'David Copperfield' is my favorite Dickens novel. Yay! What a great review! 'Tale of Two Cities', 'Bleak House', and 'Dombey and Son' are my other 3 favorites. I am currently reading through Barnaby Rudge, and having difficulty getting into it. Dickens' books can be slow at the start, but get going in the middle. Happy REading!
I just watched the movie, old one with Freddie Bartholomew on TCM. Really good. Think I will attempt reading the book. I liked Great Expectations very much. Both David Copperfield and Great Expectations had kindly foster father characters: Dan and Joe. Reminds me of St Joseph.
After finishing Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver I thought I’d try David Copperfield. I’m about 20%in, and it’s taking forever! Kingsolver’s novel is based on David Copperfield, but it’s set in rural Appalachia. Their poverty and ignorance is complicated by addiction, but the boy finds his way through. It’s interesting to compare the characters. I’m getting bogged down with Dickens, but your video gave me some new perspectives. Thanks.
I just finished yesterday! There were some laugh out loud moments. I wanted to smack the hell out of a few of the characters.(like Heep or Rose) On a side note, I once heard that Dickens got paid by the word which explains his style of long windedness. In defense of David, his wife absolutely lost her mind when he asked her to take on some household responsibilities. She refused and then asked to be called “Child-bride”! Yuck
Congratulations!!! I know, he did such a good job at making characters detestable when he wanted them to be! I didn’t know that he got paid by the word, that would explain a lot, lol Dora was by far the most annoying character!!
Just finished reading this book as well as a number of Dicken's other works(A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nicholaby, Great Expectations, and Oliver Twist. Among these, David Copperfield was my least favorite but worth reading though I will probably never read it again. I agree with you some of the converatsations and scenes were unnecessary and some did not make any sense to me. Like the part where David sitting back observing Darcy is berating Emily before her Uncle shows up. With regard to relationships, it is clearly obvious Dora was certain not "similar in mind(intellectually) but possibly in purpose" with David. I got the sense toward the end of the book David realized this and certainly Dora did right before she died. Agnes was better suited for David but David saw her as a sister, especially since they grew up together in childhood. I know women will think it was stupid that it took David so long but I suspect he did not want to loose his "sister" but I agree he should had taken her when he got back from Europe. As for feminity, I though Agnes and David's Aust seems to me like strong women by Victoria Era standards. This was especially true with David's Aunt when she had outburst with Urrah(sp?) the Humble and some others. That was definitly not Victorian era standard. Oh well I am an man and what do I know about feminity. Finally, I agree A Christmas Carol was an esy read. Enjoyed your comments.
Dane Reads haha...I feel like an audiobook might be even harder! I know i would probably be spacing out a lot, lol. I know what you mean though...I don’t know if I will ever have the time or desire to reread again in my lifetime....
Bleak House. Read Bleak House. That initial description of the fog and the mud really evokes the futility of anything having to do with the Court, and sets the scene so well. It’s a surprisingly quick read with a bunch of fun characters who do a great job of satirizing Victorian society. The saccharine heroine is a bit much, but it’s still a great book. Did I mention spontaneous combustion? There’s spontaneous combustion. As for themes, the main one is to avoid throwing your life away over something hoped for that may not come to pass. Live in the here and now and make the most of your situation. Also, Dickens clearly despised the English system of justice, and he paints the whole institution as nothing but a parasite sucking claimants dry to pad the coffers of judges and lawyers.
