In David Copperfield, Dickens tells the story of David Copperfield,
from his birth in Suffolk to his successful career as a novelist. The early
scenes are particularly masterful, depicting the world as seen from the
perspective of a fatherless small boy, whose idyllic life with his mother
is ruined when she remarries. With its outlandish cast of characters,
including the verbose Mr Micawber, the villainous Uriah Heep, and
David’s eccentric aunt, Betsey Trotwood, it is easy to see why this
was Dickens’s ‘favourite child’ among his novels. The book, based partly on
Dickens’ own life, was first adapted as a silent fi lm in 1911 and since
then has been a popular choice for film, television and stage.