Charles Dickens short biography. Dickens, Charles - short biography

Dickens Charles (1812-1870)

One of the most famous English-language novelists, a renowned creator of vivid comic characters and social critic. Born in Landport near Portsmouth in the family of a clerk in the naval department. Charles was the second of eight children. His mother taught him to read, and for some time he attended primary school, from nine to twelve years old he went to a regular school. In 1822 his father was transferred to London. Parents with six children huddled in Camden Town in dire need. At the age of twelve, Charles began working for six shillings a week in a blacking factory in Hungerford Stairs on the Strand. On February 20, 1824, his father was arrested for debt and imprisoned in the Marshalsea prison. Having received a small inheritance, he paid off his debts and was released on May 28 of the same year. For about two years, Charles attended a private school called Wellington House Academy.

While working as a junior clerk in one of the law firms, Charles began to study shorthand, preparing himself to become a newspaper reporter. He contributed to several well-known periodicals and began writing fictional essays about life and characteristic types London. The first of these appeared in the Munsley Magazine in December 1832. In January 1835, J. Hogarth, publisher of the Evening Chronicle, asked Dickens to write a series of essays on city life. In early spring That same year, the young writer became engaged to Catherine Hogarth. April 2, 1836 The first issue of The Pickwick Club was published. Two days earlier, Charles and Catherine had married and moved into Dickens's bachelor pad. At first, the response was lukewarm, and the sale did not promise much hope. However, the number of readers grew; By the end of the publication of The Posthumous Notes of the Pickwick Club, each issue sold 40 thousand copies.

Dickens accepted R. Bentley's offer to head the new monthly Bentley's Almanac. The first issue of the magazine was published in January 1837, a few days before the birth of Dickens's first child, Charles Jr. The first chapters of Oliver Twist appeared in the February issue. Having not yet finished Oliver, Dickens began writing Nicholas Nickleby, another twenty-issue series for Chapman and Hall. With the growth of wealth and literary fame, Dickens's position in society also strengthened. In 1837 he was elected a member of the Garrick Club, and in June 1838 a member of the famous Athenaeum Club.

Occasional friction with Bentley forced Dickens to resign from the Almanac in February 1839. Prints The Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge. In January 1842, the Dickens couple sailed to Boston, where a crowded and enthusiastic meeting marked the beginning of the writer's triumphant trip through New England to New York, Philadelphia, Washington and beyond - all the way to St. Louis.

In 1849, Dickens began writing the novel David Copperfield, which was a huge success from the very beginning. In 1850, he began publishing a weekly magazine, Home Reading, at a cost of two pence. At the end of 1850, Dickens, together with Bulwer-Lytton, founded the Guild of Literature and Art to help needy writers. By this time Dickens had eight children (one died in infancy), and another last child, was about to be born. At the end of 1851, Dickens's family moved into a house in Tavistock Square, and the writer began work on Bleak House.

The writer's years of tireless work were overshadowed by a growing awareness of the failure of his marriage. While studying theater, Dickens fell in love with the young actress Ellen Ternan. Despite her husband's vows of fidelity, Catherine left his house. In May 1858, after the divorce, Charles Jr. remained with his mother and the rest of the children with their father. Having stopped publishing “Home Reading”, he very successfully began publishing a new weekly “ All year round", printing in it "A Tale of Two Cities" and then "Great Expectations".

His last completed novel was Our Mutual Friend. The writer's health was deteriorating. Having somewhat recovered, Dickens began writing “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” which was only half written. On June 9, 1870, Dickens died. In a private ceremony on 14 June, his body was buried in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey.

Charles Dickens. Biography and review of creativity

The most famous English novelist, creator of the comedy genre and social critic Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Landport and was the second of eight children of his father John Dickens. As a child, Dickens went to local school, however, being precocious, he early read the entire family library, which consisted of cheap literary publications, and lost interest in studying at school. In 1822, after the family moved to London, the financial situation of the Dickens family deteriorated significantly. Charles was forced to leave his studies and was busy selling books from the family library and pawning silverware. At the age of twelve, the boy was forced to go to work in a local blacking factory for six shillings a week. After working there for four months, he decided to get out of this poverty at all costs (later this short period He considered working at the factory the most shameful thing in his entire life). In 1824, Charles's father was arrested for debt and placed in prison. Three months later, having received a small inheritance, he paid off his debts and was released from prison. The inheritance was even enough to educate Charles at a private school for two years.

Since 1826, Charles has worked as a junior clerk in a law office, studying shorthand and preparing to become a newspaper reporter. At the end of 1928, the young man received the position of court reporter, and by the age of majority he received the right to visit the British Museum and began to fill in the gaps in his education. In 1832, he received a position as a reporter in two leading newspapers and began to stand out from the rest of the reporter fraternity.

Since 1832, he begins to write essays about life and typical London. Since 1833 he has been a regular reporter for The Morning Chronicle, which publishes reports on all significant events of the city.

In 1835, Charles married the daughter of the publisher of a major London newspaper, Catherine Hogarth.

And in 1836, all the writer’s essays and several previously unpublished works were published in a separate collection called “Essays of Boz.” After the publication of these essays, Dickens was offered to write a story for the satirical engravings of the caricaturist Seymour. To which Dickens made a counter-offer - to make engravings for his original texts, and on April 2 of the same year the first issue of The Pickwick Club was published. At first, readers coldly received the new work, but the number of admirers grew, and in March 1836, when the last part of the “Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club” was published, each issue was sold out in a circulation of 40,000 copies. This work is a kind of comic epic in which main character Accompanied by his servant, he travels around England - a kind of parody of Cervantes' Don Quixote. The work shines with a cheerful and joyful mood, humor, satire and sometimes even high comedy.

At the end of 1836, Dickens gave up his job at the newspaper and headed a new monthly publication, Bentley's Almanac. The first issue was published in January 1837, and a few days later the writer’s first son, Charles Jr., was born. And already in the February issue of the almanac the first chapters of “Oliver Twist” appeared, on which the writer began working back in 1835. After the joyful and sunny “Pickwick”, Dickens in “Oliver Twist” reflected the dark sides of life, tracing life path orphan mothers, from the workhouse to the criminal slums. And in his next novel, Nicholas Nickleby, written in 1839, he combined the lightness and humor of Pickwick and the gloom of Oliver Twist.

In March 1837, Charles moved with his family to a large four-story house, where his two daughters were born. Dickens hosts the theater critic Foster, who became his best friend, executor, advisor in literary matters, and later wrote his biography.

As the writer's popularity grew, so did his position in society. He was invited to become a member of the Garrick Club, and then a member of the Athenaeum Club. Due to disagreements with the owner of the almanac, Dickens stops working there and begins publishing the weekly Mr. Humphrey's Clock. In this weekly from April 1839 to January 1841. His “Antiquities Shop” was published, which attracted many fans.

In January 1842, Dickens and his family sailed to America, where the writer was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of fans. However, the writer’s impressions of America were not the best. He was very irritated by the widespread literary piracy in the States, which they did not want and could not fight. And in the South of the country he was received very poorly because of his hostility to slavery. After the trip, Dickens published “American Notes,” which were enthusiastically received in the writer’s homeland and caused outright indignation in America.

In 1845, Charles decides to found the newspaper “The Daily News”, but disagreements with the owners force him to abandon this idea, and he decides to fight for reforms only with the help of his books. In May 1846 he published a book travel notes“Pictures from Italy”, In 1848 his novel “Dombey and Son” was published.

Since 1849, the writer has been working on his best creation (according to the author himself), the novel “David Copperfield,” which is largely related to the biography of Dickens himself.

In 1850, he began publishing the weekly Home Readings, which became very popular. And at the end of the year, he, together with Bulwer-Lytton, founded a literary guild to help young writers. For charitable purposes, the writer writes a comedy called “We are not as bad as we seem,” in which he himself plays. Even Queen Victoria attended the premiere. At this point, Dickens already had eight children and a ninth was about to be born. In the winter of 1851, the family moved to a more spacious house located in Tavistock Square, and work began on the novel Bleak House. In this work, the author demonstrates the pinnacle of satirical art - his vision of the world becomes more and more gloomy.

Dickens was very dissatisfied with the state of affairs in the country; he was categorically dissatisfied with the presence of riots, strikes, corruption, and unemployment. All this forced him to join the Association of Administrative Reforms.

In 1857, Dickens took part in Collins's charity play The Frozen Deeps, during which he fell in love with actress Ellen Ternan. Despite all the assurances that he was faithful to his wife, Catherine still left his home. The eldest son, Charles Jr., left with his mother after the divorce, and the other children remained to live with their father, being raised by Katherine’s sister, Georgina.

In August 1861, the novel “Great Expectations” was published. Since 1860, the writer began public readings of excerpts from his works in England and Paris, which were a stunning success.

Charles's health gradually deteriorated, but despite this he undertook a huge tour of America, which brought him more than £20,000 in income. Money attracted the writer much less than the admiration of the public, which was always necessary for the writer and his ambition. After a month's rest he began new tour throughout Europe, but in April 1869 in Liverpool, after 74 performances, he became speechless left hand and leg.

He stopped risking his health and, sitting at home, began work on The Mystery of Edwin Drood, intending to make 12 monthly issues (the novel was only half written). Having persuaded his doctor to allow him to give 12 final readings in London, he performed from January 11 to March 15, 1870.

On June 8, 1870, Dickens worked all day in the garden of his house, and in the evening he had a stroke. The next day the great English writer died. His body is buried in Westminster Abbey.

"Oliver Twist"

Oliver Twist, written in 1838, was the second major work written by Dickens, after The Pickwick Papers. He became the ideal representative of the Victorian novel.

This is a completely fictional story about the life of an orphan boy. Oliver was illegitimate son a wealthy man who specified in his will that upon his death, Oliver should receive half of his fortune upon reaching 18 years of age. However, there is one clause in the will, according to which the boy will receive the inheritance only if, before reaching adulthood, he does not stray from the righteous path and does not tarnish his name with a dishonest or criminal act. It is quite natural that Oliver’s brother, Monke, who moves in social circles, wants to get rid of his brother and keep the entire family fortune for himself. In order to realize his insidious plans, Monke comes to an agreement with the head of the London criminal gang, Fagin, and he fraudulently lures Oliver into his gang. However, around Oliver, in addition to enemies and envious people, there are a lot of kind and good people who help him in difficult times, restore his honest reputation. According to the traditions established in classical English literature, the novel ends happily: Oliver finds his family and receives an inheritance, and the bandits are severely punished.

Initially, Dickens wanted to write an adventure detective novel, with detailed description crimes, intrigues, with the obligatory participation of aristocrats with an impeccable reputation, who actually push people to heinous crimes and sometimes commit them themselves. However, as the author accumulated material for the novel, he decided to saturate it with the most pressing social topics. For example, his attention was drawn to workhouses (they were created only in 1834 to help the poor), which, according to the law, were financed from state treasury, although previously all care for the poor fell on the shoulders of church parishes. Of course, the poor people in these houses were forced to work, but in return they were provided with at least some kind of maintenance (food and shelter). Many beggars still died from exhaustion, and most preferred to end up in prison for vagrancy rather than end up in a workhouse. Very soon, serious controversy broke out in English society around this innovation. Dickens became an ardent opponent of these institutions, which he himself visited several times while collecting material for the novel.

In the first chapters of his book, he described in detail everything he saw: the “baby farm”, the cruelty and rudeness that reigned in the workhouse in which Oliver grew up.

The image of Oliver - pure and good boy, specially selected by the author. The writer deliberately exaggerates and exaggerates in order to evoke quite predictable feelings in readers. After all, it is impossible not to feel sympathy for a child who has never seen his family and at the same time endured hardships and cruel punishments. Just as one cannot help but hate those scoundrels who remain indifferent to the boy’s suffering or push him to commit crimes. Dickens introduces characters into his novel with whom the reader cannot help but sympathize - these are people who, trying to help the boy, snatch him from the tenacious clutches of the villains and help him return to the bosom of his family.

The entire concept of the Victorian novel is built precisely on these foundations: predictability of plot development, victory of good, punishment of evil and some kind of moral lesson. In this sad work, Dickens weaved together social, family, and legal problems. “Oliver Twist” is the writer’s first attempt to penetrate the depths of child psychology, which is probably why the image of Oliver turned out to be the least realistic: he is the embodiment of goodness and purity - an ideal, unspoiled, angelic soul that resists the vices of society. Dickens explains to us such a sublime intensity of the protagonist's feelings by his noble origin, the aristocratic blood flowing in his veins, although the boy himself is not aware of this. In this novel, the author attributes all the basest and vicious traits to the lower social classes, which can no longer be found in his later works, in which, on the contrary, he attributes disgusting traits to the highest society. Through the common efforts of the good and positive heroes of the work (Mr. Brownlow - best friend Oliver's late father, his friend Grimwig, Rose Maylie, who turns out to be the orphan's aunt) it comes to a happy ending.

There is another aspect of the novel that made it so popular. Before Dickens in English classical literature it was customary to draw beautiful, proud, lush London, with its majestic buildings, beautiful women, worthy men, theaters and other splendor. And Dickens was able to reflect not appearance, but inner world city, its atmosphere. It was as if he turned the city inside out, showing the very bottom, dark nooks and crannies, dirty gateways in which townspeople are robbed and killed at night. The author spent his childhood in this city, which was very difficult, because he lived in poverty. This is probably why the novel was so popular among its contemporaries.

The famous literary critic, a person who studied the biography of Dickens, H. Pearson wrote: “Dickens was London itself. He merged with the city, he became a particle of every brick, every drop of the bonding mortar. To what other writer does any other city owe so much? This, after his humor, is his most valuable and original contribution to literature. He was the greatest poet of streets, embankments and squares, but in those days this unique feature his work has escaped the attention of critics."

Charles Dickens biography is summarized in this article.

Charles Dickens short biography

Charles John Huffam Dickens- English writer, novelist and essayist.

February 7, 1812- born in Landport near Portsmouth in the family of a servant financial management maritime department.

From 1817 to 1823, the Dickens family lived in the town of Chatham, where Charles began attending school. He later called these years the happiest of his life. The end of his serene childhood was brought about by financial troubles, because of which his father was sent to debtor’s prison, and 11-year-old Charles was forced to work for several months in a factory that produced wax.

1824–1826 years of study at the Wellington House Academy private school.

1827 - entered the position of junior clerk in a law office.

In 1828 he got a job as a free reporter in the court chamber, and in 1832 as a parliamentary correspondent.

In 1833, the writer published his first essay in a monthly magazine, “Lunch at Poplar Wok,” signed under the pseudonym “Bose.”

1836 - published the first sections of the novel “Posthumous Notes of the Pickwick Club”, which had great success among readers. That same year, Dickens married the lawyer and journalist J. Hogarth's daughter Kate; they had 10 children, but separated in 1868.

1837–1841 - the famous novels of Charles Dickens are published: “The Adventures of Oliver Twist” (1839), “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby” (1839), “The Antiquities Shop” (1840), etc.

In 1842, the writer traveled to the USA, during which he experienced deep disappointment in American democracy and the American way of life. These impressions were reflected in the novel Martin Chuzzlewit (1844). Then the cycle “Christmas Tales” (1848), the novels “Dombey and Son” (1848), “The Life of David Copperfield, Told by Himself” (1850) appeared.

In the 1850s - the novels “Bleak House” (1853), “Hard Times” (1854) and “Little Dorrit” (1857) were written. For some time, Dickens worked as editor of the magazine Home Reading, in which he published his own works. After a conflict with publishers, he founded a similar magazine, “Round the Year.”

Known throughout the world for his surprisingly kind and sentimental novels, English writer Charles Dickens was born in 1812 near the city of Portsmouth.

He was the second boy in large family official of the naval base of the United Royal Fleet. The family did not have enough money to live, and in 1815 the father of the family, John Dickens, achieved a transfer to London, and in 1817 to Chatham. It was here that little Charles began his education in the private school of a Baptist pastor, for whom he carried love and respect throughout his life.

But in the capital of England, John Dickens was unlucky; overjoyed at the increase in his salary, he allowed himself to live beyond his means and ended up in debtor's prison.

Due to money problems, as a teenager, Charles worked in a blacking factory, and on Sundays he and his sisters visited his parents in prison.

In 1827, after the death of a distant relative and receiving an inheritance, John paid off his debts and was released from prison, and also found a job as a reporter in one of the major newspapers.

The family's situation has changed in better side, but Charles remained to work at the factory at the request of his mother Elizabeth. Of course, such injustice could not help but touch the teenager’s heartstrings, and did not change his attitude towards women for many years.

And only after long time he resumed his interrupted education and then entered a law office as a junior clerk. At the same time, the young man was trying to achieve success as a reporter for social and crime chronicles.

In 1830, after several successfully written articles, he was invited to permanent job in the Morning Chronicle. It was here that he experienced the feeling of his first love; his beloved was the daughter of the bank director, Maria Bindle.

The creative path of young Dickens

First literary work, published in 1836, was a collection of short stories called Sketches of Boz. These original, slightly comic, slightly sentimental stories reflected the picture of life and the circle of interests of the petty bourgeoisie, rentiers and merchants. But the first published work had a huge impact on the further development of the young man’s literary talent.

Fame began to come to the writer as chapters from the novel “Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club” were published in one of the major newspapers, which was then repeatedly published as a separate publication.

Thanks to Dickens's talent, the name of old Mr. Pickwick became as famous as Don Quixote or Tartarin of Tarascon. This literary hero- good-natured and crafty, rustic and cunning - reflects the character of old England with its unusual humor and conservatism, love of tradition and impatience with meanness and hypocrisy.

Charles' talent was revealed from a completely different side in 1838 with the release of the novel The Adventures of Oliver Twist. The story of an orphan from a workhouse who fell into the hands of criminals who wanted to mold the poor child into the same criminal, but their plans collapsed when faced with his courage and desire to work honestly. This extremely realistic, short novel reveals the social ills that existed in an apparently prosperous state.

The writer Dickens's pen is driven by humanism and mercy; he paints unvarnished pictures of the life of all strata of society: splendor and luxury among the nobility, and poverty and ugliness in the lower social classes.

This literary masterpiece played a role: there were several high-profile trials regarding the detention of children in workhouses in England. Instead of raising and teaching orphans, they used child labour and stole public funds.

The apogee of creativity

Dickens quickly became famous: he was recognized by both liberals, because they believed that he was fighting for the rights of the people, and conservatives, because his novels exposed cruelty public relations. It was read with equal interest in richly decorated living rooms and in poor houses, both children and adults - everyone read it with novels that gave hope for happiness in the future and the triumph of justice.

In the early forties, Charles visited America, where he was no less respected than in England. Fame was ahead of the writer and marched around the world. After this trip, he wrote the novel “The Life of Martin Chelswit,” where he portrayed the Americans in a rather comical way, which, of course, caused an explosion of indignation on the part of his overseas brothers.

In 1843, a collection of Christmas stories was published, which are still very popular in the world today. Several films have been made based on the stories “The Cricket on the Stove” and “A Christmas Tale”, which are successfully broadcast all over the world.

Dickens's two best novels, The Merchant House: Dombey and Son (1848) and The Life and Surprising Adventures of David Copperfield, Written by Himself (1850), have some autobiographical elements.

And the time spent in debtor's prison with his father and mother, and work in a factory with other little boys, and service in a law office and work as a reporter, and meetings with different people- all this is reflected on the pages of books that do not lose their relevance today.

The novel “David Copperfield” received recognition from such writers as F. Dostoevsky, L. Tolstoy, Charlotte and Emilia Bronte, Henry James and others. Readers wholeheartedly sympathize with the hardships of little Davy, abandoned to the mercy of fate in at a young age, and condemn the cruel morality of people in power.

Last years of creativity

One of latest novels the author's "Hard Times" (1854) is imbued with thoughts about the fate of the labor movement and the inevitability of progress. For the first time in the work, doubts appear: is personal success really necessary for a person’s happiness and recognition by society?

In 1857, the novel Little Dorrit was published, in which we see a depiction of a debtor's prison and the lost childhood of a girl forced to earn her bread from a very early age.

One of the most famous novels, Great Expectations (1861), shows the changes taking place in the writer’s worldview. For the first time, he wanted to end the book tragically with the death of the main character, but not wanting to upset the readers, he does not completely destroy Pip’s “unfulfilled hopes”, but gives hope and faith for the future.

And finally, his swan song, the novel “Our Mutual Friend,” debunks bourgeois ideals: the desire for profit and power, and reveals the true value of love and friendship. This is probably why a huge garbage heap becomes a symbol of lost wealth.

In 1870, at the age of 58, Charles Dickens died at his home in Ket County, leaving one unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

The writer left, but left us his soul; his fame continued to grow even after his death. His name is on a par with Shakespeare and Byron; he is considered a real English writer, reflecting true England.

Modest during his lifetime, Dickens mentioned in his will his desire not to have monuments, but in 2012 a monument to the great writer was unveiled in Portsmouth, who with his works knew how to make everyone laugh, cry and, most importantly, think, regardless of gender, age and time. reading. The novels of Charles Dickens will live forever as long as gentle humor, nobility and honesty, love and true friendship live.

Biography of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was born in 1812 in the family of a naval department official in the city of Portstmouth. At the age of 10, his head of the family was imprisoned for debts, the family found itself in poverty, and from that moment on, little Charles had to earn his own living. Adolescent and early years The writer's lives were full of deprivation and humiliation; the naturally gifted and sensitive boy was too fortunate to know the whole seamy side of life. Dickens was familiar firsthand with workhouses, secret dens, slums, and the miserable life of the poor, criminals and corrupt women. He subsequently depicted everything he experienced unusually vividly and realistically on the pages of his books. Even later, having become famous writer, he was never able to get rid of the ghosts of the past.

Dickens is considered one of the pillars of realism - one of the most popular movements in European literature of the 19th century. My creative activity Dickens started as a reporter. Thanks to his talent and caring attitude towards the problems of our time, he is as soon as possible was noticed by the public and became one of the most popular authors. But the fame of the famous reporter was not enough for him - Dickens wanted to take his rightful place in society. This could be done using literary activity. And so the first books appeared from his pen, one after another: the moralizing “Essays of Boz” and the humorous novel “Posthumous Notes of the Pickwick Club.” The second work brought him enormous popularity among the reading public, overnight turning him into a famous writer. A few years later, the writer appeared in a new role as a serious author, exposing the vices of society. His works “The Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby” and especially “The Adventures of Oliver Twist” vividly and colorfully depicted the unsightly side of English society. This novel received wide public attention and subsequently led to the relaxation and even repeal of many cruel laws against the poor and child workers. All subsequent years, Dickens did not tire of delighting his readers with new works “Dombey and Son”, the autobiographical novel “David Copperfield”, which brought him pan-European fame and many other works.

By middle age, Dickens had seemingly achieved everything he wanted. However, it was not his literary fame, nor the position of editor-in-chief of the Daily News newspaper, nor the substantial fees that allowed him to live in grand style that brought him peace and happiness. His nervous, captivating nature did not allow him to enjoy family peace either. He lived with his wife Catherine Hogarth all his life, having eight children, but due to constant disagreements and an affair with actress Ellen Ternan, he was not happy with her. Last years The writer's life was also overshadowed by his doubts about his own talent. The writer wanted to see the gradual transformation of the society in which he lived, the destruction of social injustice - everything that he exposed from the pages of his books. But the changes took effect too slowly; the author suffered from his own inability to somehow influence the situation. During these years he wrote the book “ Hard times", where he expressed his doubts about the future of his country. Tormented by internal contradictions, great writer died in 1970 from a stroke.

Charles Dickens not only left behind a rich literary legacy, but also showed his followers worthy example writer-fighter and public figure, defending the ideals of a just society.