THE TRUE HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD (Armanndo Iannucci 2019)

[Chris Knipp]

Yes, you are right. And here's what he did before dying at 58 of a heart attack. Wikipedia "Charles Dickens"::

Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed readings extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer [at least 14,000 letters are known of], and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education and other social reforms.

That's his life, not the novel-or Iannucci's film.

What struck me reading about his life today: between his first reading tour of the US and his second, the American Civil War took place. And on the last one (1867-68), in four months of readings he earned g £19,000, Just barely escaping on the boat before the tax men could impose a federal taxl ien on his earnings. That would be about £2.1 million today.