 Often considered the greatest English novelist of his time, Dickens suffered a difficult childhood. His father was constantly in debt which necessitated Charles being sent to work at the age of twelve in a blacking factory. Despite being deprived of an education by his parents, he worked hard and became an office boy in a law firm, then a county reporter, and finally a reporter of debates in Parliament for the Morning Chronicle in 1835. Dickens was known for the cruel and suffering characters he created, who lived in a world of iniquities. His social criticism was especially evident in some of his greatest works including "Oliver Twist" and "Hard Times". Other great Dickens novels include "A Tale Of Two Cities", "David Copperfield" and "Great Expectations" which is often considered his greatest works.