Scan barcode
musicdeepdive's review against another edition
3.5
The weakness of Dickens' fourth novel is its lack of understanding who the main character is. Nell is the Oliver Twist equivalent whose purity perseveres through many trials (even if her life doesn't), but Kit is the agent, the person who moves the story along. That said, I can tell how much Dickens enjoyed writing this book and how much the character of Nell meant to him, and certain scenes with her are incredibly powerful.
lgpiper's review against another edition
4.0
I keep trying to get people to tell me which is Dickens' best, so I won't have to read all the others. But no one helps much. Some group on the Internet said it was Bleak House, but I think that is the least favorite of the five I've read in the past year.
Based on the five books I've read so far, it appears that Dickens' stories are all pretty much the same. There's always orphans, much benighted, but stout hearted, moral and persistent. There's usually some kind of deformed villain, a ne'er-do-well sponger, a kindly old gentleman or two, an eccentric spinster, and likely a few other character types. Oh yeah, many, but not all, lawyers are conniving and grasping.
Anyway, The Old Curiosity Shop has all this in spades. It's the story of Little Nell and her grandfather, more-or-less. Also the story of Kit. There's lots of pathos, but, what's rather fun, lots of Dickens' wry humorous portrayal of the frailties of humanity. Dickens blathers incessantly, but it's such entertaining blather that one can never tire of it. I wonder why it took me so many decades to discover Dickens?
Based on the five books I've read so far, it appears that Dickens' stories are all pretty much the same. There's always orphans, much benighted, but stout hearted, moral and persistent. There's usually some kind of deformed villain, a ne'er-do-well sponger, a kindly old gentleman or two, an eccentric spinster, and likely a few other character types. Oh yeah, many, but not all, lawyers are conniving and grasping.
Anyway, The Old Curiosity Shop has all this in spades. It's the story of Little Nell and her grandfather, more-or-less. Also the story of Kit. There's lots of pathos, but, what's rather fun, lots of Dickens' wry humorous portrayal of the frailties of humanity. Dickens blathers incessantly, but it's such entertaining blather that one can never tire of it. I wonder why it took me so many decades to discover Dickens?
_carlibri_'s review against another edition
4.0
Un libro molto molto triste e malinconico.
Ma, come spesso accade con Dickens, anche molto dolce.
Qui viene indagato principalmente il grottesco, in tutte le sue forme possibili.
E anche la morte aleggia su tutto il testo, mai come distruzione e dolore, ma come parte della vita, anzi, quasi come via di fuga da una vita fatta di sofferenze.
Inoltre, ciascuno dei personaggi è allegorico e racchiude una parte di umanità.
Iconici Nella e Quilp, il bene e il male.
Personalmente, ho anche trovato dei punti in comune con L'uomo che ride di Hugo, sia per quanto concerne appunto la rappresentazione del grottesco, che anche quella di Londra, come anche quella della bontà, ma anche della bassezza umana.
Magistrale l'introduzione di Giorgio Manganelli, che consiglio di leggere alla fine.
Ma, come spesso accade con Dickens, anche molto dolce.
Qui viene indagato principalmente il grottesco, in tutte le sue forme possibili.
E anche la morte aleggia su tutto il testo, mai come distruzione e dolore, ma come parte della vita, anzi, quasi come via di fuga da una vita fatta di sofferenze.
Inoltre, ciascuno dei personaggi è allegorico e racchiude una parte di umanità.
Iconici Nella e Quilp, il bene e il male.
Personalmente, ho anche trovato dei punti in comune con L'uomo che ride di Hugo, sia per quanto concerne appunto la rappresentazione del grottesco, che anche quella di Londra, come anche quella della bontà, ma anche della bassezza umana.
Magistrale l'introduzione di Giorgio Manganelli, che consiglio di leggere alla fine.
stefreadsallthebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
forever_day's review against another edition
3.0
Review for the Purnell abridged version:
This book was simulantaneously one I didn't particularly enjoy, while also being one I think is well written. The characters and observations about human nature make it worthwhile reading, but not gripping.
It was my first Dickens, and I liked his prose but not the plot. It generally landed on the depressing side of life, with limited moments of lightheartedness or even the characters having an acceptable time. I left it alone many months before forcing myself to finish it. I didn't not enjoy the experience of reading it while I was reading, but I was never so engrossed as to want to rush back to it. I only found out that I read the abridged version (~215 pages) when looking for the edition, so I don't know what aspects I might be missing, but I did not enjoy it enough to go hunting for the ~600 page version. The bulk of the book being a pair meandering with no destination and falling into various depressing situations was not to my taste.
Also, possibly because I left so many months between coming back to it, I found it hard to keep track of who everyone was. I did however, like that every loose end was tied up at the end. However, I didn't have any emotional connection to anyone.
There was one singular event that truly struck me while reading, which was Nell hearing someone coming in at night to steal something, only to turn and find out the thief is her own grandfather. That scene hit perfectly- the initial horror of something scary in the night and which then morphs into the horror of human weakness, being taken advantage of by someone who should love you and is simulataneously something to be feared and pitied. The scene hit truly in a way the rest of the book didn't.
This book was simulantaneously one I didn't particularly enjoy, while also being one I think is well written. The characters and observations about human nature make it worthwhile reading, but not gripping.
It was my first Dickens, and I liked his prose but not the plot. It generally landed on the depressing side of life, with limited moments of lightheartedness or even the characters having an acceptable time. I left it alone many months before forcing myself to finish it. I didn't not enjoy the experience of reading it while I was reading, but I was never so engrossed as to want to rush back to it. I only found out that I read the abridged version (~215 pages) when looking for the edition, so I don't know what aspects I might be missing, but I did not enjoy it enough to go hunting for the ~600 page version. The bulk of the book being a pair meandering with no destination and falling into various depressing situations was not to my taste.
Also, possibly because I left so many months between coming back to it, I found it hard to keep track of who everyone was. I did however, like that every loose end was tied up at the end. However,
Spoiler
one character dies at the end, and I was mildly disappointed but not truly sad becauseThere was one singular event that truly struck me while reading, which was Nell hearing someone coming in at night to steal something, only to turn and find out the thief is her own grandfather. That scene hit perfectly- the initial horror of something scary in the night and which then morphs into the horror of human weakness, being taken advantage of by someone who should love you and is simulataneously something to be feared and pitied. The scene hit truly in a way the rest of the book didn't.
aegisnyc's review against another edition
4.0
While his writing's occasionally over-sentimental, I love how Dickens sketches characters so cleanly. Now I ride the subway and sit in meetings wondering how he'd describe the people around me. Just saw the NYC School Chancellor Joel Klein on NY1 and he comPLETEly looks like he was created by Dickens. Plus, now that Nell and her grandfather are on the road and meeting strangers and passing through situations, sometimes harmless, sometimes threatening, I keep being reminded of The Road. Anyway, I'm enjoying this.
gjmaupin's review against another edition
4.0
Your Basic Dickens. I enjoyed the carnival-ness of it all, and found intriguing how many unnamed major characters there are considering, you know, Dickens and the names. Dick Swiveller. Fanny Sparkler. The Cheerybles. And so.
Not my favorite in the canon, but worth my time.
Not my favorite in the canon, but worth my time.
bryce_is_a_librarian's review against another edition
3.0
Parts of it read like the grotesque nightmare verision of what people who don't read Victorian novels suppose them to be. Melodrama, moralizing, inward vice equated with outward deformity, a heroine that suffers like a character in a Lars Von Trier film.
But as always there is enough vividness, humor and vivacity in Dickens writing to compel the reader through whatever hugger mugger the narrative throws at them.
For real though, I would pay good money for a version of this book in which Little Nell straight up smothers her grandfather with a pillow halfway through.
But as always there is enough vividness, humor and vivacity in Dickens writing to compel the reader through whatever hugger mugger the narrative throws at them.
For real though, I would pay good money for a version of this book in which Little Nell straight up smothers her grandfather with a pillow halfway through.