David Copperfield

What it is

A novel by Charles Dickens, narrated by David Copperfield himself, published in monthly parts from 1849 to 1850 and then as a book, with illustrations by H. K. Browne. It follows David from a difficult childhood under a cruel stepfather through school, work and growing up.

Why it matters

Dickens called it his favourite among his own books, and it closely reworks events from his own life, including hard early years of work, reflecting his personal experience of hardship as a boy. It marks a turning point in his writing, moving from earlier comic novels toward more mature, reflective storytelling, and it comments on issues such as the treatment of women, class and schooling in Victorian England.

Look closer

• Why might Dickens have chosen to tell this story in the first person, as if David were speaking for himself?
• What might it mean that Dickens drew so closely on his own life for this