Kaye Jones - Dickens - History in an Hour

DICKENS

History in an Hour

Kaye Jones

About History in an Hour Contents Cover Title Page About History in an Hour Introduction The Early Years London Miss Maria Beadnell The Creation of ‘Boz’ The Early Novels The 1840s Dickens in America Dickens in Europe Dickens the Philanthropist Return to Journalism Dickens the Reformer Dickens’ Private Life Dickens the Public Reader The Later Years Appendix 1: Key Figures Appendix 2: Timeline of Dickens Copyright Got Another Hour? About the Publisher

History in an Hour is a series of ebooks to help the reader learn the basic facts of a given subject area. Everything you need to know is presented in a straightforward narrative and in chronological order. No embedded links to divert your attention, nor a daunting book of 600 pages with a 35-page introduction. Just straight in, to the point, sixty minutes, done. Then, having absorbed the basics, you may feel inspired to explore further.

Give yourself sixty minutes and see what you can learn . . .

To find out more visit http://historyinanhour.com or follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/historyinanhour

Contents

Cover

Title Page DICKENS History in an Hour Kaye Jones

About History in an Hour

Introduction

The Early Years

London

Miss Maria Beadnell

The Creation of ‘Boz’

The Early Novels

The 1840s

Dickens in America

Dickens in Europe

Dickens the Philanthropist

Return to Journalism

Dickens the Reformer

Dickens’ Private Life

Dickens the Public Reader

The Later Years

Appendix 1: Key Figures

Appendix 2: Timeline of Dickens

Copyright

Got Another Hour?

About the Publisher Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

Introduction Contents Cover Title Page DICKENS History in an Hour Kaye Jones About History in an Hour Introduction The Early Years London Miss Maria Beadnell The Creation of ‘Boz’ The Early Novels The 1840s Dickens in America Dickens in Europe Dickens the Philanthropist Return to Journalism Dickens the Reformer Dickens’ Private Life Dickens the Public Reader The Later Years Appendix 1: Key Figures Appendix 2: Timeline of Dickens Copyright Got Another Hour? About the Publisher Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

One of the most celebrated British authors of all time, Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 1812 in Portsmouth England. Though Dickens received little formal education, he produced some of the most famous works of the Victorian era, such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol, novels that continue to be enjoyed today. Dickens did not limit himself to being a novelist, he was also a journalist, social commentator, philanthropist, husband, lover and father.

Charles Dickens c. 1867, photograph by Jeremiah Gurney

As a celebration of the bicentenary of his birth in 2012, this ebook will guide readers through the formative events, relationships and experiences that inspired and underpinned his work.

The Early Years Contents Cover Title Page DICKENS History in an Hour Kaye Jones About History in an Hour Introduction The Early Years London Miss Maria Beadnell The Creation of ‘Boz’ The Early Novels The 1840s Dickens in America Dickens in Europe Dickens the Philanthropist Return to Journalism Dickens the Reformer Dickens’ Private Life Dickens the Public Reader The Later Years Appendix 1: Key Figures Appendix 2: Timeline of Dickens Copyright Got Another Hour? About the Publisher Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth on 7 February 1812. He was the second child of Elizabeth Dickens (née Barrow) and John Dickens, a clerk in the naval pay office attached to the nearby dockyard. Due to the nature of John’s work, the family moved frequently during Dickens’ earliest years, with stays in and around London, and to Sheerness, before a more permanent posting to the Chatham Dockyard in Kent in 1817. Here, the family lived at 2 Ordnance Terrace, a six-roomed house with two live-in servants.

Ordnance Terrace, Chatham, photograph by Clem Rutter

It was Elizabeth Dickens who took responsibility for the education of Dickens and his elder sister, Fanny, in these early years. Alongside her lessons in English and Latin, Dickens became an avid reader. He spent many hours in the attic enjoying the books from his father’s collection, such as Don Quixote, The Arabian Nights and Robinson Crusoe. Dickens also received some schooling at a nearby dame school. Prior to the introduction of compulsory education for children in 1870, these schools provided a much-needed service for families who were too poor to pay for private schooling. Dame schools, often run by an unqualified woman from her own home, helped many children master the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.

In 1821 Dickens left the humble dame school and enrolled at the Reverend William Giles’ School, a private, fee-paying establishment. It was around the same time that John Dickens’ financial problems, of which the origin is unknown, caused the family to relocate to a smaller house in Chatham. Money troubles, however, did not stand in the way of a happy childhood. At school, Dickens made great progress, while at home he wiled away his time with make-believe games, performing recitals and plays with his sister, Fanny. On several occasions the pair saw plays by Shakespeare at the Rochester Playhouse, inciting in the young boy a love of the theatre that would endure throughout his life. With its majestic cathedral, ruined castle and bustling river, the city of Rochester also captured his imagination.