Charles Dickens (7 February 1812 - 9 June 1870) was an English writer and is generally considered to be the greatest novelist of the Victorian period and responsible for some English literature's most iconic novels and characters. He wrote 20 novels, including five Christmas books, and also wrote numerous short stories. Dickens is noteworthy for use of of serials to publish his books. Portions of each novel were published regularly and he would change and adapt the storey according to audience reaction. This led to the use of cliffhangers in his writing and has made sure that his works have never gone out of print.