David Copperfield

DAVID COPPERFIELD

Author:

First edition:

David Copperfield, 1849-1850

Main illustrators:

Blanchin Boudignon Eliott Plonck Shepard Reynolds

In short:

Charles Dickens once said: "It will be easily believed that I am a fond parent to every child of my fancy, and that no one can ever love that family as dearly as I love them. But, like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David Copperfield".
This is a first-person-narrated story: David narrates in his maturity the events and incidents through wich he remembers his character developing. His early childhood is quite happy, sorrounded by his loving mother Clara and his beloved nurse Peggotti. But when his mother re-marries, David enters a life of nightmares. Her new husband Murdstone and his sister Jane drive Clara to an ealy grave with their "firmness". Then David is sent to work to Murdstone's warehouse in London, sufferng poverty and loneliness. His Aunt Betsey takes him in, and gives him education and care. He eventually goes back to London, where he meets Dora Spenlow, and instantly falls in love with her. After some misforunes, he can finally marry her. But they are not happy at all, since Dora has few brains for him. David decides to leave everything when she falls ill and dies.

Selection of edition:

David Copperfield, illustrated by Frederik Barnard.
David Copperfield, illustrated by Willy Plonck, Thienemann, 1907.
David Copperfield, illustrated by Frank Reynolds, Hodder, 1911.
David Copperfield, illustrated by Harry Eliott, Hachette, 1935.
David Copperfield, illustrated by Françoise Boudignon, Hachette, 1979.
David Copperfield, translated by P.Lorain, images by Mathieu Blanchin, Hachette Jeunesse, collection "Aventure verte", 1995.

More about David Copperfield:

David Copperfield has been filmed several times: in England by Thomas Bentley, from 1912 to 1914; in Denmark by A.W.Sandberg (1922); in USA by George Cukor (1935)