Scan barcode
haleybeck's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable book following the adventures of four friends traveling around England and getting into burped scrapes. But really Sam Weather was the real hero of the story.
Nice happy ending.
Nice happy ending.
sloatsj's review against another edition
4.0
Delightful sometimes seems a belittling compliment but I don’t know a better word for this book, which was so funny and buoyant, rich, and also human. Best is, as Dickens’ first book, you see the the seed of much of his later work here: the interminable law suits (Bleak House), the beloved relative in the debtors’ prison (Little Dorrit), the finger-wagging spirits (A Christmas Carol), and more.
This book was the favorite of both Fernando Pessoa and Giuseppe Lampedusa, and such high-brow admiration made me a bit afraid of what it would be like. I’d also heard there wasn’t much of a story line, so I worried. Would there be a plot? Would there be characters to follow? Wouldn’t it suck if I didn’t like it?
I worried for naught, for though the narrative is somewhat liquid, running here and there on various tangents, there is a plot to frame it, and the characters are marvelous, especially --as anyone who’s read the book knows -- Sam Weller, Mr. Pickwick’s servant. Mr. Pickwick himself radiates benevolence, and as always with Dickens, the outright melodrama of it all is like a little kindling in your hands. Dickens is a great observer, and his scenes and dialogues can be hilarious. Take, for example, Sam Weller’s father’s explanation of the character of pike keepers:
"Wery queer life is a pike-keeper's, sir."
"A what?" said Mr. Pickwick.
"A pike-keeper."
"What do you mean by pike-keeper?" inquired Mr. Peter Magnus.
"The old 'un means a turnpike keeper, gen'l'm'n," observed Mr. Samuel Weller, in explanation.
"Oh," said Mr. Pickwick, "I see. Yes; very curious life. Very uncomfortable."
"They're all on 'em men as has met vith some disappointment in life," said Mr. Weller senior.
"Ay, ay?" said Mr. Pickwick.
"Yes. Consequence of vich, they retires from the world, and shuts themselves up in pikes; partly with the view of being solitary, and partly to rewenge themselves on mankind, by takin' tolls."
"Dear me," said Mr. Pickwick, "I never knew that before."
Hey, me neither! But now I do.
Like Fernando Pessoa, I can only now say that a great tragedy of my life is having read "The Pickwick Papers," since I can never read it for the first time again.
This book was the favorite of both Fernando Pessoa and Giuseppe Lampedusa, and such high-brow admiration made me a bit afraid of what it would be like. I’d also heard there wasn’t much of a story line, so I worried. Would there be a plot? Would there be characters to follow? Wouldn’t it suck if I didn’t like it?
I worried for naught, for though the narrative is somewhat liquid, running here and there on various tangents, there is a plot to frame it, and the characters are marvelous, especially --as anyone who’s read the book knows -- Sam Weller, Mr. Pickwick’s servant. Mr. Pickwick himself radiates benevolence, and as always with Dickens, the outright melodrama of it all is like a little kindling in your hands. Dickens is a great observer, and his scenes and dialogues can be hilarious. Take, for example, Sam Weller’s father’s explanation of the character of pike keepers:
"Wery queer life is a pike-keeper's, sir."
"A what?" said Mr. Pickwick.
"A pike-keeper."
"What do you mean by pike-keeper?" inquired Mr. Peter Magnus.
"The old 'un means a turnpike keeper, gen'l'm'n," observed Mr. Samuel Weller, in explanation.
"Oh," said Mr. Pickwick, "I see. Yes; very curious life. Very uncomfortable."
"They're all on 'em men as has met vith some disappointment in life," said Mr. Weller senior.
"Ay, ay?" said Mr. Pickwick.
"Yes. Consequence of vich, they retires from the world, and shuts themselves up in pikes; partly with the view of being solitary, and partly to rewenge themselves on mankind, by takin' tolls."
"Dear me," said Mr. Pickwick, "I never knew that before."
Hey, me neither! But now I do.
Like Fernando Pessoa, I can only now say that a great tragedy of my life is having read "The Pickwick Papers," since I can never read it for the first time again.
alisonraereed's review against another edition
5.0
Reading Dickens' works has always reminded me of committing to all existing seasons of a long-running television show. This has never been more true than in the Pickwick Papers, his first major work collected into novel form.
Do not sit down to read this as you would a regular novel. This is episodic writing and it is long. But if you view each chapter as that week's installment, as the original audience did, it becomes a much more manageable read.
As television shows can attest to, having such a long-running story brings its unique challenges. At times, the plot lags. New episodes seem unnecessary and characters return that you have a hard time remembering from their original appearance.
And yet, Mr. Pickwick is such a lovely creation and the cast of characters surrounding him so entertaining, on the whole, that this is a lovely read. As the book closes and everyone settles into new forms of livelihood, mostly thanks to Pickwick's generosity, I nearly shed a tear. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, especially Mr. Pickwick himself, even though I had been anticipating the end of the book for quite some chapters.
Though I will never meet Mr. Pickwick in real life, I feel honored to have known him through the pen of Dickens and am ever grateful and edified for the experience.
Do not sit down to read this as you would a regular novel. This is episodic writing and it is long. But if you view each chapter as that week's installment, as the original audience did, it becomes a much more manageable read.
As television shows can attest to, having such a long-running story brings its unique challenges. At times, the plot lags. New episodes seem unnecessary and characters return that you have a hard time remembering from their original appearance.
And yet, Mr. Pickwick is such a lovely creation and the cast of characters surrounding him so entertaining, on the whole, that this is a lovely read. As the book closes and everyone settles into new forms of livelihood, mostly thanks to Pickwick's generosity, I nearly shed a tear. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, especially Mr. Pickwick himself, even though I had been anticipating the end of the book for quite some chapters.
Though I will never meet Mr. Pickwick in real life, I feel honored to have known him through the pen of Dickens and am ever grateful and edified for the experience.
annaonthepage's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Background-listened. Brilliant narration. Very long so drifted in and out of the plot, but the vibe was nice and light and kept me company. The characters seemed quite sweet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
ankika's review against another edition
4.75
I am a great Dickens fan and The Pickwick Papers definitively didn’t disappoint. You can really see how Dickens explores his ability for observing and describing people and his inventive genius. It is the perfect read when you’re feeling down or disappointed in the world because it will make you laugh and leave you with a warm feeling.
The last third of the novel did feel a bit too long and could have done without some of the extra twists and inserted stories but even in that part Dickens manages to convince with his originality.
My favourite scenes were Mr Pickwick chasing his hat in chapter and the whole crew being gathered on Christmas in chapter. The first seems to me the pinnacle of humour and the second perfectly captures the atmosphere and spirit of Christmas. Also any scene with Sam Weller is a great scene because he is without a doubt the best character of the novel if not of all Dickens’ characters.
brontesaurus84's review against another edition
4.0
Some of Dickens' most likeable characters provide the entertainment through a series of unfortunate, for them anyway, episodes. Doesn't feel as cohesive as other Dickens works but is worth the price of admission for the terrific Sam Weller, the charming Samuel Pickwick and friends.
nd_reads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5