Great Expectations is where I recommend people start with Dickens. It is relatively short for Dickens. It is also told in the first person, which makes it more accessible to a modern audience than say Bleak House.
This was a fantastic introduction, Katie. I love Great Expectations and everything you've said about it is spot on. In the part of California where I grew up GE was THE coming-of-age story that every freshman English class taught so everyone was introduced to Miss Havisham, Pumblechook, convict hulks, and the damaged Estella. Pip was the flawed but normal one left standing when all his other potential siblings were early-on boxed up. GE is still my favorite Dickens since it is the book that most made a reader out me (and the third-year English teacher that further introduced us to Austen, Cather, Shakespeare, and Hemingway). It turned out, too, that I have a Joe-Pip relationship with my son, plus a cat named Pip. I frequently ask him "what do you have in your Pocket, you fierce young gentleman", but he doesn't get it.
Started it 4 days ago & am blown away by it's brilliance. One of the great things about this mega-Readalong is how it allows you to see how Dickens changes so much from book to book. I had to really knuckle down to get through Dorritt, (much to my surprise & mostly because of my expectations/ preconceptions not being realised I suppose) enjoyed Two Cities, as I always do, but Expectations is simply and I apologise in advance....GREAT. From the opening sentence the writing & narrative just grabbed my attention & I find I can't put tyhe bloody thing down. I'm trying to work out why this should be & can only come up with it being due to a writer at the height of his powers seized & transfixed by his own muse & transferring that to the page & reader effortlessly. Whatever, it's even greater than I expected and I need to stop now cos I have to go & read some more of it 55555 (Hahahahaha in Thai which is where this lengthy almost Dickensian-length post originates, fyi. )😄👍
I'm currently reading and loving it! You make a very wonderful point in relation to the lack of humour in adaptations of his work. In fact even Ralph Fiennes( in the movie The Invisible Woman) portrays him in a manner that doesn't represent this aspect of his character. I do enjoy the adaptations of his works however and I'm sure Dickens would have loved the portrayal of the servant boy Bailey in the wonderful adaptation of Martin Chuzzlewit(1994).
I am so exciting for this reading! I already got my copy. The sixth reason (6:30) is very interesting, I never pay attention to the atmospheric of Dickens's novels and I will pay attention in this re-read.
Cool! I'm glad it's Great Expectation's turn. I've only read the abridged version of Great Expectations as a child/preteen and planned on reading it as my next Dickens.
OK, Katie! Your enthusiasm is infectious and you've convinced me. I'm going to give Dickens a go. It sounds like a good entry-level book to dip my toes into the Dickens pool. And THEN! #JaneAustenJuly is here. AND YOUR NEW BOOK!!! Squeeeeee!!! 🙂
Very fine summary! I enjoyed this book but no where near my favorite. David Copperfield is far and away superior and covers some of the same themes of youth and finding one's way in life. And I absolutely HATE the end when Pip and Estella reconcile because that was so unrealistic (even for Dickens) and she certainly did not deserve Pip. My favorite line is when Estella says of Pip, when told to play cards with him, "With this boy? Why, he is a common laboring boy!"
Have you read the alternative ending of Great Expectations? www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/ge/ending.html I much prefer it, and personally I read the published ending as much more ambiguous than most people do. Anyway, you might find the alternative ending interesting.
@@katiejlumsden Oh yes very interesting and far better than the original ending. I am surprised I never heard of this alternate ending so thanks so much for sharing with me. Kind regards from a fan/follower across the pond!!!
I think I read this as a teenager, probably around the publication date 😊, but I have seen the adaptations. Looking forward to it. I’m concerned about your thoughts on ATOTC. I thought it was fantastic.
At least we know you were too young to have ridden with Stonewall in the Valley. But now you have me curious. What did Katie have to say about Madame DeFarge that was so concerning? Curiously, I just recently read ATOTC for the first time. Yeah, it was fantastic, but the supporting cast was a bit thin or "tinned" from historical preservation, and the humor was either lacking or of the gallows variety.
@@kevinrussell1144 I didn’t know Stonewall, but I have payed my respects to Little Sorrel. I was very surprised by the plot of ATOTC. It’s a shorter, tighter book than is usual for Dickens and for me it was a real page turner. I’ll admit that the characters weren’t as developed as in his other books. I like gallows humour! I am reading these novels for the first time and so far my favourite is Bleak House. I might feel differently on a re-read or when we finish the novels.
@@DebMcDonald Happy reading. I'm old, but I only go back to Secretariat and his sires, not anywhere near Little Sorrel, Traveler, Old Whitey, or Bucephalus. I've seen the video version of Bleak House but have not read it, but still have hopes (wish me luck). Thanks for the conversation. Miss Pross putting the stopper on Madame D near the end of ATOTC is one of the most satisfying FAFO's in all of literature.
My thoughts on A Tale of Two Cites should be up in a week or two. Madame Defarge and Sydney Carton are great, but in general I find a lot of the characterisation lacking for me in A Tale of Two Cities. I also can really see why a lot of people love that it's a tighter novel, but for me, I like best a loose wild web of a Dickens novel with a ton of characters and plots!
1974: Mrs Winter (too much perfume!) 7th grade language arts read to us Great Expectations. Unfortunately, she spent a bit more time with Miss Haversham than she did with Pip. For some time I thought the novel was about she. Well, perhaps I'll make some time for it this year? idk - I'd like to try.
Great Expectorations (as my dad always referred to it), read by Martin Jarvis. I have been triggered. Well, to be fair, by this time Dickens had finally reined in his worst excesses, it's pungently atmospheric and mercifully short. Sorry Katie, but Our Mutual Friend is my favourite so I'll be much nicer next time around, promise. 🙂
Great Expectations is where I recommend people start with Dickens. It is relatively short for Dickens. It is also told in the first person, which makes it more accessible to a modern audience than say Bleak House.
I definitely agree!
This was a fantastic introduction, Katie. I love Great Expectations and everything you've said about it is spot on.
In the part of California where I grew up GE was THE coming-of-age story that every freshman English class taught so everyone was introduced to Miss Havisham, Pumblechook, convict hulks, and the damaged Estella. Pip was the flawed but normal one left standing when all his other potential siblings were early-on boxed up.
GE is still my favorite Dickens since it is the book that most made a reader out me (and the third-year English teacher that further introduced us to Austen, Cather, Shakespeare, and Hemingway). It turned out, too, that I have a Joe-Pip relationship with my son, plus a cat named Pip. I frequently ask him "what do you have in your Pocket, you fierce young gentleman", but he doesn't get it.
Excellent name for a cat!
Started it 4 days ago & am blown away by it's brilliance. One of the great things about this mega-Readalong is how it allows you to see how Dickens changes so much from book to book. I had to really knuckle down to get through Dorritt, (much to my surprise & mostly because of my expectations/ preconceptions not being realised I suppose) enjoyed Two Cities, as I always do, but Expectations is simply and I apologise in advance....GREAT. From the opening sentence the writing & narrative just grabbed my attention & I find I can't put tyhe bloody thing down. I'm trying to work out why this should be & can only come up with it being due to a writer at the height of his powers seized & transfixed by his own muse & transferring that to the page & reader effortlessly. Whatever, it's even greater than I expected and I need to stop now cos I have to go & read some more of it 55555 (Hahahahaha in Thai which is where this lengthy almost Dickensian-length post originates, fyi. )😄👍
It's such a wonderful novel, Great Expectations. I think the first person narrative does make it really compelling.
Thank you for your encouragement. I have got so much pleasure from your recommendations.
I'm currently reading and loving it! You make a very wonderful point in relation to the lack of humour in adaptations of his work. In fact even Ralph Fiennes( in the movie The Invisible Woman) portrays him in a manner that doesn't represent this aspect of his character. I do enjoy the adaptations of his works however and I'm sure Dickens would have loved the portrayal of the servant boy Bailey in the wonderful adaptation of Martin Chuzzlewit(1994).
It's been years since I saw that adaptation, but I do remember enjoying it at the time.
You’ve convinced me to read it! How fun!
I am so exciting for this reading! I already got my copy.
The sixth reason (6:30) is very interesting, I never pay attention to the atmospheric of Dickens's novels and I will pay attention in this re-read.
I read Great Expectations in high school, is one of my top favorite books of all time. (Jane Eyre will always be my favorite book of all time)
I've watched you for a very long time and I think you is a good reader and writer.
Thanks very much :)
Cool! I'm glad it's Great Expectation's turn. I've only read the abridged version of Great Expectations as a child/preteen and planned on reading it as my next Dickens.
OK, Katie! Your enthusiasm is infectious and you've convinced me. I'm going to give Dickens a go. It sounds like a good entry-level book to dip my toes into the Dickens pool. And THEN! #JaneAustenJuly is here. AND YOUR NEW BOOK!!! Squeeeeee!!! 🙂
☺️
I think it sounds like a blast!
Very fine summary! I enjoyed this book but no where near my favorite. David Copperfield is far and away superior and covers some of the same themes of youth and finding one's way in life. And I absolutely HATE the end when Pip and Estella reconcile because that was so unrealistic (even for Dickens) and she certainly did not deserve Pip. My favorite line is when Estella says of Pip, when told to play cards with him, "With this boy? Why, he is a common laboring boy!"
Have you read the alternative ending of Great Expectations? www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/ge/ending.html I much prefer it, and personally I read the published ending as much more ambiguous than most people do. Anyway, you might find the alternative ending interesting.
@@katiejlumsden Oh yes very interesting and far better than the original ending. I am surprised I never heard of this alternate ending so thanks so much for sharing with me. Kind regards from a fan/follower across the pond!!!
Great Expectations is so fun! I just read it with my 9th grade students, and we had a blast!
I think I read this as a teenager, probably around the publication date 😊, but I have seen the adaptations. Looking forward to it. I’m concerned about your thoughts on ATOTC. I thought it was fantastic.
At least we know you were too young to have ridden with Stonewall in the Valley. But now you have me curious. What did Katie have to say about Madame DeFarge that was so concerning? Curiously, I just recently read ATOTC for the first time. Yeah, it was fantastic, but the supporting cast was a bit thin or "tinned" from historical preservation, and the humor was either lacking or of the gallows variety.
@@kevinrussell1144 I didn’t know Stonewall, but I have payed my respects to Little Sorrel. I was very surprised by the plot of ATOTC. It’s a shorter, tighter book than is usual for Dickens and for me it was a real page turner. I’ll admit that the characters weren’t as developed as in his other books. I like gallows humour! I am reading these novels for the first time and so far my favourite is Bleak House. I might feel differently on a re-read or when we finish the novels.
@@DebMcDonald Happy reading. I'm old, but I only go back to Secretariat and his sires, not anywhere near Little Sorrel, Traveler, Old Whitey, or Bucephalus. I've seen the video version of Bleak House but have not read it, but still have hopes (wish me luck). Thanks for the conversation.
Miss Pross putting the stopper on Madame D near the end of ATOTC is one of the most satisfying FAFO's in all of literature.
My thoughts on A Tale of Two Cites should be up in a week or two. Madame Defarge and Sydney Carton are great, but in general I find a lot of the characterisation lacking for me in A Tale of Two Cities. I also can really see why a lot of people love that it's a tighter novel, but for me, I like best a loose wild web of a Dickens novel with a ton of characters and plots!
The publication date? So you’re at least 180 odd years old?
1974: Mrs Winter (too much perfume!) 7th grade language arts read to us Great Expectations. Unfortunately, she spent a bit more time with Miss Haversham than she did with Pip. For some time I thought the novel was about she. Well, perhaps I'll make some time for it this year? idk - I'd like to try.
What a coincidence. I just ordered Great Expectations from eBay. Just today.
Great Expectorations (as my dad always referred to it), read by Martin Jarvis. I have been triggered. Well, to be fair, by this time Dickens had finally reined in his worst excesses, it's pungently atmospheric and mercifully short. Sorry Katie, but Our Mutual Friend is my favourite so I'll be much nicer next time around, promise. 🙂