‘David Copperfield’ by Charles Dickens is a classic for all times. This particular edition of the book is part of the series, Orient BlackSwan Abridged Texts, which is a set of abridged classics each with a detailed introduction and also glossaries, chapter summaries and questions. These abridged versions are abridged for length only. No attempt has been made to modify or alter the language of the original. The work is therefore presented to the reader with the literary quality and flavour of the original intact. The abridgement is designed to help the reader move on to the full-length version with interest and confidence.

Each edition in this series thus introduces the student to works which have become classics and which have provided pleasurable reading to generations of readers. The series is an attempt to answer the need for texts to supplement courses in reading, comprehension and literary appreciation.

The introduction contains notes on the life of the author, the socio-historical background of the work, important themes and motifs of the work, studies of character and important language and style aspects of the work.

The summaries and glossaries are intended to help the student improve his or her language skills other than understanding the text. The questions provided at the end of the book that can be used in a classroom for discussion and study and also for examinations.

The original editor of the book was Praniti Ghatak Bose, and the edition has been thoroughly revised and edited with introduction, notes and questions by Seetha Srinivasan.