David Copperfield by Nishanth

David Copperfield, is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous protagonist, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to maturity. The novel has a primary theme of growth and change, but Dickens also satirises many aspects of Victorian life. These include the status of women in marriage, class structure, the criminal justice system, the quality of schools and the employment of children in factories.

Charles Dickens was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Situated in the middle of Dickens's career, it represents, according to Paul Davis, a turning point in his work, the point of separation between the novels of youth and those of maturity. It gives us an in-depth insight into 19th century Victorian England.

Of the books he wrote, it was his favourite. Many view this novel as Dickens's masterpiece. Indeed it is also my favourite work of Charles Dickens. His plots were carefully constructed and he often wove elements from topical events into his narratives. Masses of the illiterate poor would individually pay a halfpenny to have each new monthly episode read to them, opening up and inspiring a new class of readers. At first glance a person interested at reading classical literature might find the book similar to other “personal histories” of that period which were popular, but this book, like all of Dicken’s works is a carefully structured magnum opus that immerses the readers into numerous situations a common person might face in his or her life as they grow up. I recommend all of you to read this wonderful novel.