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| | *''[[Bleak House]]'' (BBC #6 greatest ever) | | *''[[Bleak House]]'' (BBC #6 greatest ever) |
| | *''[https://americanliterature.com/author/charles-dickens/short-story/a-poor-mans-tale-of-a-patent A Poor Man's Tale of a Patent]'' (short story) | | *''[https://americanliterature.com/author/charles-dickens/short-story/a-poor-mans-tale-of-a-patent A Poor Man's Tale of a Patent]'' (short story) |
| − | *''[[The Life of our Lord]]'' (withhheld from publication, at Dickens' request, until the last of his children had passed away) | + | *''[[The Life of our Lord]]'' (withheld from publication, at Dickens' request, until the last of his children had passed away) |
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| | His father was incarcerated in [[Debtor's prison]] in 1824, during which Charles at age only 12 had to do hard manual labor at a blacking factory to support the family. This influenced how he portrayed Pip in ''[[Great Expectations]]''.<ref>https://greatexpectationscommunity.weebly.com/dickens-and-debtors-prison.html</ref> | | His father was incarcerated in [[Debtor's prison]] in 1824, during which Charles at age only 12 had to do hard manual labor at a blacking factory to support the family. This influenced how he portrayed Pip in ''[[Great Expectations]]''.<ref>https://greatexpectationscommunity.weebly.com/dickens-and-debtors-prison.html</ref> |
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| − | Dickens was "suspicious of organized religion,"<ref>https://hollowverse.com/charles-dickens/</ref> perhaps because he had a secret [[adulterous]] affair with an 18-year-old actress which lasted for many years.<ref>https://www.biography.com/news/charles-dickens-mistress-nelly-ternan</ref> Dickens mentioned "[[heaven]]" often in his writing, but rarely "[[hell]]". But Dickens donated generously to building a local church, St. John's, which he attended with his family. | + | Dickens was "suspicious of organized religion,"<ref>https://hollowverse.com/charles-dickens/</ref> perhaps because he had a secret [[adulterous]] affair with an 18-year-old actress that lasted for many years.<ref>https://www.biography.com/news/charles-dickens-mistress-nelly-ternan</ref> Dickens mentioned "[[heaven]]" often in his writing, but rarely "[[hell]]". But Dickens donated generously to building a local church, St. John's, which he attended with his family. |
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| | == Childhood == | | == Childhood == |
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| | == Adulthood == | | == Adulthood == |
| − | Charles attended school for three more years, then left at age 15 to work as a clerk in the law firm of Ellis and Blackmore. At night after work he studied shorthand in hopes of advancing to a better position. At 17 he found a job as a court reporter for the Doctors Common at the [[House of Commons]]. | + | Charles attended school for three more years, then left at age 15 to work as a clerk in the law firm of Ellis and Blackmore. At night after work, he studied shorthand in hopes of advancing to a better position. At 17 he found a job as a court reporter for the Doctors Common at the [[House of Commons]]. |
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| | At age 18 he met and fell in love with the daughter of a baker, Maria Beadnell; their relationship lasted three years and ended when Charles was 21 and Maria left for school in Paris. Maria was said to be his inspiration for the character of Little Dorit in his book by the same name. Dickens often used people from his real life as characters in his books: his father was said to be Mr. Micawber in his book ''David Copperfield'', and the character of Mrs. Nickleby was patterned after his mother in the book ''Nicholas Nickleby''. His siblings also appeared as characters in his books, and the character of David Copperfield was patterned after Dickens himself. | | At age 18 he met and fell in love with the daughter of a baker, Maria Beadnell; their relationship lasted three years and ended when Charles was 21 and Maria left for school in Paris. Maria was said to be his inspiration for the character of Little Dorit in his book by the same name. Dickens often used people from his real life as characters in his books: his father was said to be Mr. Micawber in his book ''David Copperfield'', and the character of Mrs. Nickleby was patterned after his mother in the book ''Nicholas Nickleby''. His siblings also appeared as characters in his books, and the character of David Copperfield was patterned after Dickens himself. |
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| | By 1855, Dickens' marriage was falling apart and, after he began his affair with an 18-year-old mistress, Dickens and his wife separated in 1858.<ref>https://www.biography.com/news/charles-dickens-mistress-nelly-ternan</ref> | | By 1855, Dickens' marriage was falling apart and, after he began his affair with an 18-year-old mistress, Dickens and his wife separated in 1858.<ref>https://www.biography.com/news/charles-dickens-mistress-nelly-ternan</ref> |
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| − | Dickens was an enormous celebrity in [[London]] and gave hundreds of public presentations that were enormous entertaining and humorous. Despite this, some perceived him to be an unhappy man underneath the surface. | + | Dickens was an enormous celebrity in [[London]] and gave hundreds of public presentations that were enormously entertaining and humorous. Despite this, some perceived him to be an unhappy man underneath the surface. |
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| | == Writing career == | | == Writing career == |
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| | *''Oliver Twist'' was made into movie in 1948, remade in 1968 and 2005, and as a TV movie in 1999. It is also a popular stage play and long running Broadway musical. | | *''Oliver Twist'' was made into movie in 1948, remade in 1968 and 2005, and as a TV movie in 1999. It is also a popular stage play and long running Broadway musical. |
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| − | *''David Copperfield'': movie made in 1939, remade in 1999. | + | *''David Copperfield'': a movie made in 1939, remade in 1999. |
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| | *''[[Great Expectations (1946)|Great Expectations]]'': made into a movie in 1946, and 1998. | | *''[[Great Expectations (1946)|Great Expectations]]'': made into a movie in 1946, and 1998. |