Charles Dickens was the greatest novelist of the Victorian period, utterly dedicating himself to his work and creating some of the most distinguished fiction in literary history. Poor social and bleak economic circumstances are oft referred to in the modern era as being “Dickensian” in nature and the subjects and narratives of Dickens’s books would suggest a serially sombre author who probably isn’t much fun on a night out. Not so. This list alone paints Charles Dickens as not only a man of great authority, talent and wisdom, but also a more amusing character down the pub than you would give him credit for. At least part of number 8 does. Read on! (Images: Rex Features, Flickr Creative Commons, Penguin)