MILAN – Charles Dickens was a British writer but also a famous travel journalist and reporter. Around 1830 he began to write his first sketches but it was only in 1836 that real success as a writer arrived. From his pen, many characters were born who still remain in the imagination of many readers today. Among the most popular, of course, are the little ones Oliver Twist and David Copperfield . In addition to reminding you of his most famous aphorisms about him, we present the ten books that every lover of books and literature should have in their library. Click here to read and share the writer’s aphorisms! The Adventures of Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist is the second novel published by Charles Dickens: it was proposed in the first edition in monthly installments in Bentley’s Miscellany magazine, from 1837 to 1839. It is a novel pervaded by a subtle sense of black humor, in which the young and very unfortunate Oliver becomes a reason to challenge the evils of the time, such as crime, child labor, poverty and the hypocrisy of the upper classes. Finding a more jinxed child than Oliver Twist is really hard: orphaned, he is recruited in spite of himself into a gang of thieves, he is beaten, malnourished, wounded, but there will still be a happy ending. He reunites with his lost family and his friends will become respectable people. Christmas carol
The Christmas Carol is one of the most famous and popular works of Charles Dickens: it was written in 1843 and boasts numerous film adaptations, including an unforgettable one with Uncle Scrooge in the role of the greedy Ebenezer Scrooge. As in the previous novel, Dickens takes advantage of the gothic atmosphere created to give life to a burning criticism against poverty, child exploitation and illiteracy. The plot is known: the three ghosts of Christmas past, present and future will appear one night in the lonely house of Ebenezer Scrooge with the intent of transforming that greedy and stingy man into a good and compassionate man. David Copperfield
David Copperfield is a novel by Charles Dickens published in 1849-1850. This too, like Oliver Twist, was published in installments, but has its own peculiarity: it is considered a sort of autobiography of the author. David is also quite unfortunate: his father dies, his mother remarries, his stepfather and his sister send him to boarding school. When he returns home, he discovers he has a stepbrother, his mother dies of the abuses and he is sent to forced labor in the factory. He runs away, joins his aunt, finally manages to study and becomes a parliamentary reporter. In the meantime he marries twice: the first with Dora, the love of her life, the second, with her death, with Agnes of her, her comfort of her and always secretly in love with him. Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit was written and published in installments between 1855 and 1857. Amy Dorrit was born and lived the first years of her life in prison, dominated by her mother’s choice to be close to her father, who was jailed for bankruptcy. She also starts her life well. After a series of vicissitudes, which see Arthur Clennam as the protagonist, who has brought back the lost wealth to his family, his father William becomes wealthy again. And the troubles begin again for her Amy: her father wants to marry her at all costs, her brothers do not understand her. When his father dies, Arthur ends up in prison and Amy, who has always been in love with him, will follow him: a life spent practically in prison, even if never guilty! The Pickwick Circle
The Pickwick Circle was the first novel by Charles Dickens, written in 1836. This too was published in installments: the plot talks about the journeys that Mr. Samuel Pickwick, founder of the Pickwick Circle, makes with his friends Nathaniel Winkle, Augustus Snodgrass and Tracy Tupman , through England in the early nineteenth century. Obviously this is Dickens’ usual ironic and biting way of putting us in front of the dark sides of the society of the time. Great Expectations
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens written and published between 1860 and 1861. It goes without saying that this too was serialized.
It is a coming-of-age novel, starring the young Pip who tries in every way to become a gentleman. Here too we are faced with a semi-biographical novel. Pip is an orphan, as per tradition, but is taken in favor by an elderly lady, who has an adopted daughter, Estella, very beautiful, but whom she makes unapproachable to men, to take revenge for an ancient betrayal. When Pip receives a large inheritance, his high hopes begin, which are stopped when he discovers that the money comes from a thief he had done good to as a child. Returning poor, he rediscovers the friendship of Estella, whose pride has been decidedly blunted by an unfortunate marriage. Tale of two cities
A Tale of Two Cities and a historical novel by Charles Dickens from 1859. Also published in installments, and set in Paris and London: here we are dealing with the theme of the French Revolution and the oppression of the people by the aristocrats, also underlining the brutality of the revolutionaries during the first years of government and rebellion. The story unfolds following the events of the protagonists, who are committed to surviving the Bastille and the Regime of Terror. The hearth cricket
The hearth cricket is a short story by Charles Dickens written in 1845. It is the third of the writer’s five Christmas books, a sort of domestic fable, a tale defined by the author himself as ‘calm and domestic … innocent and cute’. It is the story of John and his wise and talking cricket, immersed in daily family events: a dear friend who is missing, but perhaps not so far away, an unrequited love that is transformed into generosity and altruism, the triumph of a story of love that the distance has not blunted. Finally a story with characters not opposed by the troublesome fate. The shop of the antiquarian
La bottega dell’antiquario is a novel written in the year 1840 by Charles Dickens. It is a book that had a good success with the public, even if the magazine in which it was published closed its doors quite early. You remember the anime Little Nell
Here it is, and this. An old antiquarian, haunted by unscrupulous enemies, wanders with his little niece Nell. After various vicissitudes and meetings, they settle in a green and quiet town, thanks also to the assistance of the Professor, a character who has always helped them. The pact with the ghost
The Pact with the Ghost is one of the five Christmas stories written by Dickens, published in 1848. It is perhaps Dickens’ darkest tale: it all revolves around the theme of personality splitting, even if there will still be a happy ending. The protagonist is an alchemist who turns to a vaguely demonic-looking ghost, in search of oblivion, without knowing that the cancellation of ancient wounds also leads to the inevitable stasis of emotions.
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