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How did Charles Dickens’s novels reach people who did not read them?

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Portrait of Charles Dickens seated at a desk, writing with a quill pen, dressed in a suit with a bow tie. — Charles Dickens English novelist Charles Dickens working at his craft. Dickens published some of most beloved novels in English literature, including *A Christmas Carol*, *A Tale of Two Cities*, and *Great Expectations*.

Charles Dickens’s novels reached individuals who did not read them primarily through the widespread adaptation of his works for the stage. During his lifetime, it was common for as many as 20 London theaters to simultaneously produce adaptations of his latest stories, allowing nonreaders to become acquainted with simplified versions of his narratives.1

Additionally, Dickens engaged directly with the public through public readings of his works. Starting in 1858, he performed approximately 471 times in London, across the provinces, and in the United States. These performances, which included popular selections like A Christmas Carol and "The Trial from Pickwick," utilized his significant histrionic talents to bring his fiction to life for live audiences.2

Furthermore, the visual nature of his publications played a role in his reach; his novels were often accompanied by clever illustrations from artists such as George Cruikshank and "Phiz" (Hablot K. Browne), which helped define the imaginative potency of his characters and settings for a broad public.31