What are some quotes about Charles Dickens?

Answer 1

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was a British novelist, the son of a clerk in the navy pay office. Painful childhood memories, notably his father's imprisonment in a debtors' prison, and his own work in a warehouse in Southwark, were a formative influence on his writings. In 1814 he moved to London, then to Chatham, where he received some schooling. He found a menial post with a solicitor, then took up journalism, becoming a reporter at Doctors' Commons, and at 22 joined a London newspaper. He published various papers in the Monthly Magazine, following this up with sketches and papers for the Evening Chronicle. In 1836 his Sketches by Boz and Pickwick Papers were published; and that year he married Catherine, the daughter of his friend George Hogarth. They had 10 children called charles,mary,katie,walter,francis,alfred,sydney,henry,dora and edward, but were separated in 1858. Dickens worked relentlessly, producing several successful novels which created a Shakespearean gallery of characters (including Fagin, Scrooge, Uriah Heep, Little Nell) and also campaigned against many of the social evils of his time. The novels first appeared in monthly instalments, notably Oliver Twist (1837-9), Nicholas Nickleby (1838-9), and The Old Curiosity Shop (1840-1). Thereafter a great part of his life was spent abroad. His later novels include David Copperfield (1849-50), Bleak House (1852-3), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Great Expectations (1860-1), and the unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870). In addition, he gave talks and readings, and wrote many pamphlets, plays, and letters. His novels have provided the basis for many successful adaptations in the theatre, in the cinema, on radio, and on television.

Answer 2

G.K. Chesterton said of Dickens, "Dickens expresses an eager anticipation of everything that will happen in the motley affairs of men; he looks at the quiet crowd waiting for it to be picturesque and to play the fool; he expects everything; he is torn with a happy hunger. Thackeray is always looking back to yesterday; Dickens is always looking forward to to-morrow." (Source: Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens - by Gilbert Keith Chesterton) According to Wikipedia: 'Critics George Gissing and G. K. Chesterton championed Dickens' mastery of prose, his endless invention of unique, clever personalities, and his powerful social sensibilities, but fellow writers such as George Henry Lewes, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf faulted his work for sentimentality, implausible occurrences, and grotesque characterizations. (Source: Wikipedia/Charles Dickens)

Answer 3

answer to include our use of language/ celebration of Christmas/ our understanding of the Victorian world (the poor, women, child labour, prisons etc)