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rjleamon11 's review for:
David Copperfield
by Charles Dickens
Opening note: This is NOT the audio edition I listened to: mine was a Naxos edition, read by Nicholas Boulton, and he should get huge credit because he was AMAZING! The book was extremely long, but his delivery and enthusiasm never seemed to flag. Huge applause!
Listening to DC was a great experience. I had it on my ipod, so I could listen to it in the car, but at 34 hours it also afforded me some pleasant hours baking, cleaning the house, and even, on Easter afternoon, knitting and waiting till it was time to go to dinner! Overall, my response is that my goodness, can Dickens tell a story! Although the last few chapters dragged a little because they mostly focused on love details (no spoilers here, but if the gentle reader can't see it coming about chapter 21 (and there are, I think 60!), then s/he is a dull reader indeed), the book as a whole kept me engrossed and fascinated. Mr. and Mrs. Micawber. . . Mr. Peggotty, Em'ly, Steerforth, the wonderful Traddles, Rosa Dartle, Miss Moucher, and, best of all, Aunt Betsy Trotwood herself. . . . all of them were memorable and fascinating. The Heeps and the Murdstones are equally engrossing bad guys--in fact, the only loose end I can complain about it the detail of Mr. Murdstone being mentioned as having nearly completely broken the spirit of another young wife, a detail that was introduced so deliberately that I was surprised it was never resolved. Another quibble was the general weirdness of the female characters who had any aspect of love attraction for Davy--his mother, Dora and Em'ly were smarmily described, and, eventually, so was Agnes. However, Sophie, "mule of the world" as she was, seemed to have some spirit, and of course Aunt Betsy Trotwood was WONDERFUL.
I *loved* the story, however. The unwinding thread and the various points--about women's reputations, about moral fiber and what makes goodness, about the faults of the law, about love--were interesting. The insight Dickens showed in his description of Mr. Wickfield's alcoholism and Heep's exploitation of it was impressive, too.
David Copperfield may join my list as a yearly read (or listen!), along with Jane Austen's works.
Listening to DC was a great experience. I had it on my ipod, so I could listen to it in the car, but at 34 hours it also afforded me some pleasant hours baking, cleaning the house, and even, on Easter afternoon, knitting and waiting till it was time to go to dinner! Overall, my response is that my goodness, can Dickens tell a story! Although the last few chapters dragged a little because they mostly focused on love details (no spoilers here, but if the gentle reader can't see it coming about chapter 21 (and there are, I think 60!), then s/he is a dull reader indeed), the book as a whole kept me engrossed and fascinated. Mr. and Mrs. Micawber. . . Mr. Peggotty, Em'ly, Steerforth, the wonderful Traddles, Rosa Dartle, Miss Moucher, and, best of all, Aunt Betsy Trotwood herself. . . . all of them were memorable and fascinating. The Heeps and the Murdstones are equally engrossing bad guys--in fact, the only loose end I can complain about it the detail of Mr. Murdstone being mentioned as having nearly completely broken the spirit of another young wife, a detail that was introduced so deliberately that I was surprised it was never resolved. Another quibble was the general weirdness of the female characters who had any aspect of love attraction for Davy--his mother, Dora and Em'ly were smarmily described, and, eventually, so was Agnes. However, Sophie, "mule of the world" as she was, seemed to have some spirit, and of course Aunt Betsy Trotwood was WONDERFUL.
I *loved* the story, however. The unwinding thread and the various points--about women's reputations, about moral fiber and what makes goodness, about the faults of the law, about love--were interesting. The insight Dickens showed in his description of Mr. Wickfield's alcoholism and Heep's exploitation of it was impressive, too.
David Copperfield may join my list as a yearly read (or listen!), along with Jane Austen's works.