Publication of David Copperfield

David Copperfield is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published in monthly instalments before appearing in book form. It follows the life of its narrator from his unhappy childhood, with a cruel stepfather, to his working life as a child in a bottle-blacking warehouse, and his path to becoming a successful writer. It is full of memorable characters such as the optimistic Mr Micawber, the hypocritical Uriah Heep, the eccentric Betsey Trotwood and Peggotty. Parts of the story draw on Dickens's own life, especially his period of child labour, and it is often seen as his most autobiographical novel. Dickens called it his favourite among his books.

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