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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wonderful male characters. Most of the women are either angelic or evil. Racist comments against Jews. Still, a good book to experience.
Despite having been a high school English teacher for 33 years, I never read this book. Never been a huge Dickens fan. But I recently read Barbara Kingsolver's version, Demon Copperhead, and I LOVED that, so I wanted to go read the original. It's really meh. First of all, David Copperfield, the character, is a nincompoop. He's not just a nincompoop when he's a kid, for which he could be forgiven because, seriously, what kid isn't a nincompoop? But he remains a nincompoop throughout the novel, and the adult narrator telling us the story doesn't seem to realize it. Stylistically, the novel is very exaggerated. Uriah Heep isn't just evil, he's EVIL. Over and over. Characteristics are drummed into us with every encounter with a character. I imagine that when one was reading this inserialization, the exaggeration and the repetition was useful, as there would have been months' long gaps between installments, but when reading the whole thing altogether, they are just annoying. Still not a huge Dickens fan. Read Kingsolver. That one is amazing!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As always with Dickens, a long but rewarding read! I much enjoyed the depiction of a young man having his first drunken night out with friends in a new town, felt much akin to a fresher’s week at university. Dickens captures human experiences and emotions very well, it’s very easy to empathise with characters. Reflection was a huge theme of this Bildungsroman, and its poignant to read about reflection of bad friendships that turn sour unknowingly, or appreciating that first love is “undisciplined” and that you might’ve chosen your partner differently looking back but it’s loyalty, minds on par, and choice over passion in the long run. Its narrative is very mature and thoughtful, along with humour and realism.
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The foreword to the copy I read was written by Dickens where he says that David Copperfield is his favourite, and I am happy to see that it shows.
The story is told in first person where the adult David looks back on his life. From his early childhood, his mother's re-marrying and the events that come after that makes him into who he is.
Despite there being much sorrow and unfortunate events in his life, David stays innocently naïve and idealistic in many ways and he trusts at times where one might wish he wouldn't.
I find the pages full of real Dickensian characters with big personalities. Many eccentrics with both villainous minds and those with hearts of gold.
After reading this I understand many things; I finally understand why Thursday Next (Jasper Fford's leading LiteraTec lady) has such a strong dislike to Uriah Heep, that there is nothing so bad that you can't take the time to write a letter, and that it can be difficult to get King Charles I out of your head.
This was surprisingly enjoyable read, filled with love, and laughter, and... Janet! Donkeys!
The story is told in first person where the adult David looks back on his life. From his early childhood, his mother's re-marrying and the events that come after that makes him into who he is.
Despite there being much sorrow and unfortunate events in his life, David stays innocently naïve and idealistic in many ways and he trusts at times where one might wish he wouldn't.
I find the pages full of real Dickensian characters with big personalities. Many eccentrics with both villainous minds and those with hearts of gold.
After reading this I understand many things; I finally understand why Thursday Next (Jasper Fford's leading LiteraTec lady) has such a strong dislike to Uriah Heep, that there is nothing so bad that you can't take the time to write a letter, and that it can be difficult to get King Charles I out of your head.
This was surprisingly enjoyable read, filled with love, and laughter, and... Janet! Donkeys!
I didn't expect to enjoy this more than I did Great Expectations, but I did. Lengthy, with some irksome characters, it's worthy of a read if you like Dickens and enjoy the genre generally.