Charles Dickens's life is a story of rags to riches, complete with bankruptcy, prison, forced child labour and fame and fortune overshadowed by guilt and secrecy. It sounds rather like a plot of one of his epic novels: indeed he was strongly influenced by his own experiences and his stories brim with references to the places he visited, the characters he knew and echoes the preoccupations that haunted his mind.
In this stunning new biography Peter Ackroyd introduces Dickens's remarkable life story. Comprehensively illustrated with contemporary images and photographs, this is a fascinating introduction to this best-loved author and his time.
