Charles Dickens

In celebration of the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens the BBC are launching an extensive season dedicated to the Victorian writer.

Charles Dickens is much loved for his great contribution to classic English literature. He was the quintessential Victorian author. His epic stories, vivid characters and exhaustive depiction of contemporary life are unforgettable.

Charles Dickens Quotes

 

"I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time".

"There is a wisdom of the head, and a wisdom of the heart". 

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Timeline of the Life of Charles Dickens

• 1812 - Born on February 7 to John and Elizabeth Dickens.
• 1824 - John Dickens arrested and sent to the Marshalsea prison. Charles Dickens worked at the Warren's Blacking Factory.
• 1827 - Rejoins the workforce as the clerk of an attorney.
• 1830 - Dickens meets Maria Beadnell, his first love interest.
• 1833 - The relationship with Maria Beadnell ends.   A Dinner at Poplar Walk is published.
• 1834 - Began using the pseudonym "Boz".  Meets his future wife, Catherine Hogarth.  
• 1835 - Becomes engaged to Catherine. 
• 1836 - The first chapters of The Pickwick Papers are published. Marries Catherine Hogarth.
• 1837 - The first of his 10 children, Charles Culliford Boz Dickens, is born. Mary Hogarth, Catherine's sister, dies. The publication of Oliver Twist begins.
• 1838 - Dickens and Hablot Browne travel to Yorkshire to see the boarding schools.  His daughter, Mary, is born.  Publication of Nicholas Nickleby begins.
• 1839 - His daughter, Kate, is born.
• 1840 - Publication of The Old Curiosity Shop begins
• 1841 - Barnaby Rudge is published.  Charles and Catherine tour Scotland.  Their son, Walter, is born.  
• 1842 - Charles and Catherine travel to America.  Late in 1842 or early in the next year Dickens begins work on Martin Chuzzlewit.
• 1843 - A Christmas Carol is published.
• 1844 - His son Francis Jeffrey (Frank) is born.  Dickens and family travel to Italy.  Treated Madame de la Rue with mesmerism. 
• 1845 - Another son, Alfred, is born.
• 1846 - Dickens and his family travel to Switzerland.  Publication of Dombey and Son begins. 
• 1847 - His son, Sydney, is born.
• 1848 - Dickens' sister, Fanny, dies.  The Haunted Man, his last Christmas book is published.
• 1849 - His son, Henry Fielding Dickens, is born.  The publication of David Copperfield begins.
• 1850 - His daughter, Dora Annie Dickens, is born.
• 1851- Catherine Dickens suffers a nervous collapse.  John Dickens, the father of Charles Dickens, dies.  Dora Dickens dies when she is only eight months old.  What Shall we have for Dinner?, a cookbook by Catherine Dickens is published.  
• 1852 - The publication of Bleak House begins. His son, Edward or "Plorn", is born.
• 1853 - Dickens gives his first public reading of one of his works.
• 1854 - Hard Times is published.
• 1855 - Dickens has a disappointing reunion with Maria Winter (Maria Beadnell).  Publication of Little Dorrit begins.  
• 1856 - Dickens works with Wilkie Collins on The Frozen Deep. Dickens purchases Gad's Hill Place.
• 1857 - Hans Christian Anderson is entertained at Gad's Hill Place. Dickens meets Ellen Ternan.
• 1858 - Dickens separates from Catherine, his wife.
• 1859 -  A Tale of Two Cities is published.  
• 1860 - Publication of Great Expectations begins in All the Year Round.  His daughter, Katie, marries and ten days later his brother, Alfred, dies. Dickens burns his personal papers.
• 1863 - Dickens' mother, Elizabeth, dies. Dickens begins work on Our Mutual Friend. 
• 1864 - His son, Walter, dies in India.  The first installment of Our Mutual Friend is printed.  
• 1865 - Dickens is involved in the Staplehurst railway accident along with Ellen Ternan and her mother.
• 1867 - Dickens tours America for the second time.
• 1868 - He gives his first Murder of Nancy reading.
• 1869 - Dickens is ordered by doctors to discontinue readings. Dickens begins writing The Mystery of Edwin Drood.  
• 1870 - Dickens gives his final public reading.  Publication of  The Mystery of Edwin Drood begins.  Charles Dickens dies at Gad's Hill Place on June 9.

 Listen to " A Tale of Two Cities"

http://content.loudlit.org/audio/twocities/pages/01_01_twocities.htm

"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the throne of England; there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face, on the throne of France. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever.