The Pickwick Papers was Dickens' first novel, completed in 1837. From the start he established his eye for vivid characters - with the lovable London character of Sam Weller, the boistrous Mr Pickwick, and the rest of the colour crew. The adventures, including the cricket match in Dingley Dell, and the grim description of Fleet Prison, set the pattern for the most remarkable series of stories that epitomize England in the 19th century.