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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Eh. Dickens gone wrong. You're pretty much doomed, if you start reading his books with this one. Dull and so not funny. This is Dickens's first novel, so someone might say he deserves some slack. Don't understand that statement. No matter if it's a first or tenth novel, if it's bad it's bad.
The Pickwickians are silly characters, who occasionally meet some person who tells them a story to be added into the books of the Pickwick Club. That's basically it. I think Dickens was just trying to find his voice, and took the role of a literary caricaturist a bit too seriously. Some of the stories were ok, but I didn't understand their function in the story itself. Maybe because I've always hated Humpty Dumpty that I grew up hating the Pickwickians? Oh well, now I've read the book that started it all.
The Pickwickians are silly characters, who occasionally meet some person who tells them a story to be added into the books of the Pickwick Club. That's basically it. I think Dickens was just trying to find his voice, and took the role of a literary caricaturist a bit too seriously. Some of the stories were ok, but I didn't understand their function in the story itself. Maybe because I've always hated Humpty Dumpty that I grew up hating the Pickwickians? Oh well, now I've read the book that started it all.
funny
While some sections of this one were tedious for me, reading it in the here and now, I am sure they were quite entertaining for their time and place. Other sections were very clever still. I’m glad that I read Don Quixote last year, so that I could enjoy the similarities. Dickens is one of my favorite authors, and I’m very glad that these serials were so popular as to give him his start. Pleasant to read, even if not as consistently great as some of his later works.
Three and a half bloated stars.
This took a lot closer to forever to finish than I wish it had. I love Dickens, but this was the third or fourth time really trying to commit to finishing what turned out to be, frankly, an over-long story. Yes, I understand that these sorts of books come from a time when stories were serialized and it was in the author's best interest to stretch it out as long as he/she could, with the requisite cliffhangers. But good lord.
Thankfully, Dickens knows how to spin an often (but not always) compelling yarn. For me, the compulsion was ultimately forcing my way through what sometimes was a slog of a tale. Think of this as Bleak House with a somewhat happier ending.
This took a lot closer to forever to finish than I wish it had. I love Dickens, but this was the third or fourth time really trying to commit to finishing what turned out to be, frankly, an over-long story. Yes, I understand that these sorts of books come from a time when stories were serialized and it was in the author's best interest to stretch it out as long as he/she could, with the requisite cliffhangers. But good lord.
Thankfully, Dickens knows how to spin an often (but not always) compelling yarn. For me, the compulsion was ultimately forcing my way through what sometimes was a slog of a tale. Think of this as Bleak House with a somewhat happier ending.
very episodic with mostly bland characters but you can see sometimes the genius charles dickens would grow up to be in its quick witted narrator and description of the scenery and the daily lives of common people.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
What I loved: the characters and the humor (as with all good Dickens). There are many rich characters, both good and bad, but even the “bad guys” are not so bad as to take this work to very dark places as some Dickens can go. There is still plenty of scathing social commentary, just a slightly lighter hand than in other works like David Copperfield. There are hysterical scenes here that reminded me of classic sitcom confusion and misunderstanding. And, one particular character’s way of making analogies, usually followed by another politely asking him to leave the room, made me laugh out loud regularly. Prebble’s narration added greatly to the enjoyment of the whole work, bringing all these people to vivid life.
What I did not love: the occasional interludes of someone telling a tale (usually around a shared fire at an inn). These were usually dreary breaks from an otherwise lively paced novel.
What I did not love: the occasional interludes of someone telling a tale (usually around a shared fire at an inn). These were usually dreary breaks from an otherwise lively paced novel.
Hilarious and clever, Dickens seems to be well ahead of his time with the sarcastic humor he employs in this book. It is a bit long for a casual reader, but never boring or uninteresting.