Thursday, February 9, 2012

Charles Dickens: 200 Years Later

Charles Dickens, born February 7, 1812, lives in the pantheon of great literature. Memorable characters such as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Tiny Tim, and Pip guided readers into worlds that needed fixing. Dickens' attention to woes and conditions in his day, led to improvements. His writing entertains, enlightens, and endures.

The wisdom of Love ...the highest wisdom ever known upon this earth - The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Trifles make the sum of life - David Copperfield

Time, consoler of affliction and softener of anger - Doombey and Son

My life is one demd horrid grind - The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

Old Marley was as dead as a doornail - A Christmas Carol

Marley might be dead, but Charles Dickens lives on. His "career rode a wave of social, political, and scientific process" (Time 1/31/12), and the writing is relevant today. He fought for strong copyright laws and was a publicity genius. Dickens, a writer for the people, reflected the culture and transformed it.

It is a far far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far far better rest that I go to than I have ever known - Sidney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities

Happy 200th Birthday celebration, Charles Dickens

2 comments:

  1. My grandmother remembered Charles Dickens coming for dinner at the house where she was a downstairs maid. The only thing she could tell me about that day was that they served him ice cream which was a major event in those days!
    Ann

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  2. that is so cool, Ann. Wow. Glad Charles was worthy of ice cream. Thanks for commenting - that's really neat.

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