Reviews

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

seclement's review against another edition

4.0

This book is, like some others have written, quite an insight into how Dickens learned how to write. It is so very long because it was first published in instalments, and I don't really think it's best read front to back. I recommend the audio version (not for those who don't believe audio books can be reading....if that's you, then you know who you are), as the narration is absolutely brilliant. It also comes with the benefit of allowing you to potter around the house while you are reading (making it the perfect lockdown book for 2020), and you can get a deal with Kindle + audiobook if you have a Kindle and want to break it up between things, since it's so long. It's a fun book, it really made me laugh out loud quite a lot, so I have found it a perfect book for our unsettling times. The characters really are caricatures of English characters that did - and in some places still do - exist, which is what makes them so hilarious. For a book written in 85 years ago, it really does hold up well. The first few hundred and last few hundred pages are the best, I feel, as in the beginning the absurdity draws you in, in the middle you get a bit tired of the repetitiveness of the antics, and by the end you see that Dickens has really found his feet as a writer.

thecatladybooknook_penny's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

I'll like reading this in the future as a light palette cleanser.

beautifulminutiae's review

funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

isobelline's review

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

The Dickens novel with the lowest stakes

I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did! The characters were so fun and loveable, I could have kept reading about their little adventures forever

My favorites were Jingle and Trotter, I would have loved to read more about them, they have such a fun dynamic ;)

nikki_in_niagara's review

3.0

A collection of vignettes of Mr Pickwick and The Pickwick Society which travels and records incidents of interest either experienced or heard. This is Dickens' first novel and as he admits is a collection of stories rather than a novel per se. The book does start very episodic but unknown to the reader small incidents are dropped which will be important later on. The second half of the book is more cohesive and novel-like. I enjoyed all the Pickwickians and found their exploits hilarious. A comic novel it does slightly touch upon Dickens' further use of his social conscience as regards the Debtors Prison. Often a parody of contemporary themes such as lawyers and elections. An easy-to-read writing style. I'm glad to have started my year of reading Dickens.

eccles's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

My instinct to seek refuge in some literary safe space for old white men has been amply rewarded.  Excellent stuff!   Crazy to read the whole thing as one book - I can see myself enjoying it much more in weekly or monthly instalments in whatever periodical originally published it - but I suppose I’ve consumed it in chunks over the month so it’s not all that different.   I found myself chuckling out loud on a number of evenings, and even got a little teary over the final reunion of Winkle and his father.  Alright, you have to deal with the archaic voice and all the weird Victoriana in there - but there’s footnotes if you’re interested and none of it really detracts from the silly tales and loveable characters.  Of course, as you go on it’s more Sam Weller’s Papers than Pickwick, who about halfway through is thoroughly upstaged by Sam and his dad.   And all the better for it.  Frankly incredible this was produced by a 24 year old, evidence of some kind of genius even if you don’t like his politics or place in the Victorian patriarchy.   Bits of truly original prose.  Describing August we have “..the corn, piled in graceful sheaves, or waving in every light breath that sweeps above it, as if it wooed the sickle, tinges the landscape with a golden hue.” And in a moment of indignation “… he looked encyclopaedias at Mr Peter Magus”.   Also, gotta say, Tolkien got a LOT from this thing.  Sam is Sam, for sure, and Frodo has a fair amount of Pickwick about him, and the walks, and journeys and settling down at the end could have come wholesale out of these stories. 

krysm's review against another edition

5.0

Re-read in 2023.

midgereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I read this for school and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I laughed out loud several times and found the main characters very likeable. The biggest problem is that it’s so long. They were not lying when they said Charles Dickens loved descriptions. My other issue is that there are several misogynistic ideas sprinkled throughout (and Dickens often called women “females”) but it was the 19th century so what can you do. 

ambipure's review against another edition

challenging funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

bluestarfish's review against another edition

4.0

As often seems to be the case with me and Dickens I take a little while to get into it, and then I really enjoy it. The Pickwick Papers are a huge undertaking and I struggled at first but then at some point something clicked and I was reading avidly without realising it. I think it was probably around the time when I got the characters straight in my head and could start distinguishing between them. And Sam Weller is a real joy.

Reading the Pickwickian Christmas shortly before the one in real-time was also fortuitous. It's such a lovely description that I could see that being added to the annual Christmas reading.