David Copperfield

Dickens'sgreatcoming-of-agenovel，nowinabeautifulclothboundPenguineditionThisisthenovelDickensregardedashis'favouritechild'andisconsideredhismostautobiographical.AsDavidrecountshisexperiencesfromchildhoodtothediscoveryofhisvocationasasuccessfulnovelist，Dickensdrawsopenlyandrevealinglyonhisownlife.AmongthegloriouslyvividcastofcharactersareRosaDartle，Dora，Steerforth，andthe'umbleUriahHeep，alongwithMrMicawber，aportraitofDickens'sownfatherwhichevokesamixtureoflove，nostalgiaandguilt.Dickens'sgreatBildungsroman(based，inpart，onhisownboyhood)isaworkfilledwithlife，bothcomicandtragic.CharlesDickens(1812-70)hadhisfirst，astoundingsuccesswithhisfirstnovelThePickwickPapersandneverlookedback.Inanextraordinarilyfulllifehewrote，campaignedandspokeonahugerangeofissues，andwasinvolvedinmanyofthekeyaspectsofVictorianlife，byturnscajoling，movingandirritating.Hecompletedfourteenfull-lengthnovelsandvolumeaftervolumeofjournalism.Ofallhismanyworks，hecalledDavidCopperfieldhis'favouritechild'.JeremyTamblingisProfessorofLiteratureattheUniversityofManchester.