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The thirteenth and penultimate novel by Charles Dickens, ¿Great Expectations¿ chronicles the education of Pip, an orphan living in mid-nineteenth century London. Including such themes as wealth and poverty, love and rejection, and triumph over evil, this novel represents a classic example of Dickensian literature not to be missed by lovers of his work. Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812¿1870) was an English writer and social critic famous for having created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters. His works became unprecedentedly popular during his life, and today he is commonly regarded as the greatest Victorian-era novelist. Although perhaps better known for such works as ¿Oliver Twist¿ or ¿A Christmas Carol¿, Dickens first gained success with the 1836 serial publication of ¿The Pickwick Papers¿, which turned him almost overnight into an international literary celebrity thanks to his humour, satire, and astute observations concerning society and character. This classic work is being republished now in a new edition complete with an introductory chapter from ¿Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens¿ by G. K. Chesterton.
About the author
English author and social commentator Charles Dickens lived from 7 February 1812 to 9 June 1870. He is credited with creating some of the most well-known fictional characters in history and is regarded by many as the best writer of the Victorian era. His books gained an extraordinary level of popularity during his lifetime, and by the 20th century, academics and critics had recognized his literary excellence. Many people read his novels and short story collections today. Dickens, a native of Portsmouth, quit school at the age of 12 to work at a factory that blackened boots while his father was imprisoned for debt. After three years, he returned to school before beginning his writing career as a journalist. Dickens spent 20 years editing a weekly journal, produced hundreds of short stories and non-fiction pieces, 15 novels, five novellas, numerous lectures, and readings, was a prolific letter writer, and actively promoted social reforms like education reform, children's rights, and other issues. Dickens' writing career took off with the serial publication of The Pickwick Papers in 1836, a publishing hit that inspired Pickwick products and spin-offs in large part due to the introduction of the character Sam Weller in the fourth episode.
