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A review by veenasoujanya
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
4.0
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
I personally feel that rating a Classic is very difficult. Though they are classics for a reason, reading certain stances and characters which are acceptable at that particular period is still hard as we can not accept them in the present time. Charles Dickens though is one of those writers whose works hit us hard even today and is relatable to any time period because of his genuine and perfect portrayal of human consciousness and emotions. I feel it works because of the idea that times and people may change but the internal conflict, emotions and certain attitudes of human behaviour are constant across time.
The Pickwick Papers is the first novel by the significant writer originally published in 19 issues over 20 months which popularised serialised fiction and cliffhanger endings. Shifted to the idea of entertainment rather than literature the novel has been a huge hit and in my opinion, it well deserved its popularity. Many of the short stories which are actually a part of the novel are later released as Dickens short fiction.
Coming to the story, Mr Samuel Pickwick a kind and wealthy old gentleman and the president of the Pickwick Club, makes a journey to the places remote from London to read and understand human nature and share his experience with other Pickwickians. He starts his journey with three other members of his club, Mr Winkle, Mr Snodgrass and Mr Tupman and on the way gains a valet Samuel Weller who gets loyally attached to Mr Pickwick. Their travels throughout the English countryside by coach provide the chief subject matter of the novel.
The novel is a brilliant comedy out and out and chiefly project the farce, dishonesty and pretentious attitude of people. His three companions create both problems and entertainment for Mr Pickwick who though projected as a silly man in the start turns out to be a man with a selfless attitude and friendly demeanour. My favourite part of the novel is the relationship of loyalty, trust and respect between Mr Pickwick and his valet Sam which Dickens presented beautifully. The novel ends with Mr Pickwick gaining experience of human attitude more than he expected and gaining some great friends and meeting some dreadful personalities in the process. He dissolves his club and moves to the calm countryside with Sam at the end and we see that he gathers great respect from people and leads a peaceful life in his future.
One of the most entertaining books I have read and I recommend this to classic book lovers and to people who has the patience to read huge books. (The novel is around 800+ pages) I assure you the time spent is well rewarded by the Pickwickians antics and experiences.
I personally feel that rating a Classic is very difficult. Though they are classics for a reason, reading certain stances and characters which are acceptable at that particular period is still hard as we can not accept them in the present time. Charles Dickens though is one of those writers whose works hit us hard even today and is relatable to any time period because of his genuine and perfect portrayal of human consciousness and emotions. I feel it works because of the idea that times and people may change but the internal conflict, emotions and certain attitudes of human behaviour are constant across time.
The Pickwick Papers is the first novel by the significant writer originally published in 19 issues over 20 months which popularised serialised fiction and cliffhanger endings. Shifted to the idea of entertainment rather than literature the novel has been a huge hit and in my opinion, it well deserved its popularity. Many of the short stories which are actually a part of the novel are later released as Dickens short fiction.
Coming to the story, Mr Samuel Pickwick a kind and wealthy old gentleman and the president of the Pickwick Club, makes a journey to the places remote from London to read and understand human nature and share his experience with other Pickwickians. He starts his journey with three other members of his club, Mr Winkle, Mr Snodgrass and Mr Tupman and on the way gains a valet Samuel Weller who gets loyally attached to Mr Pickwick. Their travels throughout the English countryside by coach provide the chief subject matter of the novel.
The novel is a brilliant comedy out and out and chiefly project the farce, dishonesty and pretentious attitude of people. His three companions create both problems and entertainment for Mr Pickwick who though projected as a silly man in the start turns out to be a man with a selfless attitude and friendly demeanour. My favourite part of the novel is the relationship of loyalty, trust and respect between Mr Pickwick and his valet Sam which Dickens presented beautifully. The novel ends with Mr Pickwick gaining experience of human attitude more than he expected and gaining some great friends and meeting some dreadful personalities in the process. He dissolves his club and moves to the calm countryside with Sam at the end and we see that he gathers great respect from people and leads a peaceful life in his future.
One of the most entertaining books I have read and I recommend this to classic book lovers and to people who has the patience to read huge books. (The novel is around 800+ pages) I assure you the time spent is well rewarded by the Pickwickians antics and experiences.