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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Josiah Bounderby one of the fiction's best creations.
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
medium-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
challenging
reflective
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
A fun and insightful look into Victorian society. Much more pleasant to read than I originally thought it would be!!
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-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:
Yes
Good concepts/portrayal of an era. Found it very difficult to get into though (obviously because it was written some time ago).
dark
funny
lighthearted
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:
Yes
This is my least favorite Dickens so far, but I still liked this story. Thomas Gradgrind has raised his children to think only in facts and logic, but that has dire consequences for his children as they have no balance in their lives. This results in Louisa being stuck in an unhappy marriage and Tom Jr. being addicted to gambling.
As I said, this is my least favorite, but it still has the Dickens elements that I love like his exaggerated characters. I want to learn about Louisa and Mrs. Sparsit and found both Bounderby and Tom as great antagonistic figures. Gradgrind's obsession with facts and logical thinking is so interesting and I just wanted to know why he thinks that way. The writing is still long winded, but he comes up with these intrinsic sentences. Ex. 'Now, what I want is facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to Facts, sir!' Ex.2 "Mrs. Sparsit's edge, must have given her as it were a lift, in the way of inspiration. She erected in her mind a mighty staircase, with a dark pit of shame and ruin at the bottom; and down those stairs, from day to day and hour to hour, she saw Louisa coming....." The plot is simple with a clear moral message using Gradgrind and Bounderby as examples of what is it like to have a lack of balance in your life. It has Dickens signature wit and cleverness with a bit of humor such as Bounderby constantly referring to himself in third person and having temper tantrums like a child. There is nothing wrong with the novel and I still liked reading it, but I just prefer Dickens' more intricate plots.
As I said, this is my least favorite, but it still has the Dickens elements that I love like his exaggerated characters. I want to learn about Louisa and Mrs. Sparsit and found both Bounderby and Tom as great antagonistic figures. Gradgrind's obsession with facts and logical thinking is so interesting and I just wanted to know why he thinks that way. The writing is still long winded, but he comes up with these intrinsic sentences. Ex. 'Now, what I want is facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to Facts, sir!' Ex.2 "Mrs. Sparsit's edge, must have given her as it were a lift, in the way of inspiration. She erected in her mind a mighty staircase, with a dark pit of shame and ruin at the bottom; and down those stairs, from day to day and hour to hour, she saw Louisa coming....." The plot is simple with a clear moral message using Gradgrind and Bounderby as examples of what is it like to have a lack of balance in your life. It has Dickens signature wit and cleverness with a bit of humor such as Bounderby constantly referring to himself in third person and having temper tantrums like a child. There is nothing wrong with the novel and I still liked reading it, but I just prefer Dickens' more intricate plots.
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes