Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickenswas an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded 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...
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth7 February 1812
angel shadow desire
The shadows of our own desires stand between us and our better angels, and thus their brightness is eclipsed.
fighting words-of-wisdom shadow
But injustice breeds injustice; the fighting with shadows and being defeated by them necessitates the setting up of substances to combat.
mirrors shadow gliding
Surely there had been no figure leaning on the back of his chair; no face looking over it. It is certain that no gliding footstep touched the floor, as he lifted up his head, with a start, and spoke. And yet there was no mirror in the room on whose surface his own form could have cast its shadow for a moment; and, Something had passed darkly and gone!
shadow awful degrees
As the gloom and shadow thickened behind him, in that place where it had been gathering so darkly, it took, by slow degrees, - or out of it there came, by some unreal, unsubstantial process - not to be traced by any human sense, - an awful likeness of himself!
appeared cast church days dial flight graveyard language last lights reflection shadow solemn truest village weeks whatever
In this way they went on, and on, and on--in the language of the story-books--until at last the village lights appeared before them, and the church spire cast a long reflection on the graveyard grass; as if it were a dial (alas, the truest in the world!) marking, whatever light shone out of Heaven, the flight of days and weeks and years, by some new shadow on that solemn ground.
abandoned beginning degraded died dream ends fighting heard home ideas inspired knew last lay leaves remorse reproach shadows shaking sight silent since sleeper sloth soul striving troubled voices whispers wish
. . . I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul. In my degradation I have not been so degraded but that the sight of you with your father, and of this home made such a home by you, has stirred old shadows that I thought had died out of me. Since I knew you, I have been troubled by a remorse that I thought would never reproach me again, and have heard whispers from old voices impelling me upward, that I thought were silent for ever. I have had unformed ideas of striving afresh, beginning anew, shaking off sloth and sensuality, and fighting out the abandoned fight. A dream, all a dream, that ends in nothing, and leaves the sleeper where he lay down, but I wish you to know that you inspired it.
fresh love slight
I love little children, and it is not a slight thing when they, who are fresh from God, love us
both company ladies several
In company with several other old ladies of both sexes.
charles christmas dickens family hear keeping listening love memories special stage talk time tradition
In keeping the world of Charles Dickens alive, ... what I do on the stage is one thing. It's afterward that's the most special. I love to talk about Charles Dickens and hear about people's questions, or their memories of a special time or a family tradition of listening to 'A Christmas Carol.'
air bad charming herself improve inclined quite
I know quite enough of myself, said Bella, with a charming air of being inclined to give herself up as a bad job, ""and I don't improve upon acquaintance . . .
lays
The bearings of this observation lays in the application on it.
fine point
Not to put too fine a point upon it.
capital mushrooms presume
Not presume to dictate, but broiled fowl and mushrooms - capital thing!
bless bob christmas family god last merry tiny
Then Bob proposed: 'A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!' Which all his family re-echoed. 'God bless us every one!' said Tiny Tim, the last of all.