7Commonly hailed as his masterpiece and his own personal favourite, Dickens's novel "David Copperfield" was first published as a serial in 1849-50 and as a book in 1850. The story revolves around the titular character and spans his growth from infancy to maturity, chronicling the people and places of his life as he develops as a person. A must-read for fans of Dickens's work and well deserving of a place on every bookshelf. Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic famous for having created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters. His works became unprecedentedly popular during his life, and today he is commonly regarded as the greatest Victorian-era novelist. Although perhaps better known for such works as "Oliver Twist" or "A Christmas Carol", Dickens first gained success with the 1836 serial publication of "The Pickwick Papers", which turned him almost overnight into an international literary celebrity thanks to his humour, satire, and astute observations concerning society and character. This classic work is being republished now in a new edition complete with an introductory chapter from "Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens" by G. K. Chesterton.