StillILearn
New Member
Which are your favorites? Why?
How real are his characters to you?
How real are his characters to you?
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Charles Dickens
- Thread starter StillILearn
- Start date
steffee
Active Member
Surely not... 
(That was in response to the thread title)
My favourite (well, the only one I can read through to the end, actually) is A Tale of Two Cities. I don't know why, I think because I tried so many of his that were centred on 19th Century Britain (well, England), and found them all tedious reading. The stories were ok, the plot was good (if very slow) and yes, I have to agree, the characters were very real.
Of his characters, I love (and remember vividly, despite not finishing the books) Miss Haversham, Pip, even Estella, Mr Swiveller and of course, Ebenezer Scrooge.
I would love to have liked Nicholas Nickleby, but just couldn't.
(That was in response to the thread title)
My favourite (well, the only one I can read through to the end, actually) is A Tale of Two Cities. I don't know why, I think because I tried so many of his that were centred on 19th Century Britain (well, England), and found them all tedious reading. The stories were ok, the plot was good (if very slow) and yes, I have to agree, the characters were very real.
Of his characters, I love (and remember vividly, despite not finishing the books) Miss Haversham, Pip, even Estella, Mr Swiveller and of course, Ebenezer Scrooge.
I would love to have liked Nicholas Nickleby, but just couldn't.
I don't know if I can call myself a Dickens "fan" as I've only read David Copperfield - but I loved it. For me, the detail of the characters and the individual scenes is what makes the book, rather than the over-arching plot. The scene with Aunt Betsey and the donkeys is priceless!
By today's standards I found the book and the characters a bit too carefully constructed, it wasn't the kind of book where I lived and breathed through the character - more like watching a marvelously designed play, perhaps.
By today's standards I found the book and the characters a bit too carefully constructed, it wasn't the kind of book where I lived and breathed through the character - more like watching a marvelously designed play, perhaps.
I love Dickens. His characters always are delightfull and you cannot help feeling even for the nasty ones. So far, I only had to give up on "Bleak House" which was too dense , especially as I didn't understand the East End slang. I still have some of his major works like David Copperfield and Great expectations on my to-be-read-list. And I recently bought his biography which is about as big as three of his novels put together.
StillILearn
New Member
I'd be interested in hearing more about the Dickens bio.
jaybe
Member
I hate, hate, hate, him.
It's all so slow, too many words, too much padding and waffle. That, I suppose was fine in the time they were written: before Telly and films and electric lighting speeded up the pace of life.
But NOW ? NO.
His characters are exaggerated beyond belief. Rather like todays soap stars, but they aren't given the exoneration he is.
All his books were compulsory reading at school for me. Urrggh !
It's all so slow, too many words, too much padding and waffle. That, I suppose was fine in the time they were written: before Telly and films and electric lighting speeded up the pace of life.
But NOW ? NO.
His characters are exaggerated beyond belief. Rather like todays soap stars, but they aren't given the exoneration he is.
All his books were compulsory reading at school for me. Urrggh !
Although I am very eager to read it, I keep postponing it because it is a biggie and therefore not easy to carry about. I thought I'd wait till I can spend some time at home which will be the case next week, as I'm off work and have nothing special planned . I'll keep you posted.StillILearn said:I'd be interested in hearing more about the Dickens bio.
StillILearn
New Member
Tamsine said:
Who wrote it, Tamsine?
StillILearn
New Member
jaybe said:
I know, jaybe. You'd think that some teachers were trying to make kids hate reading. There are so many books out there that students would really love to read that a little variety might be in order. If you were in charge, what books would you require your class to read?
StillILearn
New Member
jaybe said:
That's a great idea. Can you think of any reason why a teacher wouldn't offer that option? I can't.
bren
Member
I love Charles Dickens. I read him by choice to see what all the fuss was about. The first book or two were not so easy to slog through due to reasons already cited in this thread. HOWEVER, after noticing that much of the tedium came from massively detailed descriptions of locale, particularly in Bleak House, and Martin Chuzzlewit, I felt justified in simply glancing over a chapter that was given over to such a boring pursuit. This helped incalculably in the ease it afforded and, truly, NOTHING was lost IMHO.
Since it is so well known, I hesitate to bring it up, but these books were nearly all written in serial form, with subscribers receiving them one chapter at a time. This circumstance, as can be imagined, could more readily support an occasional chapter on locale alone, especially in the early/middle sections, and less so where subscribers are waiting eagerly for the resolution of the previous situations, as most famously happened with "little Nell" - everyone was dying to know!
It seems that you all are discussing a specific bio-the one I read years ago was fairly comprehensive and not too lionizing. Of course I'll never remember the author, but it was in the late 1980's and what an interesting life. Very dickensian!
(off topic, Louise Ehrdrich is so fabulous in her gorgeous grit! do you know of any threads for her?)
Since it is so well known, I hesitate to bring it up, but these books were nearly all written in serial form, with subscribers receiving them one chapter at a time. This circumstance, as can be imagined, could more readily support an occasional chapter on locale alone, especially in the early/middle sections, and less so where subscribers are waiting eagerly for the resolution of the previous situations, as most famously happened with "little Nell" - everyone was dying to know!
It seems that you all are discussing a specific bio-the one I read years ago was fairly comprehensive and not too lionizing. Of course I'll never remember the author, but it was in the late 1980's and what an interesting life. Very dickensian!
(off topic, Louise Ehrdrich is so fabulous in her gorgeous grit! do you know of any threads for her?)
Dicekns biography
The Dickens biography is by Peter Ackroyd ( Vintage books). I had never heard of him before. Apparently, he has received awards both for his novels and biographies. This one shows thorough research and deep knowledge of Dickens' novels, which at times, puzzzles me a little, because I read some of the books 20 years ago and don't recall all the characters he refers to. I have read only 40 of the 1200 pages. So far, I like it a lot because it is written almost like a novel and not boring at all.StillILearn said:
tallwhitegirl
New Member
Great Expectations
I love Dickens - once I get past the tedious words and into the meanings behind the words.
I just finished reading (well - about two weeks ago) Great Expectations and also read a couple of literary criticism books about this novel. I was supposed to attend a book club last night in which we would discuss Great Expectations, but I have a nasty head cold .
My favorites by Dickens are:
A Christmas Carol
Oliver Twist
Great Expectations
David Copperfield
A Tale of Two Cities
Maybe later - after kids are in bed and I can spend more time thinking about questions to pose as well as answers to questions, I will start a discussion about Great Expectations since I missed out last night. I've got to tend to my waking baby now!
StillILearn said:Which are your favorites? Why?
How real are his characters to you?
I love Dickens - once I get past the tedious words and into the meanings behind the words.
I just finished reading (well - about two weeks ago) Great Expectations and also read a couple of literary criticism books about this novel. I was supposed to attend a book club last night in which we would discuss Great Expectations, but I have a nasty head cold
.My favorites by Dickens are:
A Christmas Carol
Oliver Twist
Great Expectations
David Copperfield
A Tale of Two Cities
Maybe later - after kids are in bed and I can spend more time thinking about questions to pose as well as answers to questions, I will start a discussion about Great Expectations since I missed out last night. I've got to tend to my waking baby now!
tundra
New Member
I've read most of Dickens' novels. I've even read the unfinished one..Mystery of Edwin Drood. Of course, I didn't realize it wasn't finished at the time and wasn't too thrilled upon discovering said fact. The mystery was starting to get really good too. I've only read one other book that wasn't finished (again, without realizing it until I got to the last chapter), and that was Wives and Daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell. At least that book was nearly finished when she died.
I heard once that every single novel he wrote (except one) ends in a marriage. I don't think that statement includes A Christmas Carol, since that's really a novella since it's so short. Hard Times doesn't end in a marriage. But all the others that I've read do end in marriage, and I think there are only 3 I've yet to read. I made it my personal mission in life to disprove this hypothesis, and so as I would read his books and come across really dismal occurances, I'd get my hopes up that the book would end badly. But somebody always manages to get married at the last second. I thought (hoped) that Barnaby Rudge would end badly, but no. Even The Old Curiosity Shop has a marriage at the end, as depressing as that book was. OCS is the only one of his books I couldn't stand...it just went on and on from city to city and would never end...until it did. I never had to read any of his books for school either, I read them by choice.
Dickens really knew how to set up a plot. His books do begin slowly, but if I gave up on books that didn't grab me within the first 30 pages I'd never read anything. Anyway...my point is, I'm a fan.
I heard once that every single novel he wrote (except one) ends in a marriage. I don't think that statement includes A Christmas Carol, since that's really a novella since it's so short. Hard Times doesn't end in a marriage. But all the others that I've read do end in marriage, and I think there are only 3 I've yet to read. I made it my personal mission in life to disprove this hypothesis, and so as I would read his books and come across really dismal occurances, I'd get my hopes up that the book would end badly. But somebody always manages to get married at the last second. I thought (hoped) that Barnaby Rudge would end badly, but no. Even The Old Curiosity Shop has a marriage at the end, as depressing as that book was. OCS is the only one of his books I couldn't stand...it just went on and on from city to city and would never end...until it did. I never had to read any of his books for school either, I read them by choice.
Dickens really knew how to set up a plot. His books do begin slowly, but if I gave up on books that didn't grab me within the first 30 pages I'd never read anything. Anyway...my point is, I'm a fan.
bren
Member
Say, tundra, isn't Barnaby Rudge the one with a crow as one of the characters?
I had heard of the marriage-endings, but didn't pay heed really. Did Chuzzlewit end that way? Probably. Yes, it did! Chuzzlewit was my favorite because of the horrid villainous Chuzzlewits and Pecksniffs and the fabulous villain who gave them their just deserts, Montague Tigg/Tigg Montague. The protagonists, besides young Martin, were pretty saccharine, but I swilled that stuff down and loved it. Found the trip to the US pretty dang funny.
I had heard of the marriage-endings, but didn't pay heed really. Did Chuzzlewit end that way? Probably. Yes, it did! Chuzzlewit was my favorite because of the horrid villainous Chuzzlewits and Pecksniffs and the fabulous villain who gave them their just deserts, Montague Tigg/Tigg Montague. The protagonists, besides young Martin, were pretty saccharine, but I swilled that stuff down and loved it. Found the trip to the US pretty dang funny.
tundra
New Member
Yes, it is. His pet Grip.
Chuzzlewit is one of the ones I've not read. Blast..now I know it ends in a wedding the whole thing is ruined...my hopes are dashed..(kidding). Yeah.
Oh..no..I've checked and it turns out I've got four, not three, more to read. Martin Chuzzlewit, Pickwick Papers (which I'm loathe to read because my mum hates it), Little Dorrit, and Dombey and Son. I'd better stop dithering and get my act together.
Roger53
New Member
I think his books are marvellous. They are funny in parts, interesting in the history, and of course a lot of sadness in there too. I also like the language. Having said that I read them slowly so I can get it all. But then I believe they were originally written as serials for the masses, so if they could handle his books, I should be able too as well.
My favourite would be Great Expectations, followed by American Notes. I haven't finished either yet..see above about reading slowly. I did finish Oliver Twist and Hard Times years ago, and am progressing through the rest over time.
My favourite would be Great Expectations, followed by American Notes. I haven't finished either yet..see above about reading slowly. I did finish Oliver Twist and Hard Times years ago, and am progressing through the rest over time.