francene--blog. Year 2013
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Sept 5th

9/5/2013

 
The former Kent home of Charles Dickens will be opened to the public for the first time in celebration of the author's 200th birthday. Dickens penned classic novels such as Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities during his time in the Grade I listed Georgian property. In Gad's Hill Place, he lived, wrote, threw wonderful parties, and raised his numerous children.

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www.telegraph.co.uk
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www.thisiskent.co.uk
The original living rooms have been used as classrooms since the 1920s. However, the aging building didn't meet modern requirements for teaching. A new school has been built on the grounds and Dickens' original home has been restored.

Now, we need to refresh ourselves about the writer's life.

Charles Dickens lived from 1812 - 1870.

Charles Dickens made a great contribution to classic English literature. The quintessential Victorian author, his epic stories, vivid characters and depiction of contemporary life are unforgettable.

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www.bbc.co.uk
Picture
www.bbc.co.uk
His own life consists of rags to riches. He was born in Portsmouth on 7 February 1812, to John and Elizabeth Dickens. The good fortune of being sent to school at the age of nine was short-lived because his father, inspiration for the character of Mr Micawber in 'David Copperfield', was imprisoned for bad debt. Separated from his family at that time, Charles was sent to work in Warren's blacking factory where he endured appalling conditions, loneliness and despair. After three years he returned to school, but he never forgot the experience, which became fictionalized in two of his better-known novels 'David Copperfield' and 'Great Expectations'.

As a theatre enthusiast, he wrote plays and performed before Queen Victoria in 1851. His energy was inexhaustible and he spent much time abroad. He lectured against slavery in the United States and toured Italy with two writing companions.

He was estranged from his wife in 1858 after the birth of their ten children, but maintained relations with his mistress, the actress Ellen Ternan. After his death from a stroke in 1870, he was buried at Westminster Abbey.

I should think his wife would have been exhausted while raising the children, and felt belittled and rejected by his behavior away from home. Why does fame go to most people's head? Instead of living a sensible life, supporting his children and acting as the leader of his household, he abandoned them and ran off to live a high life. You'd think he would have learned from his own experiences. No sooner did he get the pain out of his system by writing about his early life, than he cast the lesson aside.

It seems to me that fame and fortune are very hard task-masters. We should count ourselves lucky not to have the yoke of wealth around our shoulders.

Don Purdum link
9/4/2013 10:43:08 pm

That is a very revealing history of Dickens. I had no idea but now it makes sense and opens up a whole new world. Isn't it interesting how the story behind the stories change the way we see things?

Thank you for sharing!!!!!!

Francene Stanley link
9/4/2013 10:47:02 pm

Wonderful when you make sense of things, isn't it? So glad you found it interesting.

Janeane Davis link
9/4/2013 11:08:30 pm

It is an interesting coincidence that just before reading this, I read a blog post celebrating long years of happy marriage. I think that it is not merely financial wealth that makes a person leave spouse and children because poor people do it as well. Instead, it is a deficit of character and inner strength that causes a person to abandon spouse and family.

Francene Stanley link
9/5/2013 03:11:59 am

You're right, of course. But when both combine, and I'm not saying that celebrities are shallow people, they cause an explosion.

DinoMama link
9/4/2013 11:08:32 pm

I have read the 2 books you mentioned and love it a lot. Thanks for sharing a little bit about Charles Dickson.

I agree with you about Fame & Fortune, too many of them rich pple turned away from the simple life they love the min they got rich. Sad...


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    Author

    Francene Stanley, author of many published novels. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books? You'll see them on the sidebar below.
    Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life.

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