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One of many, many strong points to Dickens' work, I reckon, is that he originally wrote in serial form for newspapers -- so not a single chapter/episode could be allowed to drag in the least; every thread had to be left intriguingly dangling to keep readers buying by the edition. Then, when the novels were compiled in book form, that feeling of 'never a dull moment' made them hugely popular.
Also, there's the question of breaking new ground: Although Shakespeare could also create superb characters, Dickens was one of the first fiction-writers to present believable folks against a backdrop of stark realism and to tell stories of the poor warts-n-all.
As Kenny says, there are many similarities to Mark Twain, who shared uncanny observation, keen attention to research, informality with his reader, deep and rare sympathy with and for his fellow man, courage in the face of middle-class convention ... and -- let's not forget -- razor sharp wit. Dickens and Twain opened the door to all that happened in 20th century literature. And maybe few have ever come close to matching them.
Cheers. Neil
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