Hello, I'm Tim and today I'm going to tell you one of Charles Dickens' favourite novels.
It's the story of a boy called David Copperfield who survived the cruel treatment of his stepfather but grew up to find true love and success.
David spends his first happy years with his loving mother,
a widow, and Peggety, their devoted housekeeper.
Everything changes when Clara Copperfield meets the handsome but cruel Mr. Merdston,
who treats David badly.
Peggety takes David to Yarmouth to visit her brother, a fisherman,
who has taken two orphans, Ham and Emily, into his care.
After a wonderful fortnight, David returns to find his mother has married Mr. Merdston.
David's stepfather continues to mistreat him.
One day, David bites him.
Furious, Mr. Merdston takes the opportunity to persuade Clara to send David to boarding school.
It's a grim place, but David meets the dashing Steerforth, the school's head boy.
Tragedy strikes when David learns his mother and baby brother have died.
He is sent by Mr. Merdston to work in his London wine factory.
He lodges with the happy-go-lucky McCorber family, who were always in debt.
When the authorities take Mr. McCorber off to prison,
David runs away to Dover to take refuge with his aunt.
Miss Betsy is quite formidable,
but she takes pity on her nephew and sends him to a good school in Canterbury.