Charles Dickens: It’s just not Christmas without him.
No other writer has managed to create such a spiritual tribute to love and human decency that appeals to all, regardless of faith or lack thereof.
Dickens gave us a Christmas that’s about darkness, poverty, and want — all to lay the ground for the simple turning of one man’s heart. Dickens’ story makes all of the dirt, grime and misery of Victorian London vanish in Christmas morning miracle that contrasts with everything that came before in his most beloved work, A Christmas Carol.
It’s easy to see why Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was the most beloved English novelist during the Victorian era. Many thousands of readers in Britain and beyond followed the adventures of title characters such as Oliver Twist and David Copperfield as portions of their stories were serialized and doled out to the public in monthly subscriptions, in a manner similar to popular dramas on cable television channels today.
A Christmas Carol has never gone out of print and has been adapted to theatrical productions and later to films many dozens of times. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s progress from a miserly misanthrope to a jolly benefactor of the Crachet family and Tiny Tim, continues to inspire readers and epitomize our feelings about the true meaning of Christmas.
Dickens was also popular as a touring speaker and reader of his works, where he addressed social issues such as child labor and the need for widespread educations for people of any class, including the poor. He made two successful tours of the United States and Canada, first in 1842 and later in 1867, three years before his death at the age of 58. Dickens’ remains are interred in London, in the Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey.
Dover Publications has 36 titles that include fiction and nonfiction writings by Dickens. These include six of his novels:
*Oliver Twist (1838),
*David Copperfield (1850),
*Hard Times (1854),
*A Tale of Two Cities (1859),
*Great Expectations (1861), and
*The Mystery of Edwin Drood (unfinished at the time of his death in 1870).
Other Christmas holiday tales by Dickens appear in the anthology, _The Cricket on the Hearth and Other Christmas stories.
Another Dover title of interest to readers is The Dickens Dictionary: A Key to the Plots and Characters in the Tales of Charles Dickens. This book was first compiled in 1872, two years after Dickens’ death, by the American writer Gilbert A. Pierce and features synopses of Dickens’ novels, short stories, and poems.
For Dickens readers who are visiting the United Kingdom, an important location will be The Charles Dickens Birthplace Museum. The house is where Dickens was born and lived his first three years, before the family and young Charles moved to London. The house in Portsmouth has been restored to the Regency Period and includes memorabilia from Dickens and his family, including manuscripts and “the very couch upon which Dickens died.” Museum programs include readings of Dickens’ works on the first Sunday of each month, from April through September. The Museum is also featured on a walking tour of historic sites in Portsmouth.
