Everyone in the mid-1800s wanted to meet Charles Dickens. And if you're temporarily stuck in that century like the character in my novel Victorian Town you might as well try to get used to the time period. While you're at it, why not take advantage of doing things you never dreamed possible?
Why not spend four weeks on a ship and travel the 3,000 nautical miles over the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of America to the English Channel, then grab a train before you step into a stagecoach and meet up with Charles Dickens at his home in Chatham, England? He loves company.
As most of us know, Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, although it held a longer title originally selected by the author as A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. But not many of us realize that he wrote it in just a six-week period in the fall of 1843, ending in time for the upcoming Christmas season. By Christmas Eve, all 6,000 copies had been sold.
Who can forget Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Marley's Ghost or The Three Spirits? I'd say it's impossible with all the films, stage productions, and even operas based on the novella. Yes, it was a short novel consisting of only 31,000 words (approximately 62 single-spaced pages).
A Christmas Carol was published on December 19th, 1843, and has never been out of print.
If you do manage to somehow transport yourself to the 19th century, here’s what others wrote about the appearance of Charles Dickens:
“He’s of average height, or slightly below, and stands erect, making himself appear taller. He keeps his dark and wiry hair long and has a beard and neatly trimmed moustache when you see him.”
Never modest and loving praise, the famous author will probably greet you in a charming way when you arrive at Gad’s Hill Place. It's said he impresses all those he comes in contact with, mainly by his intelligence, wit, and positive energy.
GAD’S HILL PLACE
Visiting Boston first, Dickens travelled to America in 1842, right into the arms of enamoured audiences (jam-packed) who came to hear him speak.
In May of that year, he visited Canada and stated he was pleasantly surprised by the restraint and respect the Canadian public held for him. Suffering from homesickness and travel-fatigue, he was grateful for a rest, away from the hustle and bustle he experienced during his speaking engagements.
He said after his brief stay, "Canada has held and always will retain a foremost place in my remembrance."
Charles Dickens made a lot of money over his lifetime, and spent most of it on his ten children. Even so, he was disappointed in them as they grew into adults, feeling they were quite average and for the most part lacked his energy and drive.
Although Dickens died quite young at the age of 58 in 1870 perhaps from a stroke, he was considered second only to Shakespeare in his literary achievements; he was loved by all of society regardless of their social standing. Even Queen Victoria attended the plays Dickens wrote, directed, and acted in.
