Charles Dickens as a famous English realistic writer. 

       In 11 years, namely in 2012, the whole civilized mankind will mark the 200th anniversary since the birthday of the world-famous English novelist Charles Dickens. He was one of the brightest representatives of critical realism in English and world literature and showed the many-sided life of English society of his time.His books gained an enormous popularity all over the world and were edited in millions of copies, translated into hundreds of languages. His novels attracted attention of film producers, many of them were screened (e.g. "David Copperfield", "Oliver Twist", "Nicholas Nickleby", "Dombey and Son", "Pickwick Club", "Great Expectations", "The Mystery of Edwin Drood") and had many remakes. His characters are alive today and appeal to us because Dickens wrote them with fervour. The author isn't indifferent to his heroes: his hearty laughter, his tears and his anger, his ability to treat every character as it were his personal friend or enemy make the pages of his novels alive and warm. That's the reason why I love and admire this immortal English writer and advise everybody to make friends with his novels. Dickens was born in a middle class family in Portsmouth , on February 7, 1812 . Little Charlie was the eldest child in a large family. When he was seven, he was sent to a boys' school. Never a strong child, Charles wasn't good at any sport and his chief pastime was reading. In 1821 the Dickens family moved to London and little nine-year-old Charles left behind him the happiest years of his childhood. For about this time the life of the family changed for the worse.Mr. Dickens had got heavily into debt, and was at last put into the Marshalsea prison until he could pay his creditors what he owed them. The Dickens family now lived in the Marshalsea, and their poverty was so great that Charles grew to know the pawnbroker's shop very well. Moreover: the boy, though only ten years old was forced to earn money, and a place found for him in a blacking factory. The months he passed at this warehouse were a torture to the delicate little boy. But it was the time of his first imaginary stories invented during lonely walks in front of the prison gates, when he was dreaming and watching the people in the street. Fortunately, about this time a relative of the family died, and quite unexpectedly left Mr. Dickens a legacy, which enabled him to pay his debt and leave the Marshalsea. He now decided to continue Charles' education, and sent him to school. On leaving school Charles entered an employment of a lawyer. But he used to spend his evenings acting small parts at a small theatre in the neighborhood. Indeed, at once he wanted to make a stage his  profession. He would have made a fine actor had he done so, but probably the books by which we know  and love him would never have been written. Mr. Dickens had lately taking up the work of reporting speeches in Parliament, and Charles learned shorthand in order to do the same. He did it so well that at 23 he was considered the best parliamentary  reporter in London . He surprised the public by his irony, lively depiction and reach language. This work  led naturally to journalism, and journalism – to novel writing. In 1836, when only 24-year of age, Charles  published his first book, a collection of sketches and stories, under the title of "Sketches by Boz". These  were followed by the "The Pickwick Papers" and "Oliver Twist" (1837-38). Then came "Nicholas  Nickleby" (1838-39), "Dombey and Son" (1848), "David Copperfield" (1849) and many other equally  famous novels.   His popularity grew with every new publication. Now he wished to broaden his life experience and to get  acquainted with American democracy. In January 1842 he left England for the North America .  Dickens was disappointed seeing the American democracy. His impressions were embodied in "The American Notes" and the novel "Martin Chuzzlewit" (1843) – a bitter satire and partly a parody of the Americans.  In 1857 Dickens took up public readings from his novels. . The audience was delighted for the writer  worked at his "readings" very hard and created powerful impression. This tremendous activity lasted till his last days. He certainly was overworked, for never ceased writing new novels ("Tale of Two Cities" – 1859, "Great Expectations" – 1860, "Mutual Friend" – 1864). His  heart was undermined by colossal work and at 58, not old in years, Dickens died.  His literary legacy is so great, that we can make only some efforts to analyze it.  Dickens achieved phenomenal success at 24, when the first chapters of the "Posthumous Papers of the  Pickwick Club" appeared. He portrays the good-natured optimistic and excellent old fellow Mr. Pickwick, and wins the English public by the enjoyment of such purely English positive and negative types as  Pickwick himself, his funny friends, the unforgettable Sam Weller, Jingle and other characters of the  novel. But the following novels, which appeared two years later, were a brighter contrast to the first one. "The Adventures of Oliver Twist" is a tragic story of a boy drawn into the slums of London . We see the  dreadful sin of the life which poor little orphans lead in English workhouses – the disgrace of the country.