CHARLES DICKENS (2)

         Charles Dickens is one of the greatest novelists in the En­glish literature. In his books he showed a real world and peo­ple of Victorian England.

         Charles Dickens was born in London in 1812. His father was a clerk and had eight children. His father always spent more money than he received. When Charles was 10 years old his father got into debt and then into debtor’s prison. Charles had to give up the school and work. He worked at the blacking factory ten hours a day. Charles hated it and never forgot the experience. He used it in many novels, especially in «David Copperfield» and «Oliver Twist».

          At the age of 15 he was lucky to get a job in a London lawy­er’s office though he didn’t like this job. When he was 16 he started to work for a newspaper. And by the age of 25 he be­came one of the best journalists in London.

           «The Pickwick Papers» was his first great work which made him popular. His books became very popular in many coun­tries and he spent much time abroad. In the last years of his life he began to meet with his readers and to give public rea­dings from his books. These meetings were very successful.

           He never stopped writing and travelling and he died very suddenly in 1870.

QUESTIONS:

1. When and where was Charles Dickens born?

2. Why did he leave school at the age of 11?

3. What was his first job?

4. What was the name of his first novel?

5. What did he do in the last years of his life?

6. When did he stop writing?

VOCABULARY:

novelist — романист

Victorian England — викторианская Англия

debt — долг

to give up — бросать

blacking — вакса

abroad — заграницей

successful — успешный