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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
a classic which deserves to be a classic. David is a brilliant narrator and paints believable pictures of the characters throughout his life story. some slower parts, but in general very engaging and readable. the world felt incredibly Dickensian throughout
funny
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
reflective
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:
Yes
One of my books clubs was reading Demon Copperhead, and I had never read David Copperfield, and I felt as though I must in order to better understand what Kingsolver was doing. I have seen movie adaptations of this Dickens' novel, but I had never read it.
Boy, is Dickens wordy. I understand that the book was first published as a serial and that he got paid by the word. I also understand that this is semi-autobiographical, so he had a big investment in setting up scenes, establishing characters, and exploring interaction among a cast of characters. I even wonder if he made Mr. Macawber chatty in part to help him hit a higher word count.
Anyway, I was thrilled to meet these larger-than-life characters (such as Uriah Heep) who have a life beyond the book because they are so cartoonish while also commenting on realistic personality traits that we might observe in others. Oh, that Heep makes a great villian. He is so oily. GAH!
Anyway, it was very difficult for me to read the last quarter of the book. I felt as though things were being dragged out more than necessary. (Yes, the last 5 chapters so are good, but about 10 chapter before that got a little tedious.)
I am glad that I got to observe some of the concerns of Victorian London, particularly the exploitation of children and those of the lower classes. I am very glad that there are child labor laws in place now! (I say that, but a US janitorial company was just -- March 2024 -- found to be employing children to clean slaughterhouses. GAH!)
I think if Dickens were to publish this today, it wouldn't sell well, but he established a tradition (of socially aware writing and of Bildungsroman among the underclass) that deserves a read.
Boy, is Dickens wordy. I understand that the book was first published as a serial and that he got paid by the word. I also understand that this is semi-autobiographical, so he had a big investment in setting up scenes, establishing characters, and exploring interaction among a cast of characters. I even wonder if he made Mr. Macawber chatty in part to help him hit a higher word count.
Anyway, I was thrilled to meet these larger-than-life characters (such as Uriah Heep) who have a life beyond the book because they are so cartoonish while also commenting on realistic personality traits that we might observe in others. Oh, that Heep makes a great villian. He is so oily. GAH!
Anyway, it was very difficult for me to read the last quarter of the book. I felt as though things were being dragged out more than necessary. (Yes, the last 5 chapters so are good, but about 10 chapter before that got a little tedious.)
I am glad that I got to observe some of the concerns of Victorian London, particularly the exploitation of children and those of the lower classes. I am very glad that there are child labor laws in place now! (I say that, but a US janitorial company was just -- March 2024 -- found to be employing children to clean slaughterhouses. GAH!)
I think if Dickens were to publish this today, it wouldn't sell well, but he established a tradition (of socially aware writing and of Bildungsroman among the underclass) that deserves a read.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Favourite book of all time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
emotional
funny
sad
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:
Complicated
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes