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Posted on 02/07/2012 7:41:19 AM PST by Borges
We visited the Dickens home in London;it’s well worth a visit on a London trip.
“Marley was dead: to begin with.”
I still think that’s one of the best opening lines to a book that I have ever read.
I’ve read each and every novel at least twice. David Copperfield 6 times. In fact my sign on name is a Dicken’s novel. Martin Chuzzlewit.
The Morgan Library in NYC has a Dickens exhibition,which is online. I’d imagine you’d be familiar with all the material.
Yes, some Shakespearean characters are classic -- who can forget Falstaff or Shylock or the glorious Henry V -- but many of them are drawn from historical antecedents, not necessarily Shakespeare's own mind. Dickens' characters are every bit as notable, but are entirely his own creations.
They may have been historical characters but Shakespeare animated them. It’s not like there were any recordings or real knowledge of what they were like.
Hubby in London and visited the Dickens house this morning. Got a peek at Prince Charles who was also visiting.
Amazing. A Tale of Two Cities yet again listed as an also-ran. Like Chuzzlewit, I’ve read all of Dickens numerous times (and still struggle to remember lesser characters’ names!). And, although TTC isn’t my favorite (that’s Bleak House), it is the most notable. No other English writer at or near the time (and I can’t think of any Americans) dared reveal the French Revolution and its aftermath for what it was—a senseless, endless bloodbath that had nothing to do with liberte, equalite, fraternite and everything to do with greed, envy, hate, and, of course, distribution of wealth and state-sponsored atheism. And from the bloody mess of that revolution comes Sidney Carton, drunkard, jaded lawyer, and the very essence of heroism. Maggie Thatcher understood this.
Dickens scholars regard ATOTC as one of his worst novels along with Barnaby Rudge.
It’s very hard to decide on a favorite Dickens book for me. I think it’s Little Dorrit - No, Bleak House - No, Nicholas Nickleby - No, David Copperfield :)
” ‘Anywhere! I’m a-going to seek my niece through the wureld. I’m a-going to find my poor niece in her shame, and bring her back. No one stop me! ‘ “
Mr. Peggotty is maybe my favorite serious character. I think he’s symbolic.
But I _really_ like Newman Noggs a lot.
Little Dorrit I have in an antique form. Also have antiques of David Copperfield, in more than one volume (as a set). Little Dorrit is a great character.
I think David Copperfield isn’t the only one that brought tears to my eyes; I think I cried when I read “Tale of 2 Cities” and “Little Dorrit” and “Oliver Twist” too — But David Copperfield is the one that has made me cry several times!
Am glad that I was familiar with the character of Steerforth, so that when I finally ended up going out into the big city on my own, I was able to identify people like that, and (hopefully) stay away from them — Not to mention Uriah!
I love it when Aunt Betsey (Betsy?) saw Uriah and said “Don’t be galvanic, sir!” and asked what was the matter with him.
” ‘I ask your pardon, Miss Trotwood . . . I’m aware you’re nervous.’ “
Mr. Micawber is great.
“He’d write letters by the ream, if it was a capital offense!”
Think I’d better stop now ... :)
Personally I came to loathe Dickens. Our high school reading lists were packed full of him. Part of the ongoing indoctrination on the Eeeeeeeevils of Capitalism.
Yeah... well I don’t agree :)
the critics / scholars write a lot of stuff that I don’t agree with, in the essays that I’ve read about Dickens. If the criticism is positive and sheds light on something, that’s great for me, but otherwise I just don’t like it. He is either my favorite author, or my second-favorite after George MacDonald, ... The thing about “Tale of Two Cities” is the concept of Sidney Carton redeeming himself by doing one great deed in the end — that’s the wonderful thing that I like about it — I could “care less” about the other stuff that they criticize about it.
i used to say that “tale of two cities” was my favorite Dickens book! Just can’t make up my mind anymore. That one did make me cry too :)
Figures. I liked Barnaby Rudge, too! I’d heard that Old Curiosity Shop was the “worst.” Depends whom you’re reading. Just hazarding a guess here, but contemporary critics of ATOTC would very likely side with the English poets (a literary station far above mere novelists) and, to a degree, Jefferson—all of whom seem to have had an unnatural, puerile crush on the revolutionaries and the Terror leaders. And we shouldn’t forget that damning ATOTC is also a secret-handshake kind of poke-in-the-eye to those arrogant American revolutionaries who refused to use or encourage mob vengeance tactics.
Bunk. High schools lists had a lot of Dickens because he’s the most highly regarded writer of prose fiction in the language. And his world view is conservative.
Thank the Lord you went to a good school!
The knock against those two is that Dickens wasn’t good at historical novels set in other lands. When he got away from his native time and place his powers of evocation dropped.
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