Charles Dickens is famous for his novels such as A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield, but not as much is known about his personal life. The man had some quirky habits that you might not know about. Writing at a time when books were able to reach a wider audience than ever before, Charles Dickens was very popular when he was still alive. He was a public figure and is still famous today for his works. Below, you will find a few interesting facts about the man behind such famous books.
Dickens’ Conditions
What it is not known about Charles Dickens is that he suffered from several afflictions. He suffered from a serious illness, epilepsy, in which he endured seizures. You will find while reading several of his works, that some of his characters have the condition as well. Actually, suffering from the disease, Dickens was able to bring firsthand experience and knowledge when writing about epilepsy. Less seriously, Charles Dickens suffered from what we know as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Dickens was obsessed with keeping these neat and organized, and there was a correct way to do everything. If things were not done in the right way, Dickens would have to stop whatever he was doing so that he could fix the problem.
Joker and Friend
Dickens was described by many as a jolly man, and he would quite often be found playing jokes on those, he knew closest. He was also very good friends with fellow writer Hans Christian Andersen, and Anderson even dedicated one of his books to his good friend.
Dickens’ Work
Did you know that Dickens’ works were published serially? Each month a section of the book would be released to the public. This created that “cliff-hanger” feel that we have today when a story stops at a suspenseful moment, leaving us waiting until the next installment to know what happens. Most people know about his famous novels like A Tale of Two Cities, but what many people do not know is that he wrote one final novel titled, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which was not finished before his death. Also, see facts about Mark Twain.
