Vintage81 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 Link to the March thread... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amoret Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 (edited) On 2/28/2023 at 10:53 AM, Quarter Note said: Also, would you consider The Pickwick Papers? I read that for the first time a few years ago. It took about ten chapters (not to worry - they're short, Dickens-length chapters) before I could really get into it, but after that I loved it! You've convinced me to keep pressing on with PP. It is the only Dickens book that I gave up on (though I nearly threw in the towel with Nicholas Nickelby). I'll pull it back out. Have you read Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell? The loosely connected stories were originally published in Dickens's periodical Household Words, and it feels like a female response to the Pickwick Papers. If I remember correctly, I don't think Dickens liked it (but I did!) Edited March 4, 2023 by Amoret 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 On 2/28/2023 at 8:58 AM, Quarter Note said: The Governess, you're my kind of reader! 😊 Piers Plowman has been on my list of books to read for several years, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I also love, love, love Jane Eyre. I think that I'll just take your finished list and tack it on to my to-read list. Piers Plowman is not a quick or easy read but it has some beautiful moments, and the theological debate/social commentary is pretty interesting. I’m using a reading guide by Michael Calabrese to help me through it. Please report back if you read it! I don’t know many people who have 🤣 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Note Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 (edited) On 2/28/2023 at 5:17 PM, marbel said: OK, Pickwick Papers it is! I did note all the suggestions for A Tale of Two Cities, but that is one I have never been able to get far into. I don't know why. I was all set to pull out Nicholas Nickelby but am just as happy to go with the Pickwickians! 🙂 Oh, @marbel, have fun, because it's meant to be a lot of fun! Just remember, it will get better as Dickens finds his stride. Just my guess: When Louisa May Alcott was preparing to go to Washington D.C. to volunteer as.a Union Nurse during the Civil War, one of her friends wrote in a letter that she (Louisa) was planning on "bringing lots of Dickens to make the boys laugh." We can probably never know exactly which books she took with her, but since Pickwick features so prominently in Little Women, I would bet that she at least took that one. I can just picture her reading Dickens' hilarious insults (Chp. 51) to the convalescing soldiers. Edited March 6, 2023 by Quarter Note clarification 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Note Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 On 3/4/2023 at 10:17 AM, The Governess said: Piers Plowman is not a quick or easy read but it has some beautiful moments, and the theological debate/social commentary is pretty interesting. I’m using a reading guide by Michael Calabrese to help me through it. Please report back if you read it! I don’t know many people who have 🤣 Oh, thank you for the recommendation for the reading guide! I probably won't get to it soon, but I will certainly report back when I do! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Note Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 On 3/4/2023 at 8:09 AM, Amoret said: You've convinced me to keep pressing on with PP. It is the only Dickens book that I gave up on (though I nearly threw in the towel with Nicholas Nickelby). I'll pull it back out. Have you read Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell? The loosely connected stories were originally published in Dickens's periodical Household Words, and it feels like a female response to the Pickwick Papers. If I remember correctly, I don't think Dickens liked it (but I did!) @AmoretOh, please do continue on! Really, it gets better as it goes. In my reading notes, I wrote about the last chapter (Chp. 57!): "The last chapter, and the best of all. Worth reading 1070 pages for!" I won't give you any spoilers, but at the end, Mr. Pickwick's act of forgiveness is beautiful. It will make you want to go out and be a better person. That's what Dickens does for us, doesn't he? 🙂 I did read Cranford last summer (on the recommendation of another boardie!), and it was a lot of fun! It made me want to read more Elizabeth Gaskell, which, unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to do yet. What an interesting thought that Cranford is the female response to Pickwick. You're right - I can see that exactly! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 Finished the last Wheel of Time book. I felt that the last book was very rushed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace Hopper Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 GAH I am S T U C K on that doggone Grisham novel. It is boring with the hero being a bit self righteous and the villain being just gross and immoral (ok good villain but I’ve had waaaay too much of his story now). I will keep going because (1) I have a personal policy of completing any work I’ve already made it halfway through and (2) *sometimes* Grisham gets in a good twist near the end and I don’t want to miss it. I also just realized that I’m posting in the Feb thread but given the circumstances it seems appropriate. 😂 I’ll jump over there when I get to a fresh read. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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