Charles Dickens (1812-70) had his first, astounding success with his first novel The Pickwick Papers and never looked back. In an extraordinarily full life he wrote, campaigned and spoke on a huge range of issues, and was involved in many of the key aspects of Victorian life, cajoling, moving and irritating. He completed fourteen full-length novels and volume after volume of journalism. He travelled extensively and wrote Martin Chuzzlewit after a highly successful tour of the United States - his derisive satire of American boosterism is extremely funny, but was viewed by many of his American readers as an outrageous betrayal.The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop, Barnaby Rudge, A Christmas Carol, Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Hard Times, Litte Dorrit, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Our Mutual Friend and The Mystery of Edwin Drood are also published in the Penguin English Library.