Top 10 Books by Charles Dickens: Charles John Huffam Dickens, better known as Charles Dickens, is an author from the Victorian Era. Dickens had to leave school and start working in a factory at the mere age of 12 due to his father being in prison. After three years, he then returned to school. That is when his career in literature and journalism began.
His literary career went on for about 20 years in which he published a total of 15 novels, 5 novellas, and several short stories and articles. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in history, known for his satirical books and dark humour.
Top 10 Books by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist
This novel was published in three different parts between 1838. It was also released in series between 1837 to 1889 in the magazine, Bentley’s Miscellany. Oliver Twist is a book about a young boy, whom the book is named after. It was also alternatively known as The Parish Boy’s Progress. In this book, the boy, Oliver Twist, works in a warehouse in a cruel situation. There the several comments made about the ill effects and the cruelty of child labour.
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities is a historical fiction novel by Charles Dickens set before and during the French Revolution. It is set in both London and Paris, hence the name. The book was ranked number 63 on BBC’s The Big Read Poll. It is one of the most selling books to date. The book consists of complex characters with many layers to them.
The Pickwick Papers
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club or The Pickwick Papers was Charles Dickens’ very first novel. Despite that, it created such a buzz around Britain that it was very successfully sold across the nation. It is a humorous book that consisted of some comics illustrated by Robert Seymour. This book was also published as a series as well, and it gave rise to more people writing stories with cliffhangers.
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is still one of Charles Dickens’s most popular books to date. The book was initially entitled In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. It is a novella published in 1843. The book was written around the time when British society was moving forward with its Catholic beliefs and changing its views on it. This included the changing traditions such as the new Christmas cards and the Christmas tree and Christmas Carols. The first edition of the book immediately sold out. It was also well-received by people and the critics equally.
The Old Curiosity Shop
The Old Curiosity Shop was a very popular book at the time of its release because as the shipment of the printed books arrived in New York, people rushed in to get the copies of it. It is the story of Nell Trent or Little Nell, a fictional character and her grandfather, who live in The Old Curiosity Shop in London. Queen Victoria was one of the readers of this book and called it “very interesting and cleverly written”. The book unfolds into the story of Little Nell and her older friend, Tim, who worked at The Old Curiosity Shop, and how he deceived her as a friend.
Bleak House
Bleak House was published as a series between 1852 and September 1853. The book is narrated by the character Esther Summerson at times, and then by an omniscient narrator at times. An omniscient narrator is a narrator who is aware of everything. The book consists of several sub-plots itself and many characters. But the centre of the book is a court case happening regarding a will.
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is a bildungsroman novel about a boy named Philip Pirip, also known as Pip. It was Charles Dickens’ thirteenth novel out of the fifteen he wrote. It was his second novel that he wrote completely in the first person. The book is divided into three stages of Pip’s life. The first stage is about Pip’s childhood, and his journey growing up as an orphan. The second stage is about his schooling in London, and the third is about his life past school.
David Copperfield
David Copperfield was originally published as The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account). It is an autobiographical novel by a fictional character named David Copperfield. It shows his life journey from being a child to a parent and his experiences. The book has been adapted and retold several times. The most recent adaptation of the book was the movie The Personal History of David Copperfield starring Dev Patel in the titular role.
Hard Times
Hard Times: For These Times, or just Hard Times was Charles Dickens’s tenth novel. The book was published in 1854 and tells the story of Thomas Gradgrind and his children Tom and Louisa. It describes how Thomas raises them in a tense environment. It later shows how the children’s childhood affected their adulthood as Louisa ends up in a loveless marriage and Tom turns into a thief. This book explores the themes of poverty and how dehumanizing some of the industrial practices in Victorian-era Britain were.
Our Mutual Friend
Our Mutual Friend is the very last completed and published novel by Charles Dickens. It is said to be filled with satirical remarks about the economic class differences. Unlike his first book, which consisted of humorous undertones, this book is one of his more sophisticated works with political and social commentary. Due to its immense seriousness and directness, the book was frowned upon by its readers. However, Our Mutual Friend is a fine example of Dickens and the message he was trying to give to the public through his writing.
