Best Dicken's novel for a 15y/o?...

[Michelle in GA]

and a somewhat reluctant reader?

 

Thanks!

[Lori D.]

I think the most accessible works for a first outing with Dickens are:

 

- Oliver Twist -- orphan boy, rags to riches story

- Tale of Two Cities -- French revolution, threat of the guillotine, tragic/noble ending

- A Christmas Carol -- a novella, so it's shorter; added benefit: you probably already know the story

- (possibly) David Copperfield -- rags to riches story

 

 

I know everyone else loves to do Great Expectations, but... that is a work written late in Dickens life, when he himself felt he had failed to meet his own "expectations" and that his life had not ended up as he would have wished. And that sombre tone and theme is throughout the book in all the major characters.

 

I read Great Expectations in my 20s and the book just irked me -- I was so annoyed with the characters and their choices, their "wallowing", and ending up with lives that would never be fully realized. Now in my 40s, I more fully appreciate what Dickens was expressing, having "disappointed life expectations" of my own. BUT... for a reluctant reader, I would NOT go with such a DOWNER to begin with! Okay, there's more than my 2 cents worth! LOL! Best of luck, Lori D.

[SwimmerMom]

The Pickwick Papers!!

 

It's the stories of a group of 4 British guys and their adventures. It is HILARIOUS and not as well-known as the others. It was a great read.

[Zoraida]

My vote would be for Oliver Twist. As a side note there is a wonderful little novel that I would like to recommend called Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones. I read this a few months ago. The story is about a white teacher living in a poor African community. He uses Dickens novel Great Expectations as his main textbook to teach the children on the island. A young black girl falls in love with Dickens and towards the end of the book she goes off to England to study literature and becomes a Dickens Scholar. This book was nominated for the Booker Prize ( England's highest literary prize). This was an enjoyable quick read.

 

Blessings

 

Zoraida

[Beth in SW WA]

 

I know everyone else loves to do Great Expectations,

 

 

I started that book this morning. It is somber. But engaging. I don't think a 15 year old would enjoy it.

 

Poor Pip...

[Mrs Mungo]

If he hasn't yet read Tale of Two Cities then that's what I would suggest.

[CactusPair]

Hard Times.

 

Dh and I read it as college freshman. He went to an inner city high school where requirements were rock bottom. He read maybe 2 books in his life (not counting Dr. Seuss, etc) before college.

 

But he loved Hard Times and no problems with it. (Getting through Great Expectations was a struggle for him).

 

I was an English major and liked Hard Times, too.

 

my 2 shillings

[mktkcb]

Well, I don't know that I would have thrown Great Expectations at my kids and expected them to read it on their own, but we did it as a read aloud last year when my kids were 16, 14, and 11, and they loved it......Dickens is such a master of description, I've found that he improves vastly on *hearing* him. And his sense of humor is fantastic....even in GE. So take the advice of others, I suppose, and find one of his lighter works, but I had to speak up in favor of Dickens. We like him at our house.

[flyingmommy]

I would recommend David Copperfield. I read it much later in life than your child will be reading it but I think of all the Dickens novels I have read, it is the quicker paced novel. I wouldn't try A Tale of Two Cities unless you're going to go through it with her (or him). I loved AToTC and had read it, voluntarily, about four times before my freshman hs class read it. But, I realized while my husband was trying to listen to it as an audio book (yay, hubby! He made it through!), it is a really wordy book. Remember, Dickens was paid by the word--LOL. It can be difficult at times to follow the sentence from beginning to end, especially for a reluctant reader.

 

Just my opinion. I really love English literature, so I tend to ramble sometimes.

 

J

[JFSinIL]

A Christmas Carol. If the kid tolerates it, then try David Copperfield or Oliver Twist...hubby here recommends A Tale of Two Cities...but I have not read that one.

[tristangrace]

Our recommendations seem to be all over the place. And mine isn't going to help any!

 

For the record, I read Great Expectations in ninth grade; it wasn't difficult, but it was depressing.

 

I've tried at least three times, but have never made it very far into Tale of Two Cities; just couldn't get into it at all.

 

My recommendation would be Oliver Twist (though I'm just starting to read Bleak House right now and I love, love, love it!).

 

Susan

[Jugglin'5]

I think A Tale of Two Cities was the only Dickens book that really moved me. I enjoyed the others, especially David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, and Our Mutual Friend, but ATof TC gets my vote.