Often considered the greatest English novelist of his time,
Charles Dickens suffered a difficult childhood. His father was constantly in debt which necessitated Charles being sent to work at the age of twelve in a blacking factory. Despite being deprived of an education by his parents, he worked hard and became an office boy in a law firm, then a county reporter, and finally a reporter of debates in Parliament for the Morning Chronicle in 1835.
Dickens was known for the cruel and suffering characters he created, who lived in a world of iniquities. His social criticism was especially evident in some of his greatest works including Oliver Twist and Hard Times. Other great Dickens novels include A Tale Of Two Cities, David Copperfield and Great Expectations which is often considered his greatest works.
