David Copperfield (Penguin Popular Classics) (Paperback)

by Charles Dickens (Author)

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Product Description
"David Copperfield" is the story of a young man's adventures on his journey from an unhappy and impoverished childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist. Among the gloriously vivid cast of characters he encounters are his tyrannical stepfather, Mr Murdstone; his brilliant, but ultimately unworthy school-friend Steerforth; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood; his nemesis, the eternally humble Uriah Heep; frivolous, enchanting Dora; and the magnificently impecunious Micawber, one of literature's great comic creations. In "David Copperfield" - the novel he described as his 'favourite child' - Dickens drew revealingly on his own experiences to create one of his most exuberant and enduringly popular works, filled with tragedy and comedy in equal measure.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 720 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books (February 24, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140620265
• ISBN-13: 978-0140620269
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #301,846 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece, July 14, 2007

By	J. E. Robinson - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is Dickens's best and it is on par with other great novels such as Anna Karenina, Pride and Prejudice, Madame Bovary, etc. In short, it is a masterpiece that brings together all of Dickens's writing skills with a great story.

As background information, I am in the process of reading most of Dickens 22 novels. I bought the Penguin Popular Classics version of the novel. It is very basic and comes in a simple green cover. It contains no introduction or analysis, just the text plus a very brief historical sketch of Dickens. It seems to be an excellent value for the money and I bought three Dickens novels in the series. I was a bit disappointed in that the book seemed to fall apart as I read it: the binding seemed very weak and cheaply made. After this bad experience, I bought other versions of Dickens's works - Wordsworth Classic versions, the regular Penguin Classic versions, the ones with the photo on the covers, and others.

Charles Dickens, who lived from 1812 to 1870, is the best know male English writer of the 19th century. He authored 22 novels plus numerous short pieces. Most of his writing was first written in serialized form, later published as single novels.

A young Dickens at the age of 12 had the unenviable job of attaching labels 10 hours a day at the Warren's boot blacking factory. That experience shaped much of his writing career. Still in his teens he became a law clerk, then later in his twenties a journalist. The last job as a reporter led to the serialized writing of his novels. His works were social commentaries with larger than life characters, or colorful caricatures, living in the slums of London. He was a critic of poverty, social injustice, and the slow moving court system.

All of Dickens's experiences come together in David Copperfield. The story has many biographical elements in it: a young man forced to take a job in a factory, attendance at a difficult school, working in a law firm, being a reporter, etc. The book was the author's favorite because of all of these biographical elements. The novel is twice as long as Great Expectations and has a wonderful set of characters, a good story, and it is a compelling read. It is clear from reading the novel that Dickens has put a lot of enthusiasm and creativity into writing the novel and into the creation of many memorable characters such as Edward and Jane Murdstone, Wilkins Micawber, Uriah Heep, Tommy Traddles, Mrs Trotwood, etc. Readers will not be disappointed.

Having read many of Dickens's novels I still rate David Copperfield as best as a work of literature and for entertainment value.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charles Dickens's Favorite Cretion., July 24, 2006

By	Bradley Headstone "Sean ARES Hirsch" (New York) - See all my reviews

This book never became quite as popular as "Oliver Twist," "A Christmas Carol," or "A Tale of Two Cities." Nevertheless, it is easy to see why Charles Dickens felt that this was his best creation. David Copperfield is born. His widowed mother is nice enough, but she becomes involved with the cruel Murderstone. (Murderstone feels that beatings are acceptable if David does not learn his lessons well enough.) David's mother dies, and Murderstone sends David off to work where he encounters the eccentric but benevolent Mr. Micawber. (Mr. Micawber is somewhat of a combination of Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Brownlow. And he is largely based on Charles Dickens's father.) David and Mr. Micawber become fast friends, but Mr. Micawber is arrested for debt. David (for obvious reasons) does not want to return to his wicked stepfather Mr. Murderstone. So he runs away to his Aunt Betsey. The eccentric but kind Aunt Betsey takes David in, and he soon meets Mr. Wickfield, his daughter Agnes, and the diabolical Uriah Heep. It is not long before we realize that as kind as Mr. Wickfield is, he is an alcoholic. And the evil Uriah Heep will use that to his advantage. Up until now, David Copperfield has been kind of an Oliver Twist. But David Copperfield (unlike Oliver) reaches adult hood in the story. We then come to the matter of marriage. Even before David meets his eventual wife Dora, he is preoccupied with Agnes. Interestingly, Aunt Betsey loses her property and David must take her in as she took him in some time ago. Well, Dora and David get married, but the relationship is more of a father-daughter relationship. If we wish to partially excuse Dora, we can argue that her father and aunts kind of sheltered her too much. (While Dora's father was not so happy about the thought of them getting married, we may argue that it is not going to be a good marriage.) Moving on, Mr. Micawber starts to work for Uriah Heep. He speaks well of Uriah, but of course, Dickens is preparing a big reversal. Uriah Heep continues to increase his power as he manipulates Agnes's father worse and worse. However, Uriah crosses the line when he expresses a desire for Agnes, and both Agnes's father and David fly into a rage. In a comical (but somewhat disturbing scene), Dora shows herself incapable of even preparing a dinner. While David knows he should not have married Dora, he stays with her, even though Dora is getting ill. In a dramtic, but really comical scene, Mr. Micawber exposes HEEP and Agnes's father is freed from the corrupt hold Uriah Heep has over him. Sadly, Dora dies leaving David a widower. But all is not lost. Agnes's father overcomes his alcoholism, and David and Agnes marry. Overall, this is a great book that shows the world through the eyes of a child and then a man. If you like this book, be sure to see the excellent 1935 movie where Frank Lawton does the grown up David, Edna May Oliver does Aunt Betsey, and W.C. Fields does Mr. Micawber.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the finest books in English, September 26, 2005

By	Epi Man (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This book excels marvelously on two fronts - style and story. Dickens has a masterful style that uses to good effect the best elements of English. His prose is simply wonderful.

The story is also tremendous. Its wraps up a little too tidy, but that is the Dicken's style. The characters are vividly painted and the failures and triumphs feel as real as can be.

It is a masterpiece I recommend to everyone.