Tuesday, April 30, 2013

no. 1 {the classics club} The Pickwick Papers

After 64 days of being alternately bored and impressed, I can finally say I've finished Charles Dickens's earliest work.

The Pickwick Papers, also known as "The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club," is narrated by an omniscient Dickens, covering the stories of four members of the Pickwick Club: Samuel Pickwick, the benevolent President; Tracy Tupman, fat and amorous; Nathaniel Winkle, absurd yet lovable; and Augustus Snodgrass, poetic and rather mysterious. Though Dickens crafts his characters well, there are so many of them that the minor characters are difficult to remember (especially over a nine-week period with frequent reading breaks). And the absence of a real plot, the book being mostly episodic, made it hard to catch my interest. I found this work disappointing in its inability to captivate the reader--contrary to Great Expectations, but it does, admittedly, have its good points. Dickens's prose can be hilarious in a style much like my own, the main characters (particularly Sam Weller!) are very memorable, and the romances are sweet. But you have no idea what a relief and a triumph it was to put this book down and say, "I've finished The Pickwick Papers." While I will wholeheartedly recommend it for its literary value, I can't promise your perfect enjoyment.

13 comments:

  1. Hehe:) I finished it in half that time and I immediately bought the book after I read it since I enjoyed it do much:) Glad you finished it though.

    Layla.
    P.S. what did you think of che?

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    1. I'm glad you liked it! Che was interesting ... more bombastic than I expected :) But wow, those guys were amazing on their cellos!

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    2. Yeah, I know:) Same here. They have some more mellow songs(i.e: The Farewell) and some songs that were a BIT to much for me (Parabolic Cosmos;))

      Layla.

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    3. I like mellow, minor-keyed songs best :) They go very well with my book....

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    4. I'm listening to Arwen's Vigil by the piano guys right now, definitely fits your description:)

      Layla.

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    5. Or moonlight by the piano guys:) <3 <3 <3

      Layla.

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    6. Yes, the Piano Guys are incredible!

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  2. My hat is off to you for reading these books, Hannah! I just cannot get past the "old" language being so accustomed to the new. :)

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    1. Aw, thanks, Rissi! Yeah, I marvel at how much classic authors used to talk ... why did they think they could impress readers with details of rooms and hillsides? :) But I usually enjoy them anyway.

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    2. They do impress me with those descriptions=D I'm very old-fashioned at heart, me and 18th century authors and earlier would get along very well:)

      Layla.

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    3. For me it depends on how well the descriptions are written. I still don't enjoy them a whole lot, but I admire them. Tolkien is a good example of that.

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  3. I hope to read this book! Modern day writing bores me more so than old day, (unless it's thee's, thou's...old english...don't care for those) so this sounds right for me! Good job for the finish!
    Does this not remind you of the Little Women movie with Winona Ryder, up in the attic, and Jo and all the girls reading the "Pickwick Society" in deep voices? LoL My favorite scene! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyI9wmA6An4
    Rebecca

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    1. Oh yeah ... that one is hilarious! And I agree that modern writing can be boring too. I wish someone could meld the genius of classic authors with the concision of modern-day artists.

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