Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin

http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/Book...

Claire Tomalin, author of Whitbread Book of the Year Samuel Pepys, paints an unforgettable portrait of Dickens, capturing brilliantly the complex character of this great genius. Charles Dickens: A Life is the examination of Dickens we deserve.

Charles Dickens was a phenomenon: a demonicly hardworking journalist, the father of ten children, a tireless walker and traveller, a supporter of liberal social causes, but most of all a great novelist - the creator of characters who live immortally in the English imagination: the Artful Dodger, Mr Pickwick, Pip, David Copperfield, Little Nell, Lady Dedlock, and many more.

At the age of twelve he was sent to work in a blacking factory by his affectionate but feckless parents. From these unpromising beginnings, he rose to scale all the social and literary heights, entirely through his own efforts. When he died, the world mourned, and he was buried - against his wishes - in Westminster Abbey.

Yet the brilliance concealed a divided character: a republican, he disliked America; sentimental about the family in his writings, he took up passionately with a young actress; usually generous, he cut off his impecunious children.

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[dst35bwl]

Clap hands, here comes Charlie!

[correctyourenglish]

Beautifully done, and a fine book, thank you.

[designermite]

Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Dickens!

[John Murdoch]

Reading this at the moment. Extremely well-researched and written.

[davidrogde]

Currently readin, Tomalin's biographies are unequaled.