Charles Dickens' David Copperfield published 150 years ago

First posted 7/4/2020; updated 7/5/2020.

David Copperfield Charles Dickens

First Publication: 1850 Category: coming-of-age novel Sales: 1 million

Accolades (click on badges to see full lists):

About the Book: David Copperfield, Dickens’ eighth novel, was his favorite BN and is considered by many to be his greatest work. AZ “Written in the first person, it also perhaps his most autobiographical. BN “A classic coming-of-age story, it is the tale of its titular character from childhood to maturity which chronicles the struggle between the emotional and moral aspects of his life.” AZ The story is “filled with trials and tribulations which [the title character] struggles to overcome in his pursuit of a happy and fulfilled life.” AZ He “loses both parents at an early age, …escapes the torture of working for his pitiless stepfather to make something of himself and, with any luck, [will] find true happiness. David Copperfield features an unforgettable gallery of characters, including David’s cruel stepfather Mr. Murdstone, the unctuous Uriah Heep, the amiable Mr. Micawber, whom Dickens based on his father, and Dora Spenglow, whom David marries and calls his ‘child-wife.’ BN “Central to the theme of the novel is the idea of the disciplined heart. Dickens suggests that people basically fall into three categories: those who have one, those who don’t, and those who seek to cultivate one. It is this development of a disciplined heart inside David Copperfield which establishes the principal context of his relationships throughout the novel.” AZ Resources and Related Links: AZ Amazon BN Barnes & Noble TG Telegraph: The Perfect Library