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Cover of David Copperfield

Classic Fiction

David Copperfield

by Charles Dickens

The semi-autobiographical tale of a young boy who rises up to become a successful novelist.

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First published
1849
Length
357,004 words
Reading time
About 24 hr 48 min
Language
English (UK)

About the book

Like many of Dickens’ works, David Copperfield was published serially, then as a complete novel for the first time in 1850. Dickens himself thought of it as his favorite novel, writing in the preface that of all his works Copperfield was his favorite child. This isn’t surprising, considering that many of the events in the novel are semi-autobiographical accounts from Dickens’ own life.

In David Copperfield we follow the life of the titular character as he makes a life for himself in England. He finds himself in the care of a cold stepfather who sends him to boarding school, and from there embarks on a journey filled with characters and events that can only be called “Dickensian” in their colorful and just-barely-probable portrayals.

First published 1849; the Read4Max reading text contains approximately 357,004 words arranged in 68 navigable sections.

About the author

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (1812–1870) is described by Wikidata as English novelist and social critic (1812–1870), with citizenship or national association recorded as United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and United Kingdom.

Recorded occupations include writer, novelist, journalist, social critic, playwright, and author. Languages recorded for Charles Dickens include English and British English. The structured record associates Charles Dickens with literary realism. Wikidata lists The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Bleak House, and Hard Times: For These Times among Charles Dickens's notable works. Open Library identifies A Christmas Carol as a leading work in its author record. Open Library catalogs 7450 works under this author record. The Read4Max catalog currently includes A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, Bleak House, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Hard Times, and Oliver Twist under Charles Dickens's authorship.

1812–1870

Reading options

  • A complete text with direct section navigation in the browser reader.
  • A downloadable EPUB for phones, tablets, desktop reading apps, and compatible ereaders.
  • Book and contributor metadata are checked against the source edition before indexing.

Themes and ideas

  • England
  • Boys
  • Orphans
  • Young men
  • Stepfathers
  • Child labor
  • Autobiographical fiction
  • Bildungsromans

Table of contents

Open reader
Show all 68 sections
  1. Preface to the 1850 Edition
  2. Preface to the Charles Dickens Edition
  3. Dedication
  4. David Copperfield
  5. I
  6. II
  7. III
  8. IV
  9. V
  10. VI
  11. VII
  12. VIII
  13. IX
  14. X
  15. XI
  16. XII
  17. XIII
  18. XIV
  19. XV
  20. XVI
  21. XVII
  22. XVIII
  23. XIX
  24. XX
  25. XXI
  26. XXII
  27. XXIII
  28. XXIV
  29. XXV
  30. XXVI
  31. XXVII
  32. XXVIII
  33. XXIX
  34. XXX
  35. XXXI
  36. XXXII
  37. XXXIII
  38. XXXIV
  39. XXXV
  40. XXXVI
  41. XXXVII
  42. XXXVIII
  43. XXXIX
  44. XL
  45. XLI
  46. XLII
  47. XLIII
  48. XLIV
  49. XLV
  50. XLVI
  51. XLVII
  52. XLVIII
  53. XLIX
  54. L
  55. LI
  56. LII
  57. LIII
  58. LIV
  59. LV
  60. LVI
  61. LVII
  62. LVIII
  63. LIX
  64. LX
  65. LXI
  66. LXII
  67. LXIII
  68. LXIV
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