Charles Dickens is renowned as one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era. He was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England, and his childhood was marked by financial instability. His father, John Dickens, struggled with debt, leading to Dickens’s early experiences of poverty and hardship. Such tangles with debt are portrayed in novels such as Our Mutual Friend.

Dickens began his literary career as a journalist writing for various newspapers and magazines. His first published work, Sketches by Boz (1836), comprised a collection of sketches and observations of London life, demonstrating his talent for vividly capturing the quirks and foibles of society. However, it was his serialized novel The Pickwick Papers (1836-1837) that catapulted Dickens to literary fame. Serialized novels, a popular format in the 19th century, were published in installments in magazines or newspapers, allowing readers to follow the story over time. Dickens recognized the potential of serialization as a means of reaching a wider audience and maximizing profits. The Pickwick Papers was initially conceived as a series of humorous sketches but evolved into a sprawling narrative featuring a diverse cast of characters and a tapestry of subplots.