Charles Dickens is known for his many novels. Whether or not you have read them all, you most likely have come across or heard some of his many writings. Some of his more popular writings were The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities.

He lived from February 1812 to June 1870. He left school young to work in a factory when his father went to debtor’s prison. His first writing was The Pickwick Papers which was serialized, a common practice at one time. This also allowed him to evaluate his audience’s reaction and modify based on feedback. Some of his life experiences were used in his stories – people and places. His most autobiographical novel was David Copperfield.

He visited the United States and Canada. In his second visit, delayed by the Civil War, he met with such giants as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He died in 1870 after a stroke.

No matter how you have heard of Charles Dickens, almost everyone has seen or heard A Christmas Carol in some form. There have been many renditions of this story in plays and movies.

You can see a more comprehensive outline of his life here.