Interesting Facts About Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was the greatest novelist of the Victorian period, utterly dedicating himself to his work and creating some of the well-nigh distinguished fiction in literary history.

Poor social and bleak economic circumstances are oft referred to in the modern era every bit being "Dickensian" in nature and the subjects and narratives of Dickens's books would suggest a serially sombre writer who probably isn't much fun on a night out.

Not then. This listing alone paints Charles Dickens as not simply a man of great authorisation, talent and wisdom, but also a more than amusing character down the pub than yous would give him credit for. At least part of number 8 does.

Read on!

(Images: King Features, Flickr Creative Commons, Penguin)

1.

Dickens had a tough childhood, which he chronicled heavily in David Copperfield. "I had no advice, no counsel, no encouragement, no alleviation, no assistance, no back up, of whatever kind, from anyone, that I can call to mind," he scoffed.

two.

Dickens besides suffered from epilepsy as a child but after grew out of the condition. He chronicled his sufferings via his some of his characters including Bradley Headstone from Our Mutual Friend and Edward Leeford, a.k.a. Monks, from Oliver Twist.

three.

Dickens had a pet raven called Grip which he had taxidermied and mounted when information technology died in 1841 from eating lead paint fries.

4.

No matter where he lay, Dickens always fabricated certain to sleep with his head pointing north equally he believed information technology improved his writing.

v.

The only novel by Dickens that includes the discussion "kangaroo" is David Copperfield and the only novel by Charles Dickens that mentions "beetroot" is Martin Chuzzlewit.

6.

Dickens is credited past the Oxford English Lexicon with introducing no less than 247 new words and usages into the language including "butter-fingers", "fluffiness" and the verb "to manslaughter".

vii.

He was very fond of nicknames and imbued all of his children with them such as "Chickenstalker" and "Skittles". He called his favourite daughter Kate, "Lucifer Box", because her temper could flare up in an instant.

8.

Dickens was an amateur magician, very afraid of bats and an insomniac.

9.

Dickens had a Bond-esque hush-hush door in his study which was disguised as a bookcase filled with fake books.

10.

Dickens had more than than a passing interest in the paranormal and was an active fellow member of The Ghost Gild.

xi.

Dickens liked to accident his own trumpet, referring to himself quite matter-of-factually as 'The Sparkler of Albion'. (Gently mocking Shakespeare referring to himself as the "Bard of Avon" at the aforementioned time.)

12.

After having ten children together, Charles Dickens and Catherine Hogarth make up one's mind they weren't right for each other, and separated in 1858 (she was condign 'fat and boring'). He and then met a nubile young actress named Ellen Ternan who was the aforementioned age as his younger daughter, Kate.

13.

He had a favourite letter opener (as you do) that was engineered from the claw of his favourite cat, Bob.

14.

Dickens had a trivial bit of the Melvin Udall about him: He preferred to bear upon things 3 times for luck and was a mild obsessive-compulsive with regard to his hair and would often comb and preen information technology over 100 times every solar day.

15.

Charles Dickens gave everything he had to his work and died on 9th June 1870 after suffering a massive stroke. The last novel he completed was Our Mutual Friend. He is buried in the Poet'due south Corner at Westminster Abbey.