6 Fascinating Things Charles Dickens Did (That You Should Know)

We all know Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations. But behind those books was a real person—driven, emotional, a little dramatic, and always on the move (literally).

He didn’t just write about big feelings and tough lives—he lived them.

Let’s take a walk (maybe a violent walk, like he did) through the things you have to know about this literary legend.

1. He Walked Like He Was on a Mission

Dickens didn’t take casual strolls—he marched for miles. Journalist John Hollingshead said Dickens would get up in the night and walk through all of London and along the Old Dover Road, sometimes all the way to his country home.

When he stayed in Switzerland in 1846, he actually missed the streets so much he called it a “mental phenomenon” in a letter. Walking helped him think. If he couldn’t walk, he felt stuck.
📍 Source: Dickens Society; Letters, Vol. 4

2. He Was a Child Worker Himself

In 1823, Dickens was just 11 years old when his dad was thrown into debtors’ prison. Dickens had to quit school and work at a boot-blacking factory—gluing labels on shoe polish bottles. He later called himself “such a little fellow.”

That experience haunted him for life. It’s why so many of his characters are poor, working kids who just want a better chance.
📍 Source: LitHub

3. He Got Paid—and Made It Count

Dickens wasn’t shy about money. He made sure he got paid well for his stories, speeches, and books—and he knew how to give the public what they wanted. One expert said, “Dickens didn’t do anything unless he was paid.” He was smart about it, not greedy.

He used some of that money to do good things too. He paid for the education of Katie Cornelius, the daughter of his housekeeper Anne Brown.
📍 Source: The Telegraph

4. He Bought His Dream House

As a boy in Kent, Dickens once passed a fancy home called Gad’s Hill Place. His father told him, “If you work hard, you might own this house someday.”

And guess what? He did. Years later, Dickens bought it with the money he earned from writing and performing. It was a full-circle moment.
🏡 Gad’s Hill Place was a red-brick country house in Higham, Kent. It became his writing hideaway and home until he died.
📍 Source: The Telegraph

5. He Was a Star Performer

Dickens didn’t just write books—he acted them out. He gave live readings all over England and America, doing every voice and sound effect himself. Crowds packed theaters, and some people fainted during intense scenes.

6. He Believed in Second Chances

In his stories, even the worst people could change. Think of Scrooge—he went from greedy to giving. Dickens believed that no one was beyond hope.

That message still matters today.

Final Thoughts: Why Dickens Still Matters

Charles Dickens wasn’t just a writer. He was a voice for the voiceless, a creative storm, and someone who turned his pain into purpose. He saw people clearly—their struggles, their flaws, their beauty—and gave them stories that mattered.

And he walked. A lot.