David Copperfield [adapted - Great Illustrated Classics]
by Charles Dickens, Malvina Vogel
On This Page
Description
A simplified edition of the autobiographical novel whose hero, an orphan boy in nineteenth-century England, successfully overcomes an unhappy childhood.Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Growing Up! Young David Copperfield, orphaned as a child, abandoned by a vicious stepfather, must learn to make a life for himself. In Charles Dickens' brilliant novel, we learn of David's early harsh years. . . his adoption by his eccentric aunt. . . his betrayal by a childhood friend. . . the pressures of starting a career. . . immature, young love. . . and finally career success and personal happiness. Charles Dickens' sensitive portrayal of David's early years has made David Copperfield one of the world's most beloved novels.
Like other works in the "Great Illustrated Classics" series, this version of Dickens' famous novel summarizes the plot for the sake of juvenile and young adult readers. The general goal of the book (and others in the series) is to acquaint young readers with a work of literature, not only as a cultural touchstone but to encourage them to tackle the full novel when they are old enough to appreciate it. Whether this version of "David Copperfield" succeeds in these goals is an open question.
One problem is that the profusion of characters will likely be confusing. A related issue is that the characters, understandably, cannot be made sufficiently distinct or very interesting in such an abbreviated form of Dickens' very long masterpiece. show more For example, even such memorable figures as Mr. Micawber and Uriah Heep (widely known even to those who have not actually read the book) are not rendered distinctly. Granted, the pen & ink illustrations are likely to be of great help -- they are abundant, and distributed on alternate pages with the text. They also are excellently rendered by a talented artist. However, I figure that if I sometimes had trouble keeping the characters straight that a 10 year old would find the challenge a difficult one.
Nevertheless, the goals of this small book are admirable, and I can only hope that it has sometimes succeeded in the half- century since it was published. For my part, if I do ever tackle the actual novel (which to my chagrin I've as yet not devoted the time and effort), I could foresee keeping this summary version available for reference, since I tend to read long works of fiction sporadically over longish time frames. show less
One problem is that the profusion of characters will likely be confusing. A related issue is that the characters, understandably, cannot be made sufficiently distinct or very interesting in such an abbreviated form of Dickens' very long masterpiece. show more For example, even such memorable figures as Mr. Micawber and Uriah Heep (widely known even to those who have not actually read the book) are not rendered distinctly. Granted, the pen & ink illustrations are likely to be of great help -- they are abundant, and distributed on alternate pages with the text. They also are excellently rendered by a talented artist. However, I figure that if I sometimes had trouble keeping the characters straight that a 10 year old would find the challenge a difficult one.
Nevertheless, the goals of this small book are admirable, and I can only hope that it has sometimes succeeded in the half- century since it was published. For my part, if I do ever tackle the actual novel (which to my chagrin I've as yet not devoted the time and effort), I could foresee keeping this summary version available for reference, since I tend to read long works of fiction sporadically over longish time frames. show less
Summary: Young David Copperfield, orphaned as a child, must learn to make a life for himself.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
2,578+ Works 313,139 Members
Charles Dickens, perhaps the best British novelist of the Victorian era, was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England on February 7, 1812. His happy early childhood was interrupted when his father was sent to debtors' prison, and young Dickens had to go to work in a factory at age twelve. Later, he took jobs as an office boy and journalist before show more publishing essays and stories in the 1830s. His first novel, The Pickwick Papers, made him a famous and popular author at the age of twenty-five. Subsequent works were published serially in periodicals and cemented his reputation as a master of colorful characterization, and as a harsh critic of social evils and corrupt institutions. His many books include Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Great Expectations, Little Dorrit, A Christmas Carol, and A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens married Catherine Hogarth in 1836, and the couple had nine children before separating in 1858 when he began a long affair with Ellen Ternan, a young actress. Despite the scandal, Dickens remained a public figure, appearing often to read his fiction. He died in 1870, leaving his final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unfinished. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
6+ Works 1,446 Members
Some Editions
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Is an abridged version of
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- David Copperfield [adapted - Great Illustrated Classics]
- Original title
- The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account) (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account)
- People/Characters
- David Copperfield
- Important places
- Norfolk, England, UK
- First words
- I was born on a Friday at twelve o'clock at night.
- Publisher's editor
- Vogel, Malvina
- Disambiguation notice
- The Great Illustrated Classics are abridged versions for young readers. Please do not combine with the major work. See http://en.w... (show all)ikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Il.... Please do not confuse them with the Illustrated Classics graphic novel adaptations, which are quite different. Thank you.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 777
- Popularity
- 35,654
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.83)
- Languages
- Chinese, Dutch, English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 6
