Charles Dickens and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term "Dickensian" is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 1812, at 1 Mile End Terrace (now 393 Commercial Road), Landport in Portsea Island (Portsmouth), the second of eight children of Elizabeth Dickens (née Barrow; 1789–1863) and John Dickens (1785–1851). His father was a clerk in the
Gerald Charles Dickens (actor) the Music Box Theatre in Minneapolis he played Charles Dickens in Jeffrey Hatcher's one-hander "To Begin With", which was adapted from Dickens' "The Life of Our Lord". He played the role again in a 2017 revival. In 2004, Dickens won the British TV show "The Weakest Link" during its 8th season in an episode where the contestants all had famous ancestors. Gerald Dickens lived in Goudhurst, Kent with his former wife Lucy Marsh, with whom he had a son, Cameron. He married his long-term partner Liz Hayes, a pianist who sometimes accompanies his performances, on 10 August 2015. They live