David Copperfield

Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.8

Word count: 1.9M words
Chapters: 194

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.David Copperfield by Charles DickensAuthor: Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Dec 1, 1996

Editor's review

David Copperfield is Dickens's long, semi-autobiographical masterpiece, narrated in the first person. It follows the hero from a troubled childhood to adult achievement, unfolding along the way a broad panorama of Victorian English society: family, school, law offices, debtors' prison, travel and emigration are all woven into the rises and falls of its characters' fortunes. The novel's emotional power comes from its close attention to childhood trauma and the struggles of growing up, and from a host of vivid, unforgettable minor characters; humor and compassion are always interwoven. The book is long and full of threads, and the childhood chapters of the first half are often considered the most moving. It is both an important work for understanding Dickens's writing and the spirit of his age, and a fitting read for those willing to invest time in following the characters as they slowly grow. The original is in English, with nineteenth-century syntax and much period vocabulary; a reliable edition with notes is recommended.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature lovers willing to invest time in a classic long novel
Readers interested in Victorian English society and the coming-of-age novel
Learners with intermediate English or above who want to take on an English original
Teachers and students needing materials for courses on nineteenth-century English literature

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer short stories and fast-paced narratives
Those just beginning to read English and daunted by long sentences and old-fashioned vocabulary
People who hope to finish a classic in a short time

Reading tips

Read in stages—childhood, schooling, adulthood—and pause briefly to review at the end of each.
With so many characters, noting relationships and key events as you read greatly reduces confusion.
Choose an annotated edition; when you meet period institutions or slang, read the notes first, then continue.
If the English is hard going, read a reliable Chinese translation first to get familiar with the plot, then return to the original for close reading of selected passages.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book closely related to Dickens's own life?

It is clearly autobiographical in flavor: the hero's early family circumstances and experience as a child laborer are often linked to Dickens himself. But it is a novel, not an autobiography; the characters and plot have been extensively fictionalized and reworked, so it should not be read as a point-by-point record of the author's life.

It's very long—how can I read it without giving up?

Proceed in stages: divide the book into sections based on the hero's stages of growth and set a page goal for each; at the same time, keep track of character relationships, and don't feel you must scrutinize every rambling chapter. Focus first on the fate of the main characters, and on a second reading savor the minor characters and satirical passages.

Is the English original hard to read?

It is somewhat difficult: the sentences are long, there is much period vocabulary, and some chapters involve the law and social institutions of the time. Readers at intermediate level and above can get through it with an annotated edition; beginners should first become familiar with the plot summary or read a Chinese translation, then return to the original for standout passages such as the childhood sections.

Is it suitable as a classroom text?

Yes. It is a typical text of the coming-of-age novel and of Victorian social description, and can be used to discuss first-person narration, childhood experience, class and the law. Because it is long, classes should focus on close reading of selected passages, supplemented by an overview of the plot and background materials.

Comments

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About the author

Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 Author

Charles Dickens (Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870) is one of the most influential novelists in the history of English literature. The library holds 115 of his works, including novels, novellas and short stories; representative titles include The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and A Christmas Carol. He was known for serialized fiction, with plot twists and vivid characters, and he used humor and satire to portray Victorian society, paying particular attention to poor children, the lower classes and education, and his works often convey warmth and moral concern. In the library his works are often classified under "inspirational growth," and many of his novels have been adapted for stage and screen and are widely circulated. Public information about the details of his life is limited, so no speculation is offered here.