David Copperfield" Like so many fond parents I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child," wrote Charles Dickens. "And his name is David Copperfield." Of all of Dickens's novels, David Copperfield most closely reflects the events of his own life. The story of an abandoned waif who discovers life and love in an indifferent world, this classic tale of childhood is populated with a cast of eccentrics, innocents, and villains who number among the author's greatest creations. "David Copperfield is filled with characters of the most astonishing variety, vividness, and originality," noted Somerset Maugham. "They are not realistic and yet they abound with life. There never were such people as the Micawbers, Pegotty and Barkis, Traddles, Betsey Trotwood and Mr. Dick, Uriah Heep and his mother. They are fantastic inventions of Dickens's exultant imagination, but they have so much vigor, they are so consistent, they are presented with so much conviction, that you believe in them. They are extravagant, but not unreal, and when you have once to know them you can never quite forget them." T. S. Eliot agreed: "Dickens excelled in character; in the creation of characters of greater intensity than human beings." And Virginia Woolf concluded: "In David Copperfield, though char- acters swarm and life flows into every creek and cranny, some common feelings--youth, gaiety, hope--envelops the tumult, brings the scattered parts together, and invests the most perfect of all the Dickens novels with an atmosphere of beauty." The Modern Library has played a significant role in American cultural life for the better part of a century. The series was founded in 1917 by the publishers Boni and Liveright and eight years later acquired by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer. It provided the foun- dation for their next publishing venture, Random House. The Modern Library has been a staple of the American book trade, providing readers with affordable hardbound editions of important works of literature and thought. For the Modern Library's seventy-fifth anniversary, Random House redesigned the series, restoring as its emblem the running torchbearer created by Lucian Bernhard in 1925 and refurbishing jackets, bindings, and type, as well as inaugurating a new program of selecting titles. The Modern Library continues to provide the world's best books, at the best prices. |
Contents
I Am Sent Away from Home | |
I Enlarge My Circle of Acquaintance | |
My First Half at Salem House | |
My Aunt Astonishes | |
Depression | |
Enthusiasm | |
A Little Cold Water | |
A Dissolution of Partership | |
wickfield and Heep | |
The wanderer | |
Doras Aunts | |
My Holidays Especially One Happy Afternoon | |
I Have a Memorable Birthday | |
I Become neglected and Am Provided | |
I Begin life on My Own Account and Don t like | |
Liking Life on My Own Account No Better I Form a Great Resolution | |
The Sequel of my Resolution | |
My Aunt Makes Up Her Mind About | |
I Make Another Beginning | |
I Am a New Boy in More Senses than | |
Somebody Jurns | |
A Retrospect | |
I Look about Me and Make a Discovery | |
Steerforths Home | |
Little Emly | |
Some Old Scenes and Some New People | |
I Corroborate Mr Dick and Choose a profession | |
MY First Dissipation | |
good and Bad Angels | |
I Fall into Captitivity | |
Jommy Jraddles | |
Mr Micawbers Gauntlet | |
I Visit Steerforth at His Home Again | |
A Loss | |
A Greater Loss | |
The Beginning of a Long Journey | |
Blissful | |
Mischief | |
Another Retrospect | |
Our Housekeeping | |
Mr Dick Julfils My Aunts Predictions | |
Intelligence | |
Martha | |
Domestic | |
I An involved in mystery | |
Mr Peggottys Dream Comes True | |
The Beginning of a Longer Journey | |
I Assist at an Explosion | |
Another Retrospect | |
Mr Micawbers Transactions | |
Tempest | |
The New Wound and the | |
The Emigrants | |
Absence | |
Return | |
Agnes | |
I Am Shown Two Interesting Penitents | |
A Light Shines on My | |
A Visitor | |
A Last Retrospect | |
Afterword | |
Selected Bibliography | |
Common terms and phrases
Agnes answered appeared asked aunt Barkis began believe better called child coming considered Copperfield course cried Davy dear Dick Doctor don’t door Dora doubt Em‘ly expression eyes face feel fellow felt fire gave give gone hand happy head hear heard heart hope hour keep kind knew lady laughing leave light lived looked manner Master mean mention Micawber mind Miss Miss Murdstone morning mother nature never night observed once passed Peggotty perhaps poor present pretty remember replied returned round seemed seen short side sitting soon speak standing Steerforth stopped suppose sure talk tell thank thing thought told took Traddles Trotwood turned Uriah voice walked Wickfield window wish woman wonder young