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A review by lattelibrarian
The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
4.0
I don't know how I always end up reading Dickens during winter break, but I do. It's become a sort of unexpected tradition.
In all honesty, this is perhaps the most confusing of all 3 books of his I've read, though that may largely be due to the fact that I was travelling quite a lot and read this in strange, large spurts at a time. Do with that what you will.
However, the tale of Little Nell as a social critique is powerful and to the point. Little girls are expected to be happy even in poverty, and they're constantly in positions--especially in the Victorian era--of naivete, misunderstanding, and powerlessness. They're at the mercy of the men around them, and that in itself is a tragedy, even if the men are evil, even if the men are loving and kind.
Also most poignant to me is how Mr. Quilp treats Mrs. Quilp. He's certainly a terrible, dastardly man, but the way he treats his wife, even by Victorian standards I'm sure, is something beyond me. There's mental stress, manipulation, emotional distress, physical discomfort. This book goes to great lengths to show how unworthy Mr. Quilp is of anything good that comes his way.
Overall, this was quite an interesting book, one filled with lots of commentary, imagery, and hope.
Review cross-listed here!
In all honesty, this is perhaps the most confusing of all 3 books of his I've read, though that may largely be due to the fact that I was travelling quite a lot and read this in strange, large spurts at a time. Do with that what you will.
However, the tale of Little Nell as a social critique is powerful and to the point. Little girls are expected to be happy even in poverty, and they're constantly in positions--especially in the Victorian era--of naivete, misunderstanding, and powerlessness. They're at the mercy of the men around them, and that in itself is a tragedy, even if the men are evil, even if the men are loving and kind.
Also most poignant to me is how Mr. Quilp treats Mrs. Quilp. He's certainly a terrible, dastardly man, but the way he treats his wife, even by Victorian standards I'm sure, is something beyond me. There's mental stress, manipulation, emotional distress, physical discomfort. This book goes to great lengths to show how unworthy Mr. Quilp is of anything good that comes his way.
Overall, this was quite an interesting book, one filled with lots of commentary, imagery, and hope.
Review cross-listed here!