KEV67

The introduction said the reading public who were surprised by Nell's fate must not have been paying close attention, because clues and allusions were being steadily dropped. I am not sure I would have twigged it. I would have been worried about the schoolboy who died, because what was the point of those two chapters otherwise? I think there is a big hjnt in chapter 44. 'But before they had reached the corner of the lane, the man came running after them, and pressing hee hand, left something in it - two old, battered, smoke-encrusted penny pieces. Who knows but they shone as brightly in the eyes of angels as golden gifts that have been chronicled on tombs?' Not much mistaking that.

I am still only about half way through. I know it ends badly for Nell, so I thought I would read a bit of the introduction. It makes out Nell's character was based on Dickens' sister-in-law, Mary Hogarth, who died aged 17, sweet and pure and lovely. Dickens' weird lovelife kept leaking into his novels, if you believe his biographers. Dickens used to have a blind spot with writing pretty, young women, but he got better at them as he got older. Apart from Nell, the introduction reminded me that the plot with Nell's brother seemed to go nowhere. Nell's brother was plotting with Dick Swivener with the aim of Swivener marrying Nell so that they could get control of the old man's money. Then the next time we meet Dick, Quilp is introducing him to Sampson Brass and telling him to take him on as an apprentice. I wondered why Quilp did this, because it seems like he was performing friendly act. Why did Quilp help Dick Swivener out. I also now realise who the half-starved marchioness is. I saw her name on the blurb on the back of the book, but I had read half the book and she had not been introduced yet. It is unusual in novels to introduce major characters late on. I reckon I do know who she is, but Dick Swivener has not given her her nickname yet. .

One thing I've been wondering is that Kit's mother is a widow with two small children. She cannot work. Kit cannot earn enough to keep them all on his own. How does she get by? Does she get parish relief?

I was wondering the other day how many humourous books lasted the test of time. A lot of old comedies and comedians do not seem so funny any more. Maybe, I was not thinking very clearly at the time. True, most the Carry On films do not seem so funny as they did, and I find it hard to believe anyone ever laughed at the likes of music hall comedians such as Arthur Askey and Tommy Trinder. On the other hand, Larry Grayson was sort of music hall, and he was hilarious. Porridge and other 70s sitcoms still hold up. Book wise, Scoop and Lucky Jim are still very funny. It is a long way of getting around to the observation that Charles Dickens could be funny, and it still holds up. For example, in chapter 34 of The Old Curiosity Shop, Dick Swiveler has to agree terms with a new lodger in the room above his employers' office. "Why, you see,' said Dick, 'my name's not Brass, and -' 'Who said it was? My name's not Brass. What then?' 'The name of the master of the house is,' said Dick. 'I'm glad of it,' returned the single gentleman; 'it's a good name for a lawyer. Coachman, you may go. So may you, sir.'

I am still only half way through. I get the feeling it is going to turn bad for Nell. Her grandfather has just gambled all their money. Just when things were looking up.

I took Adrian back to the United Reformed Church, but it did not go well. Adrian thinks we are going to the park to play on the swings when I take him into town, so he was dissappointed to be taken into a church. He started crying and would not stop. I took him outside, where one of the elders said she would unlock the church hall for us. I stayed in the church hall for the rest of the service. Adrian would not stop crying. First the elder came back and made me a cup of coffee. Then the others came in. I askee the elder about the possibility of having Adrian christened there. She pointed out the secretary and I talked to her. I was a bit surprised. I thought a church would rip my arm off to christen a child. She said that at present the church did not have a minister, although that could be got around. She said she would have to talk to me to ascertain why I wanted Adrian to be christened and to inform me of my responsibilities. Then she said there would have to be a church meeting to discuss it. She gave me her contact numbers and invited me to phone her about it later. I have to say I wonder about the future of the United Reformed Church. I went to three in Reading. Two had very elderly congregations. The other had a much younger congregation due to its immigrant community. The church in Bury St Edmunds is very elderly and they do not have a minister currently. The Anglican church I used to go to in the 80s had an elderly congregation. Maybe people start to return to the church when they become elderly. The congregation if the United Reformed Church in Bury St Edmunds will likely have mostly died in ten years' time, and so far as I can tell, they are not welcoming many children into the church. Another thing I have been wondering is how did churches deal with screaming children back in the old days. Did they just put up with it? Did someone stay home with the little ones and go to the evening service? The best system I saw was when I attended a Greek Orthodox service in Reading. The priest went through the ceremony, wafted the incense and pinged the bells, but the children were allowed to play. I can't see children just being allowed to play, for instance run up the aisles or up the stairs at most churches.

Alan Moore is about the greatest graphic novel writer ever. Before him, I think they were just called comics. Therefore, I was interested to start reading a novel I'd seen he had written called The Great When. It had a sort of prologue, which was so crummy I thought I would only give it one more chapter's chance. However, the official first chapter is not too bad. I will have to see how it goes. The blurb on the back made it sound a bit like a book by China Mieville called The City & The City.

I am quite enjoying The Curiosity Shop. I wonder wherher the old man was going senile. It strikes me Little Nell could get a job as a maidservant if she were not lumberee with the old man. I reckon his best chance was with the workhouse. It is not exactly a spoiler, but I have heard it does not work out very well fpr Little Nell. I reckon she was let down by people who should have looked after her better. Perhaps her grandfather was going senile, but her brother was very selfish.

I tried reading the page without showing it and he still walked across the room. He definitely remembers the words. Maybe he does not understand what they all mean, but he remembers them. In another Sue Hendra / Paul Linnet book, Nobot the Robot with no Bottom, there was a page in which Bear says he could not use Bernard the robot's bottom in his drum kit, because it made a funny noise. I used to look at Adrian and say, 'Does your bottom make a funny noise?' First, he laughed, which made me wonder how much he understood. Lately, he looks at me at me in a funny way when we get to that page. So far, the best clues I have of Adrian understanding any language is his sense of humour. I have been resisting buying any of the Supertato books by Hendra and Linnet. But since I am having difficulty getting Adrian to eat any fruit and vegetables, I bought one.

Barry, the Fish with Fingers, is another book by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet. Adrian makes me laugh, because the other fish ask Barry what he can do with his fingers. While Barry explains he can cut paper chains, knit and play with finger puppets, Adrian has taken to walking across the room, because the next page says 'tickling'. This makes me think Adrian has started to recognise words, but it is possible he recognised the picture.

I was not aware you had had a child. Belated congratulations.

Yes, it is good. I have only read two Stephen King books: Holly and Joy Land. I do not think Stephen King writes straight crime novels. He usually includes elements of the supernatural or the macabre. Holly does not have any supernatural elements, just the macabre, but other books in which the protagonist (Holly Gibney) appears do have supernatural elements. As it was a book about crime with an element of the supernatural, it made me think of G.B.H. by Ted Lewis, and compared to that, Holly is not as good. Holly Gibney is a good character. She is a middle-aged female detective, who prays every night, and frets about things and who is very conscientious. That actually made the final confrontation a little contrived and unbelievable to me, but then the premise is fairly implausible and this is not true crime.

I finished Holly. It was a page turner.

Little Adrian's favourite book so far is Where the Wild Things Are. He likes Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet's books. These are very silly. I have bought three of them: No-bot, the Robot with No Bottom; Barry, the Fish with Fingers, and Norman, the Slug with the Silly Shell. Hendra and Linnet wrote the Supertato books, which have been turned into children's TV cartoons. Adrian likes Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's books. I have read him The Scarecrows' Wedding, The Gruffalo, and another one about a penguin called Jonty Gentoo, who escapes from a zoo and swims to the South Pole. I think Julia Donaldson's rhyming is very good, although I am not sure how much of these books Adrian understands. The Gruffalo has a good plot, but I doubt Adrian is old enough to appreciate it yet. I think he understands quite a bit of Where the Wild Things Are, because he does not have to understand the words to understand the story.

I have ordered a copy. I have a few other books on my TBR, so it will take me several months to get to. If I like it I will probably tell you, but if I don't I will probably keep quiet.