Reviews

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

eccles's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

My instinct to seek refuge in some literary safe space for old white men has been amply rewarded.  Excellent stuff!   Crazy to read the whole thing as one book - I can see myself enjoying it much more in weekly or monthly instalments in whatever periodical originally published it - but I suppose I’ve consumed it in chunks over the month so it’s not all that different.   I found myself chuckling out loud on a number of evenings, and even got a little teary over the final reunion of Winkle and his father.  Alright, you have to deal with the archaic voice and all the weird Victoriana in there - but there’s footnotes if you’re interested and none of it really detracts from the silly tales and loveable characters.  Of course, as you go on it’s more Sam Weller’s Papers than Pickwick, who about halfway through is thoroughly upstaged by Sam and his dad.   And all the better for it.  Frankly incredible this was produced by a 24 year old, evidence of some kind of genius even if you don’t like his politics or place in the Victorian patriarchy.   Bits of truly original prose.  Describing August we have “..the corn, piled in graceful sheaves, or waving in every light breath that sweeps above it, as if it wooed the sickle, tinges the landscape with a golden hue.” And in a moment of indignation “… he looked encyclopaedias at Mr Peter Magus”.   Also, gotta say, Tolkien got a LOT from this thing.  Sam is Sam, for sure, and Frodo has a fair amount of Pickwick about him, and the walks, and journeys and settling down at the end could have come wholesale out of these stories. 

krysm's review against another edition

5.0

Re-read in 2023.

midgereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I read this for school and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I laughed out loud several times and found the main characters very likeable. The biggest problem is that it’s so long. They were not lying when they said Charles Dickens loved descriptions. My other issue is that there are several misogynistic ideas sprinkled throughout (and Dickens often called women “females”) but it was the 19th century so what can you do. 

ambipure's review against another edition

challenging funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

bluestarfish's review against another edition

4.0

As often seems to be the case with me and Dickens I take a little while to get into it, and then I really enjoy it. The Pickwick Papers are a huge undertaking and I struggled at first but then at some point something clicked and I was reading avidly without realising it. I think it was probably around the time when I got the characters straight in my head and could start distinguishing between them. And Sam Weller is a real joy.

Reading the Pickwickian Christmas shortly before the one in real-time was also fortuitous. It's such a lovely description that I could see that being added to the annual Christmas reading.

rlintott's review against another edition

4.0

A bit long-winded at times, and I really need to learn a way to read Picaresque novels that doesn't prevent my reading other things, but overall it was a fantastic story. Certainly, as my Aunt said, Dickens on uppers.

lisawreading's review against another edition

3.0

Done, finally! I've been on a mission to read more Dickens, and ended up reading Pickwick Papers with my book group this year. Parts are quite funny, and overall it's silly and endearing, but it lacks the deeper impact of some of his masterpieces.

fruitkate's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

srobertsp's review against another edition

4.0

First read in high school (1968?), assigned, I think.

zenithharpink's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars. I really love Dickens, so I had high expectations walking into this, but I was not disappointed - of course, Dickens never does! It took a minute for me to get used to the format of the book, it was a bit like soaking into a very warm bath. It was just a touch too hot, but I was slowly able to sink in and thoroughly enjoy myself.

Mr. Pickwick was an enjoyable character, and his friends were stolid, engaging types. It was a new change of pace, a up-beat Dickens novel, but there were moments of this book that had me laughing out loud. It was reminiscent of Wodehouse, though with a fair bit less levity.

I was certainly hoping for a little more satisfaction or even revenge on a couple plot lines, but I was to be disappointed. This book wonderfully ties up loose ends as Dickens always does, but I am clearly more petty than Mr. Dickens & Mr. Pickwick. This book was still thoroughly enjoyable.

I recommend this book to all fans of Dickens or great English literature. While not my favorite of his novels, this was still a great read.