Claim: Charles Dickens was European.

Charles John Huffam Dickens -LRB- -LSB- ˈdɪkᵻnz -RSB- 7 February 1812 -- 9 June 1870 -RRB- was an English writer and social critic . He created some of the world 's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era . His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime , and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius . His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity .   Born in Portsmouth , Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors ' prison . Despite his lack of formal education , he edited a weekly journal for 20 years , wrote 15 novels , five novellas , hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles , lectured and performed extensively , was an indefatigable letter writer , and campaigned vigorously for children 's rights , education , and other social reforms .   Dickens 's literary success began with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers . Within a few years he had become an international literary celebrity , famous for his humour , satire , and keen observation of character and society . His novels , most published in monthly or weekly instalments , pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction , which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel publication . The instalment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audience 's reaction , and he often modified his plot and character development based on such feedback . For example , when his wife 's chiropodist expressed distress at the way Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield seemed to reflect her disabilities , Dickens improved the character with positive features . His plots were carefully constructed , and he often wove elements from topical events into his narratives . Masses of the illiterate poor chipped in ha ` pennies to have each new monthly episode read to them , opening up and inspiring a new class of readers .   Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age . His 1843 novella , A Christmas Carol , remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre . Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted , and , like many of his novels , evoke images of early Victorian London . His 1859 novel , A Tale of Two Cities , set in London and Paris , is his best-known work of historical fiction . Dickens has been praised by fellow writers -- from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton -- for his realism , comedy , prose style , unique characterisations , and social criticism . On the other hand , Oscar Wilde , Henry James , and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth , loose writing , and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism . The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings , such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters .