Dickens--

[Aubrey]

It's been a stormy relationship. My mom tried to hs me in 10th g by making me read Great Expectations. She'd skim through & make a list of words she didn't know so I could look them up. I didn't make it thr that reading of the book.

 

At some point, for some reason, I did. I think it was my 3rd try, though, & the whole way through, I kept thinking, It's got to get better. There's got to be some point.

 

I mean, a point worth reading about.

 

Then, in a sr lit class, I had a prof who liked Great Expectations SO. MUCH. that he'd read snippets of it in class. He talked about the great fear that all children have of being eaten by adults. (Am I the only one who NEVER thought I was going to be eaten?)

 

He said many odd things that did not resonate with me, but somehow, in the context of his own narrative, Great Expectations, read aloud, became deliriously funny.

 

I'd leave class, run to dh & tell him. He wouldn't believe me, & so I'd flip to the passage that we'd just read & read it aloud to him in the Cappuccino Bar.

 

It was not funny when I read it. It was still Dickens.

 

I do not think that I like Dickens, but I am to this day amazed that there lives a man who can make it seem that Dickens is enjoyable. :confused: :lol:

[Kathleen in VA]

I LOVE Dickens! I love his descriptions and he makes me laugh out loud. Have you read the description of Tellson's bank in A Tale of Two Cities? I pull that one out to read to my children from time to time as an excellent example of descriptive writing. It's hilarious. There are many similar passages in his books. Maybe you just have to be in the right mood or something.

[newbie]

I am not a great Dickens fan, although I like the movies.

 

But, dd had Tale of two cities w/VP this year, and boy that teacher made this book come to life. I kept flipping thru book , wondering where he got his info. It was just fun to listen to him and his retelling of the book.

[jacqui in mo]

I'm reading that book for the first time and really enjoying it. My brother got it for my dd for Christmas and told her that the beginning was incomprehensible mostly, but if you kept at it, it all came together so that it's hard to put the book down. I'm not sure I agree with my db about the beginning. It is an odd story at first but I wasn't confused or bored. I'm about 2/3's through and look forward to my evening reading. I'm really liking the character of Wemmick, and of course, Miss Haversham (?) is quite the strange but interesting Dickens character.

[Rosie_0801]

I'm in the "Dickens is only good in movie format" club, and all the better if they are musicals ;)

 

My English teacher mother in law told me I didn't like A Tale of Two Cities because I'm not sentimental enough. I don't really know what that has to do with it, but I thought the book sucked so I'm ok to go with her theory ;)

 

Rosie

[Melinda in VT]

Have you read other Dickens novels besides Great Expectations? I don't like that one either. I remember enjoying David Copperfield and Oliver Twist more. I read A Tale of Two Cities to my oldest a couple of summers ago and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

[LizzyBee]

I haven't read that one yet, but I loved the Dickens books I have read. Actually, I think the best way to "read" Dickens is on CD. I love the creative ways he uses words, his wit, and his sarcasm.

Edited February 7, 2010 by LizzyBee

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I have tried to read A Tale of Two Cities twice, and quit both times.

 

I did get through Great Expectations and David Copperfield but can't remember much at all of what I read.

 

However, I have read Oliver Twist three times and I absolutely love A Christmas Carol. It depends on the book.

[OhM]

I remember reading, well, trying to read, A Tale of Two Cities in high school. I didn't even make it halfway before I took the spark notes route.

 

I re-read it (I can't even fathom why I tried!) in my late 20's and LOVED it! Two years ago the girls and I did GE as a read aloud. And we all LOVED it! I've become a confirmed Dickens fan.

 

And not once in my life have I been afraid of being eaten by an adult.

 

Our favorite character (perhaps my favorite character ever!) was Wemmick - the dichotomy of his life - between his business life and personal - is brilliant.

 

And how can you not like someone who played a role in a Doctor Who adventure?! (Ninth Doctor, no less.)

[HRAAB]

I prefer Dickens on the screen. I am reading Great Expectations right now, and if I don't force it - take it in little snippets - I enjoy it. Dickens is just not an author I can sit down with, lose myself, and find four hours have passed.

[Aubrey]

I prefer Dickens on the screen. I am reading Great Expectations right now, and if I don't force it - take it in little snippets - I enjoy it. Dickens is just not an author I can sit down with, lose myself, and find four hours have passed.

 

Honestly, I think WTM is about the only book I"ve ever done that w/. At least, of the books I've read that were actually aimed at adults. ;)

[yslek]

Funny...I always thought of Dickens as boring (probably because my only exposure was seeing stage versions of A Christmas Carol) but have recently discovered that I like his stuff. :) I do think that watching the movie version first (or listening to the audio book) helps, as the books tend to have slow spots. My favorite Dickens story so far is Our Mutual Friend. Dh and I loved the movie so much that we read the book out loud to each other after watching the movie several times. :) It was easier the story that way, and to pick up on the added detail and differences of the book. It was interesting to us how angry Dickens' tone was. The recent TV version of Little Dorrit is excellent, too. (Haven't read the book for that one yet, though.)

[AngieW in Texas]

I love A Tale of Two Cities.

 

I tried to wade through Great Expectations in 8th grade when it was assigned. I made it about 1/4 of the way through and couldn't force myself to read any further.

 

I tried to wade through Great Expectations as a readaloud with my kids 3 years ago. We made it almost halfway through. It was awful. We gave up.

 

I can't stand anything by Dickens except Tale of Two Cities. The story of A Christmas Carol is good - just not the way that Dickens wrote it. I like the movie version that starred Jean-Luke Picard (can't remember the actor's name).

[specialmama]

David Copperfield is an awesome book... I read it 4 times from age 13-18. Loved it. It was alive to me. :001_smile:

[Chris in VA]

but I thought the book sucked

 

Tell it like it is, Rosie.

 

Geez, you crack me up!! lolol

[Beth in OH]

I LOVE Dickens! I love his descriptions and he makes me laugh out loud. Have you read the description of Tellson's bank in A Tale of Two Cities? I pull that one out to read to my children from time to time as an excellent example of descriptive writing. It's hilarious. There are many similar passages in his books. Maybe you just have to be in the right mood or something.

 

:iagree: I especially love to read Dickens via audiobook. There is a wonderful version of A Tale of Two Cities (Recorded Books, I think) where the actor/reader makes the funny characters come alive. I'm not sure I'd have caught all of the dry wit if a skillful reader hadn't been pointing it out!

 

Beth

[Friederike in Persia]

David Copperfield is an awesome book... I read it 4 times from age 13-18. Loved it. It was alive to me. :001_smile:

 

Doesn't it make you sad? I'm not too far into it, but I keep thinking about the awful stepfather,...:glare:

 

Now a Tale of Two Cities, that's a different book. How he pulls it all together in in the end :thumbup1:

[jacqui in mo]

I like the movie version that starred Jean-Luke Picard (can't remember the actor's name).

 

It's Patrick Stewart.