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Charles Dickens


Michelle

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  • 3 years later...
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The Chimes is certainly scarier in my opinion, Lau Lou! I do love the film's and novel of a C.C. .

Maybe familiarity cushions the scariness, though??

 

Enjoy your Dickens reading L L.

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Possibly because we were force fed Dickens at my school, I have

 a deep aversion to his works. I can understand why people revere

them, and have no wish to argue, each to their own; but for me, just

the mention of his name brings down a curtain of boring tedium in my

mind. If you like them, then enjoy them. Sadly, not for me though!

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  • 9 months later...

I have read the following:

  • Great Expectations
  • Hard Times
  • A Christmas Carol
  • A Tale of Two Cities
  • Oliver Twist
  • Bleak House
  • David Copperfield

So far I have liked Great Expectations the best, followed by Bleak House. I find him patchy, but there is usually some great writing in there somewhere.

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  • 1 year later...

I'd suggest The Pickwick Papers (Dickens's first novel) . It starts off a bit silly (Dickens was criticised at the time), but once it gets into its stride and Dickens develops Mr Pickwick's character it becomes a wonderfully entertaining picaresque - with its dark episodes (Dickens was all too familiar with the reality of imprisonment in a debtors' prison, for instance), his satirical, knowledgeable and (to me, at any rate!) fascinating depictions of legal practice in the 1830s - and Dickens is responsible for our romantic ideas about stagecoaches. Here they are, in their reality, not always romantic (he was writing, as a young man, at the end of the stagecoach era, and they never again get so much attention in his books). Anyway, I think you'll love it. 

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I am very tempted to start reading Dickens this year. From what I've heard about his writing style (verbose & detailed) I think I would enjoy his novels.

 

Do you guys think his novels are the types of works which stay with you after you've finished them? In other words, do they reflect things about humanity/society that make you see the present world in a different way? 

 

Perhaps a bit of an odd question, but am very curious!

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@Angury Personally I would say yes, definitely. All the Dickens novels that I've read have some kind of specific social criticism, but as Dickens was very anti-Utilitarian, they also always have a focus on the importance of the individual. Simple acts of kindness are often shown to have a sort of ripple effect, influencing the way things turn out in a big way. They're hopeful novels, telling us that even though there are terrible things and horrible people in the world, there are also kind and misunderstood people, and that you can make a big difference in the world just by being one of the good people. 

 

Hard Times is probably my favourite in terms of the social criticism. It mainly looks at why we need imagination and fancy, not just fact and science, but it's also about class imbalances and has a pretty scathing portrayal of nineteenth century divorce laws. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/31/2018 at 8:24 PM, Hayley said:

@Angury Personally I would say yes, definitely. All the Dickens novels that I've read have some kind of specific social criticism, but as Dickens was very anti-Utilitarian, they also always have a focus on the importance of the individual. Simple acts of kindness are often shown to have a sort of ripple effect, influencing the way things turn out in a big way. They're hopeful novels, telling us that even though there are terrible things and horrible people in the world, there are also kind and misunderstood people, and that you can make a big difference in the world just by being one of the good people. 

 

Hard Times is probably my favourite in terms of the social criticism. It mainly looks at why we need imagination and fancy, not just fact and science, but it's also about class imbalances and has a pretty scathing portrayal of nineteenth century divorce laws. 

 

This is exactly what I was looking for - thanks Hayley!

 

I will add Dickens to my growing list of books to read.

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16 hours ago, itsmeagain said:

Dickens often..... everywhere from Sketches by Boz to  Bleak House....lambasts charity and specifically self appointed helpers and self styled humanitarian help that is riddled with hypocrisy.

 

Yes, Bleak House has such a good example of this! 

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Finished my first ever Dickens this week, in the form of A Christmas Carol, which I got as a free download from Amazon on my Kindle a while back.

 

I enjoyed it, but I read it in fits and starts so I don't think I got the most out of it (getting back into the language took a few pages each time).

 

I think I will try this again next year and actually read it in the run up to Christmas rather than starting it on Christmas Eve!

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Actually, you're not too late finishing "Carol" this week Raven. We had 12th Night on Sunday 6th (Epiphany) and it's the Baptism of the Lord day on the 13th, so actually you were still within the traditional Christmas period.😀

It's only in what we call "real life" that everything disappears with new year. 😕

 

Yes, give C.C. another read a bit earlier maybe, next year. I read it, or watch at least one of the films every year. 

Scrooge may be a miser but he's courageous too, and honest enough to acknowledge the worst in himself, and actually do something about it when the Spirits shake him out of his rut. 

 

Dickens dropped a hint to his readers through the story for us to care more for each other in life. Like back then, it seems to work mostly in spasms nowadays, too.

 

Happy New Year :readingtwo: everyone!

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  • 4 months later...

Yes, I have to say it's one that I found very - with apologies - boring!

Whether it was the change of country, the characters, the subject, the executions themselves not a topic for Dickens usual irreverent humour. I couldn't bond with it at all. Even the message of "making a sacrifice for love" had an edge - the most unkind one!

 

Still, there are bound to be one or two out of the choice available which we will dislike. That leaves plenty of Dickens novels to love!

 

Happy :readingtwo: All.

 

 

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Oh, refresh yourself with a re-read Chrissy. ☺A familiar story will help get you back into the mood, again.

 

What about Oliver Twist? The story of a lad, but still an eye opening tale of how it really was back then. For Oliver it ended well. He was just one of millions of children left to live or die by their own efforts, though. Times to remember so we never repeat them.

Always a favourite of mine, David Copperfield too - great characters there!😀

(Oh crikey - allright, I'll add them on again :writing:)

 

Happy :readingtwo: All

Edited by Booknutt
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6 hours ago, Booknutt said:

Yes, I have to say it's one that I found very - with apologies - boring!

Whether it was the change of country, the characters, the subject, the executions themselves not a topic for Dickens usual irreverent humour. I couldn't bond with it at all. Even the message of "making a sacrifice for love" had an edge - the most unkind one!

 

Still, there are bound to be one or two out of the choice available which we will dislike. That leaves plenty of Dickens novels to love!

 

Happy :readingtwo: All.

 

 

Agreed Booknutt.😆

Edited by itsmeagain
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19 hours ago, Hayley said:

I agree that A Tale of Two Cities isn't Dickens' best book, and it does have a couple of slow parts but... am I the only one who actually liked it by the end? :mellow:

 

@Chrissy I second Oliver Twist and David Copperfield :) 

The opening few pages are vintage Dickens; mysterious characters in coaches being  sent messages by mystery visitors, etc; and it gradually fades.

Especially the continuous changes of mood, demeanour, and bearing, of Dr Manette.

Poorly thought out.

 

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  • 6 months later...
On 14/11/2008 at 9:18 AM, bev said:

David Copperfield is very good, it follows David through his ups & downs. It's also quite light hearted in parts. I think this is one of his best, Dickens himself often said this was his favourite. If you are looking for a more amusing read then give Martin Chuzzlewit a go. :) Happy reading Michelle. :)

Hi

I've begun David Copperfield and it is delightful. I last read it at school 40 years ago. I cannot believe i have avoided Dickens for so long. I will be reading them all now!

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