Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Right after reading this, I gave is 3 stars because it's Dickens and I felt like I couldn't go lower than that. But it really was a 2 star book for me, so I'm changing it. I didn't HATE it, but I definitely didn't enjoy it. I've read a lot of Dickens, and since finishing this, Ive finished Oliver Twist (for the second year in a row- and I've read it a few times before that) and read almost half of Nicholas Nickleby. I'm reminded about what a master Dickens is and how good his other works are. This one just isn't. It's so disconnected. So many random stories about nothing. None of the characters are developed. Some people love the Sams, but that wasnt enough for me. It's also not written at the same caliber as other novels. I had to read the entire middle of the book really quickly or I never would have finished. I know one big problem is that I don't like most British humor (or should I say humour). After reading a short story Dickens wrote with Wilky Collins and Good Omens, I realized that I just don't like those types of books. I'm glad I read it and excited to finish all of Dickens works this year, but I don't know that I'll ever revisit it. If I do it will probably be in audio form to give it one more chance.
Just a reminder why I dislike Dickens. Long winded and too many minor characters coming in and out. Just a long boring book. But I am not giving up on my goal find something in Dickens that I like. I am going to try Oliver Twist now, many people have told me it is their favorite book, so maybe I will like this one
This is actually a re-read. I first read Pickwick Papers in the summer of my senior year of high school, but did not complete the novel until midway through the Fall semester. I asked the teacher if I could use this for my major presentation and she gave me the okay (and a very beautiful book of Dickens quotes as well).
I decided this time to listen to the audiobook, so my review will focus on the listening experience rather than the novel itself. The narrator was Peter Batchelor, who did more than just narrate the story of Samuel Pickwick and company. It was a wonderful listening experience, as he changed his voice and even his personality for each of the characters. I primarily listened to this while at work doing data entry, so I had to catch myself from laughing out loud, due to the nature of Batchelor's narration.
I hope once again to stumble upon this narrator!
I decided this time to listen to the audiobook, so my review will focus on the listening experience rather than the novel itself. The narrator was Peter Batchelor, who did more than just narrate the story of Samuel Pickwick and company. It was a wonderful listening experience, as he changed his voice and even his personality for each of the characters. I primarily listened to this while at work doing data entry, so I had to catch myself from laughing out loud, due to the nature of Batchelor's narration.
I hope once again to stumble upon this narrator!
I read this book to fulfil the goal read a book mentioned in another book. Mentioned in little women. I found this book a little hard to get into a first. when i started reading it as it was written only a chapter a day. i started getting more interested. i thoughly enjoyed it by the end. while it's not my favorite dickens classic. it is definetly in the top three.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
So much good food! And funny to the very end!
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Three very solid stars.
In some ways you can tell that this is Dickens' first novel, but it is a damn impressive first novel! At first the characters are loosely described and their adventures are the main focus - only later on are they more fleshed out and Dickens begin to tie events together and make the many separate stories into one cohesive novel.
The most successful creation is obviously Sam Weller who couldn't have been more well-crafted. He is lively, impertubable, clever, loyal to a fault, witty, and for some reason his "as the ... said to the... when...." sayings never get old. Probably because they are too funny.
My other favourite was Mr Winkle, always trying to do his best, but usually failing spectacularly. My heart warmed to him at the very beginning when he, without knowing why, ends up in a duel. It was hilarious yet sad, and it only went downhill from there for poor Mr Winkle. He so wanted to do well and impress the people around him, but he just couldn't catch a break. And though he is hardly in the story at all, I liked Mr Snodgrass a lot. I mean his name, come on! Also, a quiet, lovesick poet, who is loyal to his friends. Yes, I liked him.
Mr Pickwick himself is a kind and pleasant old man, who could sometimes be a bit mean (like when he didn't like Mr Tupman's costume and got angry out of the blue and started calling him fat), but usually he was very friendly and pleasant and fatherlike. Sam's loyalty to him was understandable and adorable. But mostly, I liked how Pickwick always got into weird situations but always took them in his stride.
This is a big book and a lot of things happen, which is why I thank Charles Dickens that he tied the events together, reintroduced characters etc., so the book didn't just turn into a string of events without purpose. And I got to hand it to Dickens - he can write moments so genuinely sad, melancholy and touching that you almost can't help but shed a tear on the tube, while a few pages further on you are laughing as Pickwick, Sam, Ben Allen and Bob Sawyer take a carriage ride from Bristol to Birmingham. From tears of sorrow to tears of laughter. He is a fine writer is Dickens.
The book is not without faults, and the prison chapters especially could have been shortened. But given Dickens personal experiences with prison I can see why he couldn't help but vent his anger at the social injustice of it. He didn't know that he would go on to write a gazillion novels where he would have time and space to explore this issue. But still, given the size of the Pickwick Papers, the prison scenes are fairly short, but they felt long. Any roads, this is very much worth the read - Sam and Tony Weller are in themselves worth the read. It is a hilarious novel, and given that it is his first I can only don my hat to Charles and say, "Well done." A great writer in the making, reveling in the sheer joy of writing and creating. And that joy comes through, so even though this isn't his best novel, it is one of them. Well done, Charles.
In some ways you can tell that this is Dickens' first novel, but it is a damn impressive first novel! At first the characters are loosely described and their adventures are the main focus - only later on are they more fleshed out and Dickens begin to tie events together and make the many separate stories into one cohesive novel.
The most successful creation is obviously Sam Weller who couldn't have been more well-crafted. He is lively, impertubable, clever, loyal to a fault, witty, and for some reason his "as the ... said to the... when...." sayings never get old. Probably because they are too funny.
My other favourite was Mr Winkle, always trying to do his best, but usually failing spectacularly. My heart warmed to him at the very beginning when he, without knowing why, ends up in a duel. It was hilarious yet sad, and it only went downhill from there for poor Mr Winkle. He so wanted to do well and impress the people around him, but he just couldn't catch a break. And though he is hardly in the story at all, I liked Mr Snodgrass a lot. I mean his name, come on! Also, a quiet, lovesick poet, who is loyal to his friends. Yes, I liked him.
Mr Pickwick himself is a kind and pleasant old man, who could sometimes be a bit mean (like when he didn't like Mr Tupman's costume and got angry out of the blue and started calling him fat), but usually he was very friendly and pleasant and fatherlike. Sam's loyalty to him was understandable and adorable. But mostly, I liked how Pickwick always got into weird situations but always took them in his stride.
This is a big book and a lot of things happen, which is why I thank Charles Dickens that he tied the events together, reintroduced characters etc., so the book didn't just turn into a string of events without purpose. And I got to hand it to Dickens - he can write moments so genuinely sad, melancholy and touching that you almost can't help but shed a tear on the tube, while a few pages further on you are laughing as Pickwick, Sam, Ben Allen and Bob Sawyer take a carriage ride from Bristol to Birmingham. From tears of sorrow to tears of laughter. He is a fine writer is Dickens.
The book is not without faults, and the prison chapters especially could have been shortened. But given Dickens personal experiences with prison I can see why he couldn't help but vent his anger at the social injustice of it. He didn't know that he would go on to write a gazillion novels where he would have time and space to explore this issue. But still, given the size of the Pickwick Papers, the prison scenes are fairly short, but they felt long. Any roads, this is very much worth the read - Sam and Tony Weller are in themselves worth the read. It is a hilarious novel, and given that it is his first I can only don my hat to Charles and say, "Well done." A great writer in the making, reveling in the sheer joy of writing and creating. And that joy comes through, so even though this isn't his best novel, it is one of them. Well done, Charles.
I like Dickens but this was by FAR the most difficult work to get through. It was supposed to be “comic”but nothing on that was funny.
It was massive,long and boring. Couldn’t help skip jump it.
It was massive,long and boring. Couldn’t help skip jump it.