David Copperfield

APPLE BOOKS REVIEW

Charles Dickens named David Copperfield as his favorite of all his books. And we agree: This riveting semiautobiographical novel is an absolute must-read. Born to a poor, widowed mother in a 19th-century English village, the book’s hero eventually grows up to be a successful writer—encountering no shortage of hardship, adventure, romance, mystery, and triumph along his epic journey. Dickens’ writing is so evocative. He makes us ache for young David throughout his childhood of abuse and neglect, and he makes us treasure precious moments of care and tenderness just as much as his hero does. And Dickens surrounds his plucky protagonist with an ensemble of unforgettable characters that have become famous in their own right, from the two-faced villain Uriah Heep to the eternally optimistic Mr. Micawber. At turns deeply tragic and sidesplittingly funny, David Copperfield is as relatable today as it was in the Victorian era. It’s the kind of book the word “classic” was invented for.