Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was probably the most popular novelist in the English language in the nineteenth century. When he was only 12, Charles had to leave school and work in a factory. His novels often tell the stories of young children who work hard to escape a life of poverty. Many of the stories were set in London and his novels show how the city changed during his lifetime.

Most of his books first appeared as serials in magazines. Each week or month, Dickens had to write another chapter of his story. He had to write fast and sometimes changed the stories if the public did not like his last chapter or particularly liked certain characters.

Michael Vaughan-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot Cassidy: In Britain. 21^st Century Edition, Cornelsen Verlag, 2000, page 50