A review by aravis72
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

4.0

This is an incredibly rich, delightful and exhaustive account of one David Copperfield. Immediately the book begins with him speaking impossibly from his memories of his perspective as a baby. From his time in Blundeston to his time in the boarding school, his life in the south of England and in London we are given a full account of his life from his perspective. It is unique in that it is a fictional autobiography written in first person, and yet many of the people are strongly connected to people in Dickens' life. What an incredible parade of characters - Miss Peggotty, Mr. Murdstone, Micawber, Traddles, and of course the infamous Uriah Heep. I was struck at how this novel often felt very post-modern in that the author is not entirely a reliable narrator, but Dickens gives this wink to the reader at the same time. I could often tell when Copperfield was being lied to and was being scammed even when he couldn't. And yet there were times when Copperfield's genuine naivete and honesty seems to be what introduces him to so many wonderful people and experiences. Admittedly, it took me a long time to read this book, but I am so glad I did. It is my first real introduction into Dickens' literature and his tropes, themes, etc., but it gave me an insight on how this book informed other bildungsroman-ish books like Joyce's Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man and even Catcher in the Rye, and quite frankly, the fictional first person narrative itself. It was an incredibly satisfying book and a great journey. I feel as if I have known and met many of his richly painted characters.