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Charles Dickens

Robert said:
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Great Expectations. That was my first Dickens novel, too. Oliver Twist is fun, too, but my favorite (so far) is David Copperfield.
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Hi, Robert. Thanks for the suggestions. :flowers:
I am going to wait for my birthday (in May) and pick up some more of his work. I will definitely read those two, and I may end up reading all of Dickens' novels, I enjoyed my first one that much!
 
I hated Dickens for years after trawling painfully through Great Expectations at school. Then we had to do Oliver Twist at uni and it totally changed my opinion. Though I have to say Oliver is the most useless protagonist ever. He never does anything - as soon as something remotely interesting is about to happen to him he falls asleep, seriously. nd why do all the film adaptations leave out his half brother when he has such a key role in the novel? Beats me

Dicken's characters were never meant to be absolutely realistic, and he received a lot of flack - particularly from Thackeray, for including characters like Nancy in his books. Though he never overtly said she was a prostitute it was heavily implied. Dickens had this concept of portraying Truth rather than reality. I guess it was something akin to his Urania Cottage style of philanthropy - round up the 'fallen women', teach them a few skills and pack 'em off abroad, fully rehabilitated but still not quite appropriate for polite society.

So I'm working my way through them, slowly, partly because, as pointed out above, nothing happens quickly in a Dickens novel, and also partly because I do feel the need to come up for air every now and then!
 
beer good said:
Enough with the Charles Dickens hero worship | John Sutherland | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Oh well. I guess it's about time I read him anyway.
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Book snobs will grab at anything to disparage a successful author. Particularly noteworthy in that Guardian piece was the repeat of an observation, or rumor, that Dickens was ill at ease amongst gentlemen. Or that he was vulgar.

Think I'll go read some Dickens too, not that you mention it. I wish I could find a mass market paper back in a drug store, you know, just to enrage the literary elite.
 
I must admit to being a little green when it comes to Dickens; I’ve spent so much time reading stuff I just want to, that I’ve neglected a lot of the classics. I have to read me some. :)
 
David Copperfield

In my opinion, David Copperfield is one of the greatest novels ever written. The character examination, especially of the scumbags (of which there are many), is unparalleled and the story is both touching and brutal at the same time. Yes, the reading does take some getting used to if you've never read anything Victorian--but it is well worth the effort.

Leonardo Noto
 
I would describe his work as being intelligent rather than intellectual*.
The manner in which things resolve themselves in his books, annoy me. Aside from that, he had a lovely way with words and a unique line in creating memorable characters. He deserves his reputation, may have been one of the earlier pop culture flagbearers.

*yesimasnobsometimes.
 
sparkchaser said:
Dickens Stories in 140 Character Tweets
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:lol:What an excellent link sparky! It was dead on at least when it came to Bleak House. I can't say that I have too many other Dickens books to compare BH too, but I look forward to making the comparison with time. And boy does it take time. The introduction of a handful of major, followed by a a flurry of minor characters into three or even four different settings that you have to keep track of, and how they occasionally intertwine in certain parts, makes for one excellent read. I've thoroughly enjoyed BH and don't recommend it for the lack of committed. As a matter of fact, perhaps one should be committed for attempting to make it through these works.:whistling:
 
I have decided to read all of Dickens' novels this year, starting with The Pickwick Papers. I'm not reading them very fast though and reading other books in between as well.
 
Very ambitious Polly, but researchers believe it is the best for you according to the Daily Mail.

The research also found poetry, in particular, increased activity in the right hemisphere of the brain, an area concerned with 'autobiographical memory', which helped the reader to reflect on and reappraise their own experiences in light of what they had read. The academics said this meant the classics were more useful than self-help books.

Philip Davis, an English professor who worked on the study with the university's magnetic resonance centre, said: 'Serious literature acts like a rocket-booster to the brain.
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