One of the most influential writers in English literature is Charles Dickens, in full Charles John Huffam Dickens. He was born 7 February 1812, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England and died 9 June 1870, Gad's Hill, near Chatham, Kent. He was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest, most extraordinary and admirable person of the Victorian era. His most successful novels - Bleak House, Great Expectation, Little Dorrit, Dombey and Son, Our Mutual Friend and David Copperfield - are works of extraordinary genius, full of energy and imagination. Dickens was very popular in his time, many of his books addressed the poor and the rich, the simple and the sophisticated, his works were the key point in spreading his fame throughout the world very quickly. He is now known for facets and aspects of his work, his current position compared to other writers is even higher than anyone would have ever thought or imagined. Among English writers Dickens is, as he was once called, partly joking and partly serious, "The Inimitable." Dickens left Portsmouth when he was a child. His happiest childhood years were spent in Chatham. His father was well paid, but his extravagance often led the family into financial problems. In 1824 the family hit rock bottom. John Dickens was imprisoned for debts when Charles was young. These situations affected Charles deeply. He began to gain a comprehensive knowledge of his life that informed his writings. When his father was released from prison, his family improved and allowed Charles to go to school. His schooling was interrupted and he finished at the age of 15. He later became a clerk in a law firm, then a stenographer in the courts and finally, a parliamentary and newspaper reporter. These years left him with... middle of paper... sick and ill as he was, he remained inventive and adventurous in his later novels. A Tale of Two Cities was an experiment, relying less than before on characterization, dialogue, and humor. An emotional and compact narrative, lacking too many of his strengths to be counted among his major works. But in many ways he was "a sad man" in these last years. He was never calm or relaxed. Several old friends were now estranged or dead or otherwise less available. He began writing another novel and gave a brief season of farewell readings in London, ending with the famous speech: "From these bright lights I now vanish forever..." - words repeated, less than three months later, on the his funeral card. He died suddenly in June 1870 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Works Cited http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/162141/Charles-Dickens