THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

I have read a lot of books, check out my shelves, and consider myself to be reasonably well-read. I quite enjoy looking at other readers shelves to see what is available and am troubled by the four and five star ratings given to the works of Dickens, that only rate a single ('I didn't like it') star from me. I learned to hate Dickens in school and, despite several attempts to re-read his stuff since, still regard it as mind-numbingly boring, with the exception of 'A Tale of Two Cities' but even there he almost blows it with a rambling and totally unnecessary opening sentence. So, please, somebody tell me, what is the attraction??

Three specifics:
1. cliffhanger tension
2. wonderfully rendered characters
3. common protagonists must overcome criminals and social prejudice

But, I know some people find him hard to read. Language can be dense, occasionally archaic.

Good topic.
Sean

I think that two things must be remembered about Dickens: first, he wrote in serial form for magazines -- which meant that he had to put in constant cliff-hangers, and; second, that he got paid by the word (as was typical at the time).

Popular writing styles change over time. Dickens has some splendid characters in horrible situations. He drew a great many of his ideas from what he saw around him; Dickens was a great voice for the poor.

I think that it's important to put Dickens' work in the context of his time and read it from that perspective.

I must admit I have never read a Dickens book all the way through - I've started a few though. I really must persevere but I do agree they are a tad wordy!

I also don't think they are great books to be read in school - the actual stories might be great but they are so long and difficult they're enough to put kids off reading altogether - my mom says they were read out to them when she was at school (a long, long time ago!) so maybe thats better.?

Maggie wrote: "I must admit I have never read a Dickens book all the way through - I've started a few though. I really must persevere but I do agree they are a tad wordy!

I also don't think they are great books..."

entirely agree

Dickens takes patience and perseverance. We are busy and impatient people today, and it's true that Dickens is wordy. His characters and real-life situations do repay the reader but I kind of wish someone would trim him down. I can't get through many of his books, but there are a few I love. Bleak House is one of the longest, I believe, and that is really an amazing story. Human spontaneous combustion, a legal system sucking the sanity out of once honorable and productive people, the love of a lifetime lost to opium and ambition, and misguided self-sacrifice warping and trying to cripple real faith.

I have always wanted to enjoy his stories - partly because so many people can't be wrong, and that he wrote these works from knowledge and sight of contemporary problems, circumstances and behaviours of the day - but I have tried and signally failed to finish any of this great author's works.

I use the term great deliberately, even though I have not succeeded with his books as his place in literature, British history and the richness we have in our culture from adaptations to films and theatre ensures his name and his books will be known of forever.

I will try another avenue with Dickens by reading this
by Claire Tomalin (No photo).

I don't like him either...

I keep asking myself the same thing about Jane Austin. I don't hater her books but I never quite got why everyone loved them so much.

I love Dickens.

People just have different tastes.

Bleak House and A Christmas Carol are my favorites.

Dickens writes beautifully. So yes sometimes he could be long winded but it's beautifully writen long winded passages! His characters where always well drawn and his descriptions! Well I just don't think anyone has ever matched Dickens when it came to descriptions. They are soooooo vivid! You can see every shadow, every spark from the fire. When Dickens starts describing the setting, you're no longer reading a book......you're in the book! You're there with the charaters. If I were to suggest a Dickens it would be 'Our Mutual Friend', I loved it. 'Dombey and Son' was also very good, but so sad! I cried buckets! I stear away from anything sad usualy but I just couldn't stop reading D & S, despite the fact that for three days running my eyes were red and swollen!

Mary wrote: "I keep asking myself the same thing about Jane Austin. I don't hater her books but I never quite got why everyone loved them so much.

I love Dickens.

People just have different tastes.

Bleak..."

I have to agree with you re Jane Austen - I just don't get why she is so revered - you almost feel blasphemous saying so!

This old hippie lite says, "Different strokes for different folks, man." I read (Who's with me on changing past tense of read to readed?) everything Charlie wrote when I was a teen back before the dawn of man. Have read(ed) David Copperfield cover to cover 5 or 6 times. The names he comes up with! Prince Turveydrop, Mr. Guppy, Gradgrind, Pecksniff, Betsy Trotwood, etc and so on and so forth and probably even so fifth. In short (as Mr. Micawber would say) you can put me down as a Dickens fan. He knew a lot of words and wasn't afraid to use them. And in conclusion, let me say that I am glad Barkis was willin' to marry Peggotty.

I had some rather terrible experiences with Charles Dickens in high school (we had to read Bleak House in grade eight, and we had about two weeks to do this). This soured me on Dickens for a while, but after I started reading Dickens as he was meant to be read (as a serial, maybe one chapter per week at the most), I started liking his work much better. I still don't have much love for "Bleak House" but I did enjoy David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities. As Sharon has already mentioned, Charles Dickens wrote serials and was payed by the word. Reading Dickens as a serial, in small increments, is much more enjoyable than trying to read one of his novels in a single sitting or even in a week. And high school teachers should NOT use "Bleak House" as an introduction to Charles Dickens (Oliver Twist or A Tale of Two Cities are much more interesting and understandable for a teenage audience).

I had to read Two Cities and Great Expectations in HS. But we were given more than 2 wks to read them.