Bildungsroman Victorian novel Personal growth Social critique Class struggle Wealth and poverty Industriousness vs. idleness
David Copperfield is a novel written by Charles Dickens and originally published in 1850. With autobiographical overtones, it is considered one of Dickens' masterpieces.
The novel is a journey from David's sad and poor childhood to his maturity, on a path full of joys, sorrows, challenges and triumphs. Along the way, we will see all of David's learning through the years.
Orphaned at a very young age after the tragic loss of his parents,David will have to face the harsh realities of being an orphan in 19th century London.
Along the way, he will meet a series of interesting and unforgettable characters, each with their own peculiarities and moral lessons that will try to draw him to the dark side as well as the side of virtue. David will have to learn to make his own choices and find his place in the world.
The novel is a reflection on identity formation and personal growth. It also portrays the negative aspects of Victorian society such as hypocrisy, inequality and injustice.
"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o’clock at night. It was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously."
#20 in Coming-of-age (this month)
#117 in Literary fiction (this month)
The David Copperfield book is available for download in PDF, ePUB and Mobi:
Copyright info
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading David Copperfield in PDF or ePub.
A life assembled from work, luck, and chosen allies. The classic apprenticeship of a writer and a heart.
For fans of character arcs and found family, it shows how vocation forms slowly and why kindness is a strategy, not a weakness.
Memory shaped on the page.
Care that changes outcomes.
Decency under pressure.
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Panoramic storytelling with comic energy and structural heart for the city and the outsider.
We have 15 books by Charles Dickens in the AliceAndBooks library
My advice is, never do to-morrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time. Collar him!
When I lived at home with papa and mama, I really should have hardly understood what the word meant, in the sense in which I now employ it, but experientia does it, — as papa used to say.