The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

I think I'm going to get one of the editions that has Dickens' three major Christmas stories. The Cricket on the Hearth is one of them.

It's only $2.99 (on B&N Nookbooks).

Excellent

If anyone is interested, they may join The Pickwick Club which is my new book club dedicated to reading Dickens' works. http://www.goodreads.com/group/invite...

Jonathan wrote: "If anyone is interested, they may join The Pickwick Club which is my new book club dedicated to reading Dickens' works. http://www.goodreads.com/group/invite......"


Will you be reading on a faster schedule than our Dickens Project? I'm having a bit of trouble with our schedule here - I read really quickly and am way ahead of schedule, even though I'm usually reading (and finishing) at least two other books concurrently. I love the group but it's frustrating for me b/c by the time a discussion is posted I'm so far ahead that I've forgotten the points I wanted to make.

I stopped reading our current book at Ch 20 but that's frustrating as well b/c I'm going to forget where I was when I pick it up again.

Jennifer wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "If anyone is interested, they may join The Pickwick Club which is my new book club dedicated to reading Dickens' works. http://www.goodreads.com/group/invite......"

When I end up getting ahead of the schedule, I just type up my notes/comments as I go along so that I don't miss anything I wanted to say when the thread is posted. :-)

Sarah wrote: "When I end up getting ahead of the schedule, I just type up my notes/comments as I go along so that I don't miss anything I wanted to say when the thread is posted. :-)"

That's a good idea. I'll give it a try, but honestly I'm probably too lazy to keep up with it :-p

Jennifer wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "If anyone is interested, they may join The Pickwick Club which is my new book club dedicated to reading Dickens' works. http://www.goodreads.com/group/invite......"

Yes. They have asked me to slow down on the first one because a couple of people had to order a hard copy of the book. 8 weeks to read the Pickwick Papers is about 100 pages a week, but I have divided the discussion up and will be reading ahead so if you get ahead you can post your thoughts ahead of time.

Ok, thanks Jonathan :)

Sarah wrote: "When I end up getting ahead of the schedule, I just type up my notes/comments as I go along so that I don't miss anything I wanted to say when the thread is posted. :-) ..."

What a refreshingly simple concept; it concerns me that it never occurred to me! ;-) Seriously though, thank you so much for this very practical suggestion! If I had thought of it before the group began
Martin Chuzzlewit I might have been able to have "my part in the conversation"! :-)

I'm just wondering when this group will be starting Dombey and Son? Will it be on May 1st, right after Martin Chuzzlewit, or do you take a break between books? Thanks!

Hello, Cleo. I am usually in charge of Dicken Project Reads. Next month, I will be moderating Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell and I will also be crossing the Atlantic Ocean twice, so I plan to start the next read when I come back, May 26-27. Of course, if the participants are willing, we can start the next read earlier than the indicated date.

Thanks for the information, Zulfiya. I really like what I see with regard to the pacing of The Dickens Project: the reading looks manageable and a break in between books is nice to allow the reader to "digest" what he/she has just finished. I'd like to try to participate in this next read so I'll keep my eyes open for the schedule. Thanks again and enjoy your high flying (at least, as much as you can, as I imagine it's probably tiring)!

Thank you, Cleo.

I will post the schedule for the next Dickens read, Dombey and Son within the next 8-10 days. The tentative date for the next read is May 27, 2013

The end of May for the start of Dombey and Son sounds great to me. It will really allow some digesting of Martin Chuzzlewit and then I could maybe participate in the reading of Ruth as well to get my mind a little off Dickens. ;-)
So, I am already looking forward to our continuation... :-)

Just joined in, very excited for this! :)

Welcome to the most exciting reading adventure, Apollonia and Liz. Currently, we are reading , but in the foreseeable future, we will read . Join in and enjoy the journey. It is truly worth it.

It is indeed!
Dickens is one of my favourite authors, and David Copperfield is one of my absolute favourite books.
I've actually read quite a few of his novels, and I'm looking forward to reading the remaining ones!

I can't remember where we were talking about possibly reading a Dickens biography before David Copperfield starts. Was anything decided? I've been meaning for years to read the Ackroyd biog, but have just found the Simon Callow one in my local bookshop, so I snapped it up :-)

As DC is supposed to be semi autobiographical, it would seem like an excellent point at which to delve further into Dickens' life.

I've actually started listening to Ackroid's version.:d

Pip wrote: "I can't remember where we were talking about possibly reading a Dickens biography before David Copperfield starts. Was anything decided? I've been meaning for years to read the Ackroyd biog, but ha..."

I would really love to read a biography on Dickens. Maybe after David Copperfield? Since as you said, DC is semi-autobiographical, we could compare DC with the biography as we go along.

And that would put us near the holidays. Those interested in a biography could read it then? Those not interested, could use the holidays as an excuse. ;)

Plus, David Copperfield fairly much marks the halfway point in Dickens' novels.

Lynnm wrote: "Pip wrote: "I can't remember where we were talking about possibly reading a Dickens biography before David Copperfield starts. Was anything decided? I've been meaning for years to read the Ackroyd ..."

I agree wholeheartedly. We do need to read a biography, and reading it after DC would be perfect timewise.

Which bio do you think is the best?

Reading a biography after DC sounds great to me. Just determine which one and I will try to get it. -:)

I absolutely love Ackroyd's fiction and non-fiction; his biography of London London - The Biography, for example, is excellent and very much recommended for Dickens lovers. However, both this and his Dickens biography are major chunksters.. Callow's looks like a much lighter read and, being an actor, he intends to focus more on the drama of Dickens' life. Here are the links to the two:

Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World

Dickens - Public Life and Private Passion

I've got the Delphi Kindle edition of the complete works, and that also has several older biographical works, including My Father as I Recall Him by Mamie Dickens.

We're spoilt for choice! I think perhaps it depends what kind of angle we want to pursue.

What about the Tomalin?

I'm going to have to rely on all of you. I did some research, and hard to tell which would be best. They all seem to have their pros and cons.

And I tried to see what professors are using on the college level, but most of the syllabi that I viewed had students reading the biography written by a friend of Dickens back in the 1800s (can't remember his name).

Pip, thanks for the suggestions.
I am in the same situation as Lynn, I have no idea which biography is the most worth reading. So I fully rely on all of you.

Hi everyone!

I was wondering if someone could help me with something....

I am a huge fan of Charles Dickens and one friend of mine recently wanted to read one of his novels. I recommended Oliver Twist to start off with, but she hated it! I wanted to know if anyone could recommend a Dickens for her to start off with?

Thanks!

Has she read other victorian literature and liked it? As much as I like Dickens, I'm not sure that's where someone should start.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Has she read other victorian literature and liked it? As much as I like Dickens, I'm not sure that's where someone should start."

No, she hasn't. As a matter of fact, she rarely reads at all. However, she really wants to read Dickens

I want her to like Dickens, so I'm hesitant to make a recommendation. Oliver Twist was an excellent suggestion. If she didn't like that, she may need to acclimatize herself. See if you can convince her to read Wilkie Collins The Moonstone before trying another Dickens. And then? Either David Copperfield or Great Expectations.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I want her to like Dickens, so I'm hesitant to make a recommendation. Oliver Twist was an excellent suggestion. If she didn't like that, she may need to acclimatize herself. See if you can convince..."

Will do :) thank you Elizabeth! Hopefully she takes a liking to it. She's very slow when it comes to reading and can usually just bore herself out of it. She also found Oliver Twist difficult to comprehend which might be why she hated it

I wouldn't pick Oliver Twist for an introduction to Dickens, as it is so melodramatic and episodic. The one we read in junior high school was Great Expectations. Well, we read an adaptation but a lot of us went on to read the whole book. It has mystery, a haunted house, romance, etc. It is long and it is still Victorian but there is more to keep someone interested. I think David Copperfield is also good but of course very long. Maybe your friend would appreciate Dickens more on audio. A well-done audio can make challenging passages clear and interesting.

Robin wrote: "I wouldn't pick Oliver Twist for an introduction to Dickens, as it is so melodramatic and episodic. The one we read in junior high school was Great Expectations. Well, we read an adaptation but a l..."

Doesn't sound like a bad idea, actually :) I love Dickens myself and have read almost all of his novels. But since we both watched an adaption of Twist, I decided that should be the first one (she actually liked the film version.) I will see if she'll give Great Expectations a chance!

Thank you Robin!

By the way, do you like Dickens? Besides the ones you mentioned?

Yes, I love Dickens, and even more now that I am in the group here reading him from first book to last! After our class read Great Expectations, I read David Copperfield and Nicholas Nickleby on my own. I was about 12 years old and I'm sure I missed a lot but I liked the old-fashioned language and cared about the characters. I didn't like the ones with sweet dying children, however! I had one book called "Children's Stories from Dickens" which contained excerpts and most of them seemed to be about dying.

Now that you explained about seeing the film of Oliver Twist, that does make sense as a way to choose a book to start with as the characters and setting would be familiar. We are about halfway through Dickens' work in the group and I would say Oliver was my least favorite. Of course it is his first actual novel, since Pickwick was more a collection of stories with some loose continuation. We have been seeing how he develops as a writer and a constructor or plots.

Robin wrote: "Yes, I love Dickens, and even more now that I am in the group here reading him from first book to last! After our class read Great Expectations, I read David Copperfield and Nicholas Nickleby on my..."

Sounds great! You seem to have a grand passion for Dickens! Yes, that was my main point in trying to get her to read Oliver Twist. If she enjoyed the film I was hoping the book would be enjoyed as well, lol.

Is there a particular reason you least like Oliver Twist?

Apollonia wrote: "Robin wrote: "I wouldn't pick Oliver Twist for an introduction to Dickens, as it is so melodramatic and episodic. The one we read in junior high school was Great Expectations. Well, we read an adap..."

One way to go would be to do a buddy read with your friend. Your enthusiasm might help to inspire her to keep going. Also, I find that it is good to prime myself for reading a classic. Victorian authors tended to be verbose, and their books are character (versus plot) driven. For someone with modern narrative expectations the lack of a breakneck plot speed can be difficult.

Christine wrote: "Apollonia wrote: "Robin wrote: "I wouldn't pick Oliver Twist for an introduction to Dickens, as it is so melodramatic and episodic. The one we read in junior high school was Great Expectations. Wel..."

I think I should do that, you're right, I could possibly inspire her to keep reading it :)

Thank you for taking the time to help me out Christine! I appreciate it!

Apollonia wrote: "Christine wrote: "Apollonia wrote: "Robin wrote: "I wouldn't pick Oliver Twist for an introduction to Dickens, as it is so melodramatic and episodic. The one we read in junior high school was Great..."

So, then, I would pick YOUR favorite. The one that makes you go all fangirl squealy oh em gee. Although if she doesn't get it, your feelings might get hurt.

I think that Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities are percieved as his most accessible books.

Christine wrote: "Apollonia wrote: "Christine wrote: "Apollonia wrote: "Robin wrote: "I wouldn't pick Oliver Twist for an introduction to Dickens, as it is so melodramatic and episodic. The one we read in junior hig..."

Right, good idea. It would hurt a bit, yes, but I wouldn't make a huge deal of it. If she doesn't enjoy it, its her loss.... lol.

Yes, I think I'm going with Great Expectations

Your friend deserves a lot of credit for wanting to read something that isn't the most popular, most accessible, most talked-about book of the moment!

Robin wrote: "Your friend deserves a lot of credit for wanting to read something that isn't the most popular, most accessible, most talked-about book of the moment!"

Spot-on!

Pip wrote: "I can't remember where we were talking about possibly reading a Dickens biography before David Copperfield starts. Was anything decided? I've been meaning for years to read the Ackroyd biog, but ha..."

I would also love to do a biography after DC, and as I can't decide which one either it looks like another poll might be in order-then we all have to commit ourselves but can rely on the wisdom of the group to choose.

Is anyone else reading their Dickens with illustrations by Phiz? As I mentioned earlier, I picked up many of the books in the Oxford Illustrated Dickens version Dombey and Son and I find the illustrations are a wonderful enhancement to the reading.

Christine wrote: "Apollonia wrote: "Christine wrote: "Apollonia wrote: "Robin wrote: "I wouldn't pick Oliver Twist for an introduction to Dickens, as it is so melodramatic and episodic. The one we read in junior hig..."

I would agree--I read "Great Expectations" with my 7th grade reading class (the actual book, not an adaptation), and didn't have any difficulty with it. In high school, our class read "A Tale of Two Cities," which is also an easy read. I think anyone over 12 or so would understand these books pretty easily. My personal fave, however, remains "Little Dorritt," but I would only recommend that to hard core fans! :)

Susan wrote: "Christine wrote: "Apollonia wrote: "Christine wrote: "Apollonia wrote: "Robin wrote: "I wouldn't pick Oliver Twist for an introduction to Dickens, as it is so melodramatic and episodic. The one we ..."

Thanks for the tip! :)

We definitely should preserve his literary heritage.

Let's be honest - Bleak House and Great Expectations will be too much to handle for some teens, but only because there is a trend to dumb down. They can definitely handle Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. Alas, the educational trend nowadays is to read utilitarian texts and non-fiction because these are the main texts we will ostensibly deal with in our future life. Literature as a source of emotional knowledge, human experience, psychological insight, and first of all compassion is nonsensical in modern world. :-(((

Great Expectations was the first Dickens I read, we had it in 7th grade (around age 12). It was a condensed version but we were encouraged to read the whole thing, which I did. I then went on to read several more Dickens novels. Great Expectations has a boy hero, a haunted house, romance, mystery, lots of things to grab you. And Dickens was better at plotting by then than he was in Oliver or Nicholas. For Pickwick I think selections might be ok, but a lot of the humor there is from the elaborate uses of language, which young people wouldn't appreciate. I think Great Expectations or David Copperfield are the most accessible for the young. The first person narratives are easier to follow and the fact that they start out as children is appealing.

Hi,
now I am pressing on a little. We have almost finished our Dickens biography. As I will be very, very busy in the following 4-5 weeks, I was wondering when we are planning to continue our journey through his novels.
I am already looking forward very much to reading Bleak House.

I think it would be helpful if we planned a little ahead so that maybe some others who have not been constant participants in the Dickens project can plan a little and join in as well. So we could announce the reading as "upcoming".

So due to my busy work weeks, I would not mind if we started around 19th or 26th of April. If I cannot make it then, I will just catch up as usual.
What do you all think?

Zulfiya, I hope it is ok that I am so pushy. Sorry. :-)