What the Dickens? The Old Curiosity Shop
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- In which I talk about Charles Dickens’s The Old Curiosity Shop…
The Old Curiosity Shop was Dickens’s fourth novel, published in 1840-1; it is my sixth favourite Dickens novel.
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Katie, I read this for your March Dickens read along. Thank you for the extra motivation! The unique comments that I would add about this work is I like how Dickens showed Nell's grandfather's gambling addiction in a powerful way. It clearly harmed him but also Nell was powerless to limit its damage. I liked Mrs. Jarley, even though she was a minor character, she treated Nell with a lot of love. I agree that Kit, Dick Swiveler, and the Marchioness are fantastic! Thanks for all your hard work and helping others to find the greatness of Charles Dickens!!
I agree, the scene where the grandfather is searching for money was terrifying and brilliantly shows what a gambling addiction can lead to. Mrs. Jarley is definitely my favourite, the way she wants everyone around her to be as comfortable as she is! A good hearted woman :)
One of my favorite scenes in all Dickens' work is when Kit tells the infatuated girl that she is pretty, to her great pleasure, but follows it up with 'and so's your Mother' or something very similar. LOL funny.
It does make me laugh :)
And another Dickens novel I had only the vaguest of notions of--seriously, I'm learning so much from these videos. Thank you for making them!
+BooksandQuestions Thank you :) I had a lot of fun!
I just finished The Old Curiosity Shop. I found the end heartbreaking although I loved the book. I know the grandfather couldn't seem to help himself but he caused poor Nell such misery. She was happy where she was and he couldn't understand that. Dickens touches my heart like no other author that I have ever read. It is amazing to me that over 150 years after his death he can capture my imagination and fill me with wonder. I am moving on to Our Mutual Friend with great expectations, pun intended. I love your videos. Keep up the great work! Also, if you get a chance to read Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, I would strongly recommend it.
My favorite moment in the book is when Sampson Brass confess about framing Kit and then telling it was Quilp who came up with the plan because when you read it you cant help but feel the rage and the hatred that Brass has for Quilp you feel sorry for him at the end if anything
Your review is excellent. I have 2 points to make: the Marchioness certainly was a servant but also a slave. I cannot see that Quilp is disabled at all.
its in the book not the film
There is a fascinating history behind The Old Curiosity Shop and why it, along with Barnaby Rudge, have such peculiarities with their designs. Originally they appeared in Master Humphrey's Clock which was an experimental concept in which the stories and narratives contained within were interwoven to be as a singular story or stories within a story told by Master Humphrey and was intended to be published intact when completed. For several years afterwards Master Humphrey's Clock was printed and distributed in three volumes. Later Dickens decided extract the stories and edit them to remove Master Humphrey and all such references out of the work so they would be stand alone creations. However, he was unwilling to remove the original narrated introductory chapters at the beginning of The Old Curiosity Shop which he admitted was probably a poor decision, but he continued to stand by his conviction. In his own words (as only Dickens could say it) " When the story was finished, that it might be freed from the encumbrance of associations and interruptions with which it had no kind of concern, I caused the few sheets of Master Humphrey's Clock which had been printed in connection with it to be cancelled ; and, like the unfinished tale of the windy night and the notary in The Sentimental Journey, they became the property of the trunk-maker and the butterman. I was especially unwilling, I confess, to enrich those respectable trades with the opening paper of the abandoned design, in which Master Humphrey described himself and his manner of life. Though I now affect to make the confession as philosophically, bygone emotion, I am conscious that my pen winces a little even while I write these words. But it was done, and wisely done, and Master Humphrey's Clock, as originally constructed, became one of the lost books of the earth- which, we all know, are far more precious than any that can be read for love or money." If interested in reading The old Curiosity Shop as originally published here is a link to The Internet Archives scanned copy of Master Humphrey's Clock vol 1. The old Curiosity shop begins on page 36-37 archive.org/details/reyscmasterhumph01dickrich/page/n7
just finished reading this book ..it was sublime!
great vid. i did not realize many of the points you mentioned until i watched this.
Of course, not all of Dickens’ disabled characters are villainous although there are several notable ones like Squeers, Quilp, Flintwinch, and Wegg. Some positive examples that come to mind are Smike, Barnaby Rudge, Jenny Wren, and one could argue Esther Summerson.
I just got it I look forward to reading it great vid thanks
Quilp is a powerful, vindictive, character. I always forget about he is disabled.
Funny you should mention about the switch in perspectives--your guess is spot-on. Dickens DID write this for his serial magazine Master Humphrey's Clock; the original serialized version starts off with Master Humphrey as the narrator. In the serialized version, there's an ending scene where Humphrey's listeners ask why Nell's great-uncle, "the single gentleman", was never named, and Humphrey says, "because that man was me, and what I have told you are the chief sorrows of my life." But I believe that this framing device was cut out of the novel version, thereby leading to the rather clumsy perspective switch.
Ah, that's very interesting - that's for the information.
Thank you so much for this comment, this was such a plot hole but now it all makes sense
In the books of George McDonald of about the same era, characters with disabilities are mostly portrayed as unusually good and estimable people. Most always virtuous, often intelligent and insightful. Even those with mental disabilities have fine qualities.
Nell and her father are not running away from creditors. Quill is not looking for them because they owe him money since he has already taken everything.
What a truly delightful discovery this lovely series Books and things is a great girl so energetically interested and she makes it beautiful to think of her as I read my own copies of all the dickens stories I hope she covers every story.
To me, Quilp is the most intriguing character. He is 1/4 man...3/4 monster. He seems to be almost omnipresent at will. His teeth are canine. He has the head of a giant. He dies the inglorious death of a mere mortal. How could you NOT find this a great Dickens character?
Great review!❤️ Oh my!! Quilp was my favorite part of the novel! I found every bit of his person so fleshed out and comically so...in no way did I get a sense his dwarfism was jeered at (really and honestly he was quite the opposite of disabled!😁). He wrote Quilp in every sense a monster, pitiful and blackened in soul. His stature honestly fell to the wayside as his other characteristics and repulsiveness took on such life. I was beginning to think Dickens wrote him as a dwarf so he could be disguised later in the novel. As Richard got to know the mysterious servant girl, I was questioning whether she was really Quilp...😂😂😂😂 I agree the travelling storyline of Nell and the old man was not my favorite. I was stuck amidst that mid-way part of the book; started to feel disconnected and lost in it and for 4 years, quit picking it up. Over these last 3 days I pushed on to finally finish the damn thing. In plot it does not stand up to the others I've read but still a great tale. Dickens set the bar so high when I read Great Expectations and Bleak House :) the man is just a genius
"Problematic" is a good word. Sally Brass as a working woman is a novelty but it is clear that she is also at least as evil as her brother. The thing I love best about this admittedly "road" novel is its accurate, poignant and heartbreaking depiction of addiction. In this case it is gambling but other addictions present the same way in real life. Addicted people are not always bad people. I am trained in rehabilitation counseling (physical AND mental/emotional) so agree about the character of Quilp. I will not judge Dickens by today's standards, though, but be grateful that we are moving beyond linking a person's gender, size, shape, age or race with any stereotypical good OR evil personality characteristics.
That's true - the addiction aspect is really interesting. It's a problematic novel, but it does also have a place in my heart.
the end make me sad so much
Just finished listening to the audiobook version of this one. I think you summed it up very accurately. I have similar feelings about Nell and her grandfather, and much prefered the plot lines set back in London. I'd place it quite low down on my list of favourite Dickens novels.
Thanks! I love the London plot, but the Nell plot isn't quite as exciting for me. Enjoyable, but not my favourite Dickens.
Each chapter seems like a novel in this book
You've made this sound really interesting- I do actually own a copy of this novel so you may have encouraged me to pick this up sooner rather than later, even with the problematic aspects.
+A Hermit's Progress It is a really interesting book! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on all the Dickens at some point soon :P
I absolutely love that you have many editions of this book. It's one of my favourite things to do -- find different editions of my favourite books. It's so lovely to own several editions of a book (or books!) I have I think 5 editions of The Great Gatsby, Jane Eyre, and Picture of Dorian Gray, and each edition has something unique about it. (sorry, just had to comment about it haha)
+CravingBooks I agree - I love having lots of different copies of a book I love. It's like having a lot of different versions of it with their own stories and looks, it's lovely :)
I always thought that Oscar Wilde was a bit hypocritical when he claimed that "no one could read the death of Little Nell without laughing." I mean, it's not as if YOU ever wrote tearjerking sentimentality in your fairy tales like "The Happy Prince," right, Oscar?
Haha yes, I totally agree!
Great review! I’ve just finished this one - the last of Dickens’ 14 major works that I’ve read - now I’ll have to go back to the start and read them all over again!
I wasn’t expecting to love The Old Curiosity Shop as much as I did, having read some pretty negative reviews, but I’m putting it up near the top of my list of favourites.
This is mostly due to Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness - I absolutely loved those characters, especially Dick! That scene near the beginning of Chapter 66 where he’s recovering from his illness, eating toast with his left hand and holding her hand with his right and continually kissing it just made my heart melt. Did you know that G.K. Chesterton (who was also really impressed with Mr Swiveller as a character) described this relationship as ‘perhaps the one true romance in the whole of Dickens’?
As for Quilp, I actually really enjoyed his character because he’s never hypocritical - he knows he’s evil, doesn’t hide it, and takes great delight in it. I never really saw him as a dwarf, more as a goblin-type figure from a fairytale. Peter Ackroyd in his Dickens biography suggests that Quilp is Dickens’ self-portrait - Dickens with all the good removed - a sort of Mr Hyde. Having just read Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, I can see definite similarities in their stunted forms and relish for bad behaviour.
I totally agree - I just love Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness, they are wonderful.
Wait I thought it was implied that the Marchioness was the illegitimate daughter of the sister for the lawyer the Richard was working for.
It's sort of implied that the Marchioness might be the illegitimate daughter of Miss Brass and Mr Quilp, but it's quite vague.
Currently reading this and it's #8 of my Dickens reads. I have David Copperfield on my shelf and want to get through all of his novels one day. 3-4 of the 5 remaining ones are all over 1000 pages, though. 😂
Readers of Dickens and other 19th century writers need to bear in mind that attitudes towards race and disability were very different. Personally I found Quilp's behaviour towards others to reflect his character rather than his dwarfism. The Dickens character I find most problematic is Fagin. Back to the Old Curiosity Shop, one amusing character was the acrobatic boy who worked for Quilp.
A kind word of advice: One should not use the same word twice. Your repeating of "problematic" reminds me of Stephen King's criticism of Leinster's "zestful," a word King swore he should never again like to see in print. I also believe "very" is superlative enough without its repetition. Similarly, how often have we seen several exclamation points in a row, when surely one is sufficient? On the positive side, I think your analysis of The Old Curiosity Shop is spot on, and I give you a thumbs up!
Good job thanks a lot.
Thanks!
Just finished reading this and my heart is broken. I absolutely love Dickens. 😩 I'm reading David Copperfield next. That will be my ninth Dickens.
It was all building up towards a happy ending with Kit and Nell's reunion. I guess readers were expecting the reunion in the final issue only for Dickens to lay on the misery.
What did you think of David C? Btw I’m so sorry to hear this has a heartbreaking ending. I really enjoyed DC, if that helps. I’m going to reread it listening to Armitage’s narration on Audible. He could read the phone book to me. Love him.
I´ve found very interesting the last part of your video, where you consider disabilities are both a body and a soul issue. You could, perhaps, link your thoughts about this subject to Nietzche’s argument against Socrates (monstrum in fronte, monstrum in animo) found in his book Twilight of the Idols, The Problem of Socrates. Thank you for sharing your ideas.
this review makes me incredibly excited and somewhat terrified to read this. I want to know what went on in Dickens' mind when he thought about disabled people because making them victim or villain seems very contrary.
+BBCgirl520 It's common in a lot of Victorian literature and culture though! Mr Quilp and Tiny Tim are good examples of this.
+Books and Things yea and I was thinking of Smike as well.
Books and Things That explains that most Movie versions of the Old curiosity shop doesn't depict Quilp as a Dwarf
My problem with The Old Curiosity Shop is I do not understand why Quilp is so keen to find Little Nell and her grandfather. It's not the money; Quilp has taken over the Old Curiosity Shop, and, as far as I know, he has no reason to believe that there is anything more to get from them. So it seems to me that Quilp's reason for pursuing them is that he's evil, and that just isn't a good enough reason for me. I know this book was amazingly popular in its time, but I don't think it holds up compared to Dickens's other superior works. Not that it's a badly written or conceived book -- just that its flaws bring it way down on the list of Dickens's books, in my opinion.
❣
You put OCS higher than anyone I know. Others put in down at or near the bottom of the list. OMF'll be last. Of the remaining titles, 2 are CD's darker later novels, BH & LD. Another title left is the curriculum makers' & multitudinous pedants' fav GE. I'm happy with whatever order you place these remaining titles in.
JKR put the store in this book, ocs, in Knockturn Alley. I see. Nell & her grandfather were magical & into dark magic....
+TimeAndChance That is cool. And yes, I think I'm unusually fond of the Old Curiosity Shop - mostly as I say because I so enjoy the characters of Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness.
Don't forget Dombey and Son is also to come :P
Yes, D&S is another of your personal favs that you put higher than any other listmaker I've seen. You may put D&S 2ed or 3rd.
To me BH is a readers' read whereas GE makes me yawn much but not all of the time. IMO BH trumps Pip & crew by a country mile.
19thC was the Golden Age of novels. Wonder if someday you'll rank your top 10 novels written 1837-1900. OMF will be #1! D&S will be on this list. Some people will be aghast if Moby Dick, GE, Middlemarch, Crime&P, Vanity Fair, The Count, Les Mis, and War&Peace aren't on it. Choosing a top 20 would be easier. There'd be more wiggle room to add many more CD titles!
Well, I haven't yet read Moby Dick, Count of Monte Cristo or War and Peace (although I am very interested to read the latter two - Moby Dick less so as I have an odd phobia of fish and waterlife and a book about whales is probably not for me!) Middlemarch would certainly not be in my favourites 1837-1900 as I have mixed opinions about it!
Love to hear your spoilery all-out discussion of M'march. Lotsa fun. Maybe you like D. Deronda better. Or maybe you like other of Eliot's novels better.
So far I've only read Middlemarch and Silas Marner, neither of which blew me away, although it was a few years ago now. Hoping to read Daniel Deronda this year, which I have much higher hopes for from what I know about it already :)
i feel badd for little nell, but also the villain was just wanting his cash back, the grandad was an asshole
I'm about 140 pages into OCS now so I had to stop watching your video... too many spoilers! I like your videos though, so like Arnold "I'll be back."
Thanks :)