David Copperfield was Charles Dickens' favorite novel, and it is also his most personal. The book has captivated generations of readers, serving as influential reading during their formative years. Esteemed authors such as Leo Tolstoy, Virginia Woolf, Vladimir Nabokov, and Elias Canetti revered it throughout their lives.
At its core, the novel is a tale of suffering set in Victorian England. Born after the death of his father and subjected to an ill-fated remarriage of his mother, young David endures a nightmarish school experience and is forced into labor at a tender age. Escaping the inhumane conditions of early industrial factories, he finds refuge under the care of his kind-hearted aunt, Betsey. Slowly, his fortunes seem to change. Like Dickens himself, David becomes a legal clerk, a reporter, and ultimately a successful writer.
The story and experiences of the younger David Copperfield were published in 1849/50, presenting a work filled with both humour and tragedy. It stands as one of the great novels depicting childhood and youth in world literature.
"The most significant work of the most significant of all novelists." Leo Tolstoy
"One can only surrender completely to Charles Dickens' voice. In every lecture, I would most prefer to call for silent meditation, concentration, and admiration of this author." Vladimir Nabokov
