Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show." David Copperfield lives happily with his mother until she decides to marry the tyrannical Edward Murdstone. Abused and ill-treated by his stepfather, David is sent to the Salem House, a boarding school where he makes friends with the self-centred James Steerforth and the hapless Tom Taddles. David returns home upon his mother and half-brother's demise, only to be neglected by his stepfather who sends him to work at their family bottling factory. What happens when after a miserable life at the factory, David runs away to his great-aunt Betsy Trotwood? A coming-of-age novel, David Copperfield presents Charles Dickens at his best. It is not only among his own personal favourites, but also draws on his life's experiences. The novel has undergone several film and television adaptations and continues to be loved by the readers.

幼友達エミリーと親友スティアフォースの駆け落ち。デイヴィッドを育んでくれた人びとを裏切るこの行為は、彼を悲しみのなかにつき落す。その彼を救ったのは、子供のような心をもった娘ドーラとの愛だった。そして彼女との密かな婚約。しかし、その幸せもつかの間、伯母の破産、婚約の発覚、ドーラの父の死、見習いとして勤める法律事務所の解散など、激しい運命の変転が彼を襲う。