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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
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.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
delightfully funny throughout, I really didn't expect to laugh as much as I did while reading. David was an incredibly relatable protagonist (the chapter titles and his voice while narrating this story were simply too good). the pacing was also very good for being such a large novel. this is definitely a new favorite classic for me.
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Well told
Listened to book and narrator did a good job
Listened to book and narrator did a good job
I now know why, when I asked for a Dickens recommendation, this was the one that people told me to read. It's awesome! Definitely my favorite Dickens' book so far, and now one of my favorite classic books. The language is really beautiful, and the story is at time hilarious, tragic, infuriating, and romantic. The characters are all so wonderful (except for the villains, who are the worst), and I loved watching David grow up over the course of the novel. Seriously, this is a very long book, but it's totally worth reading.
This story was pretty sad. I understand it's a 'Charles Dicken's work' and most of his stories tend to be pretty depressing, but this stood out as one of his more sad narratives. The characters were compelling and yes,(SPOILER ALERT) it has a happy ending.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
reflective
medium-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:
N/A
The first 200 pages were fun fun fun. I loved the nanny whose buttons pop off when she gets excited.
But so much of this was just OK. The romances were predictable and the deaths were weird and unexplained. Some of this was redeemed by the aunt and Mr. Dick, who were well-drawn and easy to root for.
I'm glad I read this, but it didn't wow me like [b:A Tale of Two Cities|1953|A Tale of Two Cities|Charles Dickens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344922523s/1953.jpg|2956372] or [b:Oliver Twist|18254|Oliver Twist|Charles Dickens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327868529s/18254.jpg|3057979]. David's childhood was interesting, but perhaps an abridged version is a good choice for folks wishing to get the gist but not willing to spend weeks David's ho-hum adult years.
But so much of this was just OK. The romances were predictable and the deaths were weird and unexplained. Some of this was redeemed by the aunt and Mr. Dick, who were well-drawn and easy to root for.
I'm glad I read this, but it didn't wow me like [b:A Tale of Two Cities|1953|A Tale of Two Cities|Charles Dickens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344922523s/1953.jpg|2956372] or [b:Oliver Twist|18254|Oliver Twist|Charles Dickens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327868529s/18254.jpg|3057979]. David's childhood was interesting, but perhaps an abridged version is a good choice for folks wishing to get the gist but not willing to spend weeks David's ho-hum adult years.