV, part 1 and this literary connection pleased him.
Works of Charles Dickens (200+ Works) The Adventures of Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, Bleak House, David Copperfield & more (mobi) Page 1
