The Pickwick Club discussion

This is our next group read, a proposed reading schedule will be forthcoming.

How long are you proposing for reading and discussing OT?

Everyman, I am trying to decide on that. What do you think? Are you still reading Pickwick, I am hoping to hear your thoughts on the more eventful part of the book.

Jonathan wrote: "Everyman, I am trying to decide on that. What do you think? Are you still reading Pickwick, I am hoping to hear your thoughts on the more eventful part of the book."

Sadly, I joined the group well after the PP discussion started and never got caught up, so decided to pass on the rest of PP and focus my attention on keeping up with OT. With my vision issues, my reading time is limited and I need to ration it as best I can.

For myself, I prefer a slower read with more time for reflecting on the text and developing a good discussion, so I would be happy with a two month (or for longer books even 10 week) read. But I know others often feel differently. I tend to read several books simultaneously, which stretches out each book, but those who read one book at a time straight through tend to get frustrated if they have finished the book in a week or two but the discussion is still back on Chapter 8, and they sometimes move on to another book rather than stick with the discussion. There are pros and cons to both approaches.

If you aren't sure which direction to take the group, you might want to take the temper of more of the group, maybe through a well drafted poll question. I know some moderators have fairly clear ideas how they want to structure their groups and just go that direction, while others are more democratic and give more of a voice to the membership.

Deciding which way to take a group is one of the perks and hazards of being a moderator!

It seems like the general consensus is to read this moderately slow. It is shorter and more cohesive than Pickwick. Six weeks has been suggested, and I tend to agree with that time frame. I think that is slow enough for this read, just over a chapter per day. If anyone has any reason why 6 weeks is too long or too short, please feel free to interject. In the event no one raises a valid argument, then this is what we shall go with. As a matter of fact, I think I already slated to begin Nicholas Nickleby on June 15. This would give us 45 days.

Oliver Twist - Reading Schedule

Book the First

May 1-7 Chapters the First through the Seventh
May 8-14 Chapters the Eighth through the Fifteenth
May 15-21 Chapters the Sixteenth through the Twenty-Second

Book the Second

May 22-28 Chapters the First through the Seventh
May 29-June 4 Chapters the Eighth through the Fourteenth

Book the Third

June 5-11 Chapters the First through the Seventh
June 12-19 Chapters the Eighth through the Fifteenth

June 20-30 A Dinner at Poplar Walk - Dickens' first published work; this short story can also be found in Sketches by Boz. Giving ourselves 10 days to munch on this short work will allow the slower readers to catch up on Oliver Twist, as well as the rest of us to finish our discussion, as well as giving us time to get ready for Novel the Third. The down side is that going with this schedule will place us in the position of having to postpone Nicholas Nickleby from June 15th to July 1st. This became necessary in consequence of the schedule posted above. Fellow Pickwickians, I hope this is acceptable to all of you. Furthermore, I welcome your comments, complaints, acquiescence, and feedback.

I'm fine with the reading schedule proposed above. After all, there are people who read several books simultaneously, maybe not literally simultaneously, but one never knows, and for those it might be helpful not to rush through their Dickens. Apart from that, I am also with Everyman, who said that he would like to give what he reads some thought (I hope I'm not misquoting you). I actually opted for six weeks, but I don't mind these being extended to two months.

Maybe it would be a kind of compromise suiting those who are so fascinated by the novel that they can't stop reading to grant them the chance to discuss later chapters in the respective threads, i.e. the threads should not be opened one a week, but relatively early. - This is, of course, just a suggestion, which might not find everybody's approval.

On whatever procedure we will agree, let's enjoy this wonderful book together.

Sure, we can open up the threads ahead of time, if you think that is best. I think we will have a lot more readers this time around starting with 62 members instead of 1. So, I think the discussion will be a lot better. I've already read this about a year and a half ago, but I will be reading it again.

Then there are two ways of settling this question, I think [which, by the by, leaves us one way more than is usually the case in my beloved western movies]:

a) We have a poll on the question if threads should be started ahead of time.

b) We say that nobody will be harmed by starting threads ahead of time, as nobody will be exposed to spoilers that way - and we open threads ahead of time.

Tristram wrote: "Then there are two ways of settling this question, I think [which, by the by, leaves us one way more than is usually the case in my beloved western movies]:

a) We have a poll on the question if th..."

I would not be opposed to doing a poll, just because polls are fun, and they allow us to pay tribute to the democratic process. Neither am I opposed to just opening up all the threads at once and hoping nobody gets their feelings hurt. We discussed this whole thread opening business before reading the Magic Mountain in Eman's group Classics and the Western Canon. You should check out that thread. It's fun. Although, I don't remember the topic heading. Maybe, EMAN can help?

It might be a Pickwickian procedure, and a very democratic one at that, to have a poll on whether we should have a poll? ;-)

That's the winning idea. No doubt. Fellow Pickwickians, we are going to have a poll, on whether or not we should have a poll on how best to handle the discussion threads for our current group read. This poll will close on Monday, May 6th, since we need to have an answer soon, as the book reading is already underway, so please cast your ballot as soon as possible. Thank you!

There was quite a lively discussion in one of my other groups (Victorians) about opening threads ahead of time. There were many wonderful opinions and insights given and I was left feeling that there is no easy answer.

If you open threads ahead of time, you risk leaving readers behind who are sticking to the schedule. Of course, they can join the conversation when they get there but (especially if you have fewer participants), the conversation might already be finished by the time they get there and their comments might not have the meaning or response they would have if everyone had stuck to the schedule. While it's not the perfect solution, I believe my preference is still for trying to keep the group reading together. It seems the best solution for everyone feeling included and having the most detailed conversations and consistent participation.

If you open threads according to the schedule, you risk the quicker readers falling out of the discussion because their thoughts are now "stale" and are harder to recapture and verbalize. This could be solved by the reader jotting down their thoughts as they go (I've done this with good success), but not everyone is willing to do this.

As you see I've been no help at all, but I have thrown out some food-for-thought. :-) I am going to REALLY try to keep up with this read. When this group sprung up I already had some reads planned out so now I'm trying to thin them out but it may take a couple of months. Right now I'm reading Vanity Fair and Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life (among others) so I'm a little overloaded but I will do my best.

I like Jonathan's proposed schedule where he leaves two weeks for the ones who have kept up to read an alternate work and time for the slowpokes to catch up. Brilliant!

Tristram wrote: "Then there are two ways of settling this question, I think [which, by the by, leaves us one way more than is usually the case in my beloved western movies]:

a) We have a poll on the question if th..."

Just speaking personally, I have a considerable preference for opening the threads on the reading schedule. I find in groups that open them early that some people are well ahead of the schedule and part of the group starts discussing before others, reading to the schedule, have gotten to that part. Then when they get there, they find the discussion has pretty much happened and many of the group have moved on.

If the main purpose of a group is to read the works and the discussion is ancillary and not considered the central focus of the group, then it makes sense to me to open the topics early and let people read and discuss at their own pace.

But if the main purpose of the group is to emphasize quality discussion of the book, then I think opening the discussion topics according to the reading schedule makes sure that everybody can start the discussion together, which makes, in my experience, for a richer discussion.

So it seems to me it's a matter of what focus the group wants to have.

Tristram wrote: "It might be a Pickwickian procedure, and a very democratic one at that, to have a poll on whether we should have a poll? ;-)"

Only, though, after we have had a poll on whether we should have a poll to have a poll.

Jonathan wrote: "Oliver Twist - Reading Schedule

Book the First

May 1-7 Chapters the First through the Seventh
May 8-14 Chapters the Eighth through the Fifteenth
May 15-21 Chapters the Sixteenth through the Twen..."


I have just noticed that my edition is not subdivided into three books but has the chapters keep on going from 1 to 53. So I am going to transfer your schedule, Jonathan, into the 1-53 approach for all those who have a similar edition to mine.

May 22-28 Chapters the 23rd through the 29th
May 29-June 4 Chapters the 30th through the 36th


June 5-11 Chapters the 37th through the 43rd
June 12-19 Chapters the 44th through the 53rd

There seems to be one chapter having been added in my counting, and I seriously hope this will not lead to any spoilers. Maybe someone can help?