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Pickwick Papers

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 9,163 ratings · 623 reviews

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation. Mr. Samuel Pickwick, retired businessman and confirmed batchelor, is determined that after a quiet life of enterprise the time has come to go out into the world. Founder of the Pickwick Club, he and his fellow Pickwickians elect to form a Corresponding Society and report back their journeys and exploits on a regular basis. Thus begins

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Published December 14th 2009 by Blackstone Audio, Inc. (first published 1836)

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Mar 08, 2012 MJ Nicholls rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, pre-1900s, sassysassenachs, art-or-illustrated, voluminous, oxford-classics

The middle classes in this country still aspire to some half-baked bucolic idyll—renting a farmhouse, living off the land, swinging on a hammock reading Balzac while buxom farmlasses frolic in the Devonshire sun. The reality? The work involved in milking cows, shearing sheep, fattening chickens requires the brawny pluck of a youngster, not the snoozy disregard of the doddery, and those farmhouse repairs won’t repair themselves, those bills won’t pay themselves . . . until the call of the one-bed...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Jonfaith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Pickwick Papers promised heft. Weighing in at 900 pages and larded with indices and erudite observations, the project promised muscle training, if nothing else. The serial natural of the narrative and general zany approach was also apprehended. I simply wasn't prepared, however, for Sam Weller. Oh lord, he may be my favorite character in recent memory. I wasn't prepared for such. I was expecting tales of the idle and curious confronting rural and proltarian situations, if only for hilarity a...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Laurele rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, books-read-in-2009, dickens-novels, kindle

I had a hard time when I first tried to read this first of Dickens' novels, but now that I have read all the others I thoroughly enjoyed this time through. I loved seeing the germs of all his other novels in this one book. And I could swear that Mr. Micawber did some of the writing! This was my fourteenth Dickens novel for this year. I'll start the fifteenth, The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, soon. Then I don't know what I'll do with myself.

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Dec 13, 2012 ·Karen· rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mttbr-2012

I found this while clearing out the cellar. The price inside the front cover is one pound seventy five, and there's a card inside from an antiquarian bookshop in St Andrews. I have zero recall of buying it, although I do remember visits to St Andrews, and losing one daughter in the haar at the beach. Luckily it was the sensible daughter, not inclined to panic.

"The Biographical Edition, edited by Arthur Waugh, father of Evelyn Waugh, with his introduction in each volume. Waugh had been appointed...more I found this while clearing out the cellar. The price inside the front cover is one pound seventy five, and there's a card inside from an antiquarian bookshop in St Andrews. I have zero recall of buying it, although I do remember visits to St Andrews, and losing one daughter in the haar at the beach. Luckily it was the sensible daughter, not inclined to panic.

"The Biographical Edition, edited by Arthur Waugh, father of Evelyn Waugh, with his introduction in each volume. Waugh had been appointed managing director of Chapman and Hall in 1902 and wasted no time in capitalizing on the firm’s most famous asset.

Original 19 volume set, was supplemented with two additional volumes “Miscellaneous Papers” and “Life of Charles Dickens” by John Forster all in uniform green buckram binding with gilt lettering on spine and gold crest on front cover."

That's the one! Green binding with gold lettering and crest! Unfortunately it has not aged well, at least not as a physical object. Paper: yellow and too thin, allowing the print on the reverse to shimmer through, and a curiously hard-on-the-eyes typeface. This is partly what slowed me down - there are not enough lamps in the whole of IKEA to make it easy on the peepers.

So this is the one that changed everything. This is the one that proved it possible to actually make money from writing. Chapman & Hall rubbed their hands with glee all the way to the bank, and when the original contract for 20 monthly numbers finished in October 1837, they understandably wanted to continue their lucrative partnership with Boz. They had managed to keep their rising star sweet by giving him bonuses, but now they had to re-negotiate the monthly payments. In April 1836, when Dickens started Pickwick, he was paid 20 pounds a month. For Nicholas Nickleby he was offered (dramatic pause) one hundred and fifty. Per month. At a time when an annual income of 100 pounds qualified you into respectability. Incredible really.

And although it's chortlingly funny in places and although Mr Pickwick himself is quite adorable, it's a teeny bit hard to understand the hold he had over the reading public of 1836. To some extent its spectacular sales have to be ascribed to a kind of desperation, a starvation. The growing lower middle classes must have been crying out for good stories to read - any other form of entertainment was usually not quite respectable. The only cheap books available were those that were out of copyright - in other words old. New books were beyond the ornery family's means. Affordable alternatives were the 'blood and thunders' - the cheap, nasty, low form of publication that all Dickens's friends warned him against. He would ruin his reputation by associating himself with this kind of weekly or monthly stuff that revolved around Gothic horror, violent crime and sex. So the revolution was not serial publication itself, but the fact that Dickens took this cheap format and went up market with it. A shilling a shot, at a time when a skilled worker in London was earning 30s a week, and his shilling could buy him two pounds of meat. Not cheap. But worth it for several hours of entertainment, and, crucially perhaps, entertainment that you could take home and allow your wife, your daughter and even the serving maid to read. There's nothing here to make a lady blush or corrupt the lower orders either. Good clean fun. And he doesn't make it too obvious that he's filling pages for the money. I mean he doesn't just stuff it with pages and pages of dialogue - nice short lines you see, fills the page nice and quick. He doesn't do that. It's value for money that he offers. Maybe no longer the sort of thing that will clear the streets while everyone reads the latest installment. But a phenomenon nonetheless.

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Jun 27, 2007 Brad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel

Dickens' first novel shows his comic gift and knack for character development. Really a string of connected episodes rather than a complex novel as he later created, this is still an enjoyable romp.

My generic comment about Charles Dickens:
First of all, although I am a partisan of Dickens' writing and have read and relished most his works, I concede to three flaws in his oeuvre that are not insignificant. First, while he seemed to develop an almost endless variety of male social types, his female...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, gutenberg, british-literature, mtbr-challenge-2013, fiction-19th-century, read-2013

Reading online at eBooks@ Adelaide, one chapter per day.

Some David Perdue's Charles Dickens page background about this book:

When artist Robert Seymour proposed to publishers Chapman and Hall a series of engravings featuring Cockney sporting life, with accompanying text published in monthly installments, they readily accepted and set about the task of finding a writer. The publishers were turned down by several writers and finally asked 24-year-old Charles Dickens to provide the text. Dickens acc...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Bre Cregor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A character in the TV miniseries adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford recommended his favorite Dickens' novel, THE PICKWICK PAPERS, and says,

"I defy you not to roar!"

This is when I KNEW I must read it.

It was his first popular novel.

After reading five of his more serious works, I am ready to get a glimpse of his humorous side.
********************************************************************************************************************
There are men and women who have LIVED a thousand...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Lucrezia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Venghino Miss e Mrs (beh adattiamoci al posto dove ci troviamo )qui c' è posto per tutti , la carrozza è spaziosa al interno , e se non ci si sta c' è l' imperiale , o altrimenti qualcuno si siederà a cassetta con il vetturino .... Ma si mettano comodi lor signori! Ci siamo? Siete tutti belli comodi e sistemati, bene si parte !
Questo sarà un giro particolare perché vi porterò a conoscere un po di nuovi amici , ma ormai ( dopo circa 877 pagine ) direi quasi di conoscerli da lungo tempo , curiosi...more Venghino Miss e Mrs (beh adattiamoci al posto dove ci troviamo )qui c' è posto per tutti , la carrozza è spaziosa al interno , e se non ci si sta c' è l' imperiale , o altrimenti qualcuno si siederà a cassetta con il vetturino .... Ma si mettano comodi lor signori! Ci siamo? Siete tutti belli comodi e sistemati, bene si parte !
Questo sarà un giro particolare perché vi porterò a conoscere un po di nuovi amici , ma ormai ( dopo circa 877 pagine ) direi quasi di conoscerli da lungo tempo , curiosi compagni di viaggio essi sono, ma cosi adorabili che è impossibile non affezionarglisi , e poi ne abbiamo passate tante insieme.. Sapete? Siamo addirittura finiti in carcere! E ci siamo fatti amici anche lì ... Ma andiamo con ordine inizierò presentandovi il fautore di tutto ciò colui che fondando questa meravigliosa corporazione o associazione , o come diavolo vi salti in mente di definirla , che è il circolo Pickwick ha dato inizio alle nostre peregrinazioni e ai molti accidenti che ci sono capitati... E qual mirabile onore è stato seguire i suoi amici e lui su e giù per l' Inghilterra, fra una locanda e l' altre , fra un temporale e l' altro , fra una casa in campagna ed un altra ,fra una storia e un altra . Ammirate questo austero gentiluomo nel suo portamento e nelle sue maniere , osservate che aura di grandezza gli tiene subito dietro "Salute a lei signor Pickwick!" . Ed ecco! inseparabile dietro di lui il suo fedele servitore ed amico Sam Weller! "Salute signor Weller! Come se la passa?" "Comunque la vada, la va bene, come osservò quel signore quando gli dettero la pensione." "Credo che voi vi troviate al servizio del signor Pickwick. Parlate se non vi dispiace, signor Weller."
" Non mi dispiace niente affatto, signore. Io mi trovo al servizio di questo signore qui, e gli è davvero un servizio eccellente."
"Poca fatica e molto da buscare, eh?"
"Oh, molto da buscare, come disse il soldato quando gli ordinarono le trecentocinquanta legnate sul sedere, "
E questo era il signor Weller , ma andiamo avanti ,ci sono ancora molte e interessanti personalità ,di cui dobbiamo fare conoscenza ... oh ! Ecco! quei mirabili signori che ci vengono incontro altri non sono che i membri del circolo Pickwick i signori Tupman , Snodgrass, e Winkle. Il signor Winkle è un maestro in ogni tipo di sport , specie nella caccia , il signor Tupman è la più gentile cordiale e sentimentale delle persone , il signor Snodgrass poi è la più galante delle persone ...
"I miei ossequi signori ! "
Oh ma chi è quel enorme ragazzo cui sembra che i bottoni della camicia stiano per scoppiare? Ma è Joe! "Ehi Joe!" Benedetto ragazzo ! Stava ancora dormendo , ma del resto nella sua vita non fa altro che bere e mangiare ... un attimino signori , ma dove è Joe , deve esseri anche il suo padrone il sognor Wardle ...Oh eccolo là che arriva insieme alle sue figlie e ai suoi amici...Salutiamo anche loro ... Bene direi che adesso è il momento di fermarci per far riposare i cavalli , non sono mica come quelli fantasmi della storia del commesso viaggiatore ... Come?? non sapete di cosa parlo?? Ma no, no , non voglio svelare la sorpresa , andate a compare il libro ... ;)

E adesso qualche nota pratica non comprate per nulla al mondo l' edizione Baldini Castoldi Dalai ( è quella che ho letto io ) è piena zeppa di refusi ; e dei più fastidiosi , frasi ripetute , parole scambiate , e verbi improponibili . Ripiegate sulla Adelphi che è meglio ;)

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Sep 05, 2011 Denae rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-youth, re-read-in-2011, read-multiple-times, read-in-2011, challenge-1010-by-2020

When I was in the seventh grade, I read The Pickwick Papers for a research paper. I had not at that time, and still, have not read anything else by Charles Dickens, but I am far more interested in changing that statistic than I was then. This is unlikely to surprise many people.

I read The Pickwick Papers with a group who decided to read a certain number of chapters each week, based on the original serialization. This proved to be an excellent method. It allowed some of the original suspense back...more

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Oct 15, 2008 Spiros rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who dote on humbug, using the word in its Pickwickian sense

Shelves: chasingmytail, provenance-lost, comicgenius, londoncalling

A very audacious first novel, and a novel which seems to have spun completely out of its author's control. Despite being, along with P.G. Wodehouse, the most gifted humorous writer in the English language (tip of the hat to Vladimir Nabokov), this is Dickens' only comic novel; whereas his later works would prove to be melodramas suffused with brilliant comic situations and characters, this is pure comedy, larded with melodramtic tales that stand outside of the narrative threads. What seems to be...more

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Jul 04, 2007 David rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dickens

I've made a less than completely firm resolution to read all of Dickens' novels, including rereading the ones I read as a youngster, when I was too young to appreciate them fully.

Pickwick is Dickens' first novel, and the first few chapters do indeed come across as 'prentice work. This is understandable, especially given the circumstances under which this serialized novel was undertaken, which Dickens describes in a preface.

The novel has no plot to speak of; it consists of more or less episodic a...more

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May 20, 2008 Jeanne rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dickens-2008

It's book five in my year of Dickens, and I can't believe I read the whole thing!

The author's first novel is, in many ways, not his best novel. Unlike others, The Pickwick Papers has no clear focus and no main character with whom the reader can sympathize. Instead, this is a rollicking (well, at least in that time) trip through England with a cast of characters. Along the way, love, hilarity, and debtor's prison ensue.

Main characters include:
Pickwick, the wealthy and predictably eccentric master...more

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Nov 30, 2007 Bill rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

A classic that I enjoyed start to finish. Great to be reminded of why Dickens is universally regarded as being one of the top twenty authors of all time (and that's being conservative). Yes it's his first novel, yes it was originally published in serial form, so it reads in nice complete thirty page blocks, many of which are comic set pieces. But when he sends you off on a detour to describe something, you know you can relax and go along for the ride--you are in the hands of a master, and you wi...more

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Aug 18, 2007 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who wish Dickens wrote perkier novels

Shelves: victorian

I read this for Dickens U. It's a delightful, funny novel (the first by the author). It's very episodic and driven largely the drunken rambles of pseudo-scholar Mr. Pickwick and his companions. In a lot of ways, the text becomes darker (if you find the ending of Candide depressing, you'll find this ending less than happy), with a brief scene at the Fleet which hints at the direction Dickens will go later (there's a Christmas scene with a Scrooge like character, too). It's structured much more li...more

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Jan 15, 2008 Josh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first book I'm reading for an independent study on Dickens. I don't intend to include all the books I'm covering for school, but I'll put the Dickens on there to encourage anyone who scans my meager shelves here at goodreads to check these novels out. Pickwick Papers is hilarious and for those familiar with Dickens's later, darker fair (David Copperfield, for instance), PP provides an opportunity to see CD writing in an 18th century vein (not unlike a Fielding novel) but with charact...more

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May 10, 2007 Tayla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of Dickens' first full out productions. The book has some memorable characters. Chief among them being Samuel Weller, who becomes Mr. Pickwick's valet and is the heart and soul of the tale. The character helped push Dickens' work (which was being serialized, and explains why his works are so lengthy...he was paid per installment) towards being a cultural phenomenon. His work became so popular, in Britain and abroad that you could say that he wound up being a 'rock star' before such a thing w...more

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Dec 15, 2007 Arnold rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Almost anything by Dickens is a must read but for people who are not native english speakers the language is sometimes a little hard to get into without perserverance, and then it is great. the underlying social message in many of the books is also sometimes difficult with at least some knwoledge of the social history of Victorian England.

Pickwick is possibly one if not the most easily read with it's unique cast of charachters ad there daily exploits. Give it a chance and you will become a Dicke...more

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Apr 23, 2008 Carlie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: comedy lovers

The funniest book ever written! I was on the floor, I mean really ROFLMAO. I laughed till I cried, till my diaphragm went into painful spasms. I couldn't see and I couldn't speak. Exquisite writing as usual with Dickens. Sentence composition beyond my wildest dreams. I did not know comedy could be that pleasurable to read. I reccommend this book to the utmost high for a rolling good time. Excuse me while I go laugh myself into silliness just recalling the scene with Pickwick getting jostled in t...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Kevin de Ataíde added it · review of another edition

I found this book to be an beautifully jovial work of comedy, which makes quite a contrast to the mournful aspect of so much of Mr. Dicken's work. It is a satirical look at Victorian life, perhaps overly so, so that it is difficult to draw any general conclusions about the time. It couldn't be that all officers of the law are so corrupt, all gentlemen of a certain state in life speak and act in almost the same way, all women are of practically the same character...

It seems to me that Dicken's b...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Tim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Episodic in nature and patchwork in its construction though it may be, Charles Dickens' first novel was tremendously significant as a kick-start to a career of more than 30 years. It also is an entertaining, if lengthy, work in its own right.

The basic premise of "The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club" ("The Pickwick Papers") — a small group of eccentric souls bops around England taking in whatever strikes their fancy — allows for a freewheeling tale. And that's its biggest criticism: the la...more Episodic in nature and patchwork in its construction though it may be, Charles Dickens' first novel was tremendously significant as a kick-start to a career of more than 30 years. It also is an entertaining, if lengthy, work in its own right.

The basic premise of "The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club" ("The Pickwick Papers") — a small group of eccentric souls bops around England taking in whatever strikes their fancy — allows for a freewheeling tale. And that's its biggest criticism: the lack of focus and the herky-jerky nature of the hijinks. Many scenes feature writings or stories told from newly encountered characters (including a precursor to "A Christmas Carol" in which a goblin serves as guide), so it sometimes is as if a short story has been thrown right in the midst of things. So it drags on a bit, but doesn't bore. In fact, "The Pickwick Papers" is hands-down the funniest Dickens novel there is. In fact, lead character Mr. Pickwick's trial on charges of breech of promise is the most amusing scene Dickens ever wrote. In this picaresque tale, the Pickwickians also get caught up in an election, there's love in the air for several of the club's members, and Pickwick is, in fact thrown into debtors prison as a result of the trial. It's during his period of incarceration that the novel gets more serious, more cohesive, and sets a steadier template for Dickens' future novels.

Many fine characters are introduced, and readers understandably were entranced by this relatively new talent's creations. Pickwick's manservant Sam Weller is at the center of much of the fun.

As Dickens novels go, "The Pickwick Papers" is near the bottom in overall quality, but certainly not at the very bottom (thanks, "Old Curiosity Shop"). It's frankly better than I expected, knowing its disjointed nature going in. Don't be afraid of it. It's often a joy to read, despite its weaknesses.

"The Pickwick Papers," the first Dickens novel, completes my 15-novel tour of Dickens, covering nearly 30 years. Now I start over.

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Jan 23, 2013 Tempo de Ler rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Não há um meio-termo na minha opinião acerca de Os Cadernos de Pickwick - do início ao fim, o livro é um estrondoso primor. Tanto assim que estou profundamente convencida que cinco estrelas, apenas, não chegam para lhe fazer verdadeira justiça!

Dickens recorreu à sua habitual escrita tão elegante, tão rica e tão cheia de deliciosas segundas intenções para nos trabalhar uma narrativa brilhante, repleta de justificadas críticas à sociedade de então, diálogos geniais e uma caracterização de personag...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Iceman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Publicado mensalmente em folhetins a partir de 1836, as aventuras extraordinárias do sr. Pickwick (Pickwick Papers) tornaram-se num evento extremamente popular em Inglaterra, chegando ao ponto do jornal se esgotar poucas horas depois de ter saído.

Os contos, quase todos eles autónomos entre si, narram as aventuras e desventuras de quatro membros do clube Pickwick que é criado com a intensão de investigar e observar o quotidiano da Inglaterra do séc. XIX, resultando numa série de contos onde a co...more Publicado mensalmente em folhetins a partir de 1836, as aventuras extraordinárias do sr. Pickwick (Pickwick Papers) tornaram-se num evento extremamente popular em Inglaterra, chegando ao ponto do jornal se esgotar poucas horas depois de ter saído.

Os contos, quase todos eles autónomos entre si, narram as aventuras e desventuras de quatro membros do clube Pickwick que é criado com a intensão de investigar e observar o quotidiano da Inglaterra do séc. XIX, resultando numa série de contos onde a comédia, a par da sátira, se sente na forma como essas aventuras, e desventuras, vão sucedendo.

Esses quatro membro, o sr. Pickwick (o presidente), o sr. Tupman, o sr. Snograss e o sr. Winkle, vagueiam assim por uma Inglaterra bem diferente daquela que habitualmente vêmos representada na Londres vitoriana. Viajam pelo interior do país, observando os seus costumes e a forma como as pessoas se comportam, e é aí que está o grande interesse desta primeira obra de Charles Dickens.

Iniciada a sua escrita quando Dickens tinha 24 anos, esta obra, escrita sob o pseudónimo de Boz, supostamente narra as aventuras reais de quatro homens que pertencem ao clube Pickwick. Foi assim que a obra foi lançada e foi assim que os seus fãs a viam, pois julgava-se que eram de facto histórias reais retiradas de um suposto diário pertencente ao sr. Pickwick. Por si só foi uma genial jogada de marketing de Dickens que, dessa forma, ganhou nome e se lançou numa carreira de sucesso.

Nestes contos, podemos já constar das várias características que traçaram o estilo de Dickens. A análise ao comportamento do ser humano é aquela que mais se evidencia, pois, para mim, é a grande marca de Dickens. Porém, a sátira declarada, uma espécie de critica social que mais tarde e noutras obras seria mais evidente, também lá estão. A religião, a classe política, a magistradura, os burgueses (um dos alvos de sempre de Dickens), o sistema de justiça que apenas protegia os poderosos, enfim, são aqui satirizados de uma forma humorística, colocando a nú e evidenciando as falhas do sistema da época. É compreensível que os fãs de Pickwick fossem maioritariamente da classe média, pois viam nesses contos uma espécie de revolta aos poderes instituídos e à sua impotência para mudar esse mesmo sistema (tão actual que ainda é). Mas há mais críticas e, nas aventuras desse grupo de quatro, não podemos de rir de várias situações verdadeiramente hilariantes e absurdas, face também ao espírito da época.

No entanto não posso dizer que apreciei tanto o livro ao ponto de o considerar uma grande obra. É um clássico, sem dúvida, e é a primeira grande obra de Dickens. Pessoalmente, e já li a maior parte da sua obra, este é o menos conseguido. Sim, claro que Dickens pode expressar a sua sociedade, pode representar uma Inglaterra há muito desaparecida e tão diferente da Inglaterra de Londres, mas, e embora os primeiros capítulos os tenha lido com muito agrado, sensivelmente a partir do meio do livro foi-me algo penoso continuar, pois as situações arrastam-se, são algo repetitivas e torna-se monótono o humor e a sátira.

Quer-me parecer que Dickens quando se apercebeu do sucesso da obra, e como era publicada periodicamente e por capítulos, quis espremer até dar, o que resultou numa obra extensa e que, partir de determinada altura, pouco traz de novo e pouco prazer dá a ler. Mas isso são suposições, pois não tenho dados concretos para defender essa tese.

Em todo o caso é um livro que se lê muito bem e onde constamos do nascimento desse peso pesado da literatura mundial que dá pelo nome de Charles Dickens.(less)

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Dec 07, 2012 Al rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first widely successful book of Dickens's legendary career. Wildly popular in its day, but undoubtedly and regrettably not widely read today, if only because of its great length. Taken in a vacuum, the book is a collection of chapters written and published serially by Dickens (a common literary convention in the 19th century). Mr. Pickwick and his manservant Sam ramble through a series of comic, sometimes farcical, adventures. During the book, both men emerge as admirable souls who deal goo...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Smcleish rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Originally published on my blog here in April 2001.

The immense success if the story that launched Dickens' career is shown by the fact that the 400 copies of the first issue of the serial had become 40000 by the fifteenth. It has remained something of a favourite with readers ever since.

Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. I find the character of Mr Pickwick annoying, particularly at the start of the novel - at least until the introduction of Sam Weller; for someone who has lived to midd...more

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Oct 18, 2012 David rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens, our book club decided that we each would read our own choice of one of his books. On someones recommendation, I chose The Pickwick Papers. I have to say that Dickens is not really to my liking. Although I love anything of his that goes on TV or film. My choice is supposed to be a highly humorous story of the adventures of Samuel Pickwick and members of The Pickwick Club. However, I found the humour to be terribly old fashioned, based...more

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Sep 13, 2012 علی rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, novels

Victorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), tend to be idealized portraits of difficult lives, perseverance and love in civil society….
The main elements in Victorian and pre-Victorian literature, are mostly hidden loves, jelousy, planned marriages for money and social positions, women’s situation both in family and the society, and the roll of Church which dominate all over the society. One can not deny the roll of Victorian novels, specially w...more Victorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), tend to be idealized portraits of difficult lives, perseverance and love in civil society….
The main elements in Victorian and pre-Victorian literature, are mostly hidden loves, jelousy, planned marriages for money and social positions, women’s situation both in family and the society, and the roll of Church which dominate all over the society. One can not deny the roll of Victorian novels, specially works by Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, Jane Austen, William Thackeray, Bronte’s sisters, George Eliot and others…effectioning on all social aspects, changing the modern society, carrying up moral and etic, law and behaviour. Novels in particular, became ubiquitous, and created legacy appeal for human rights …

چارلز دیکنز، نام آورترین نویسنده ی دوره ی ویکتوریایی (قرن نوزدهم)، خالق آثار بزرگی ست، چون "الیور تویست"، "آرزوهای بزرگ"، "دوریت کوچولو"، "دیوید کاپرفیلد" و "داستان دو شهر" که شخصیت هایشان نظیر اولیور، دیوید، پیپ و .... جاودانه شده اند. چارلز دیکنز برخلاف بسیاری از نویسندگان دیگر، در دوران حیات مشهور شد. آثار دیکنز، بیش از هر نویسنده ی دیگری به فیلم های سینمایی و تله ویزیونی تبدیل شده است. اغلب آثارش در محله های دلگیر و فقیر لندن، با دقتی عمیق در ترسیم شخصیت ها، حتی وصف شهر لندن در دوره ی ویکتوریا نوشته شده اند. او طرفدار حقوق کودکان بود و برای این امر تمامی عمر علیه بی عدالتی و ستم به کودکان فقیر تلاش کرد. معروف است که دیکنز کریسمس را اختراع کرد. زندگی نامه نویس دیکنز می نویسد؛ "دیکنز تقریبن به تنهایی باورهای کریسمس امروزی را خلق کرده، و چسترتون، نویسنده ی دیگر بریتانیایی شرح می دهد که چگونه دیدگاه رمانتیک دیکنز در مورد کریسمس به سراسر جهان نفوذ کرد. تصویر شخصیت های آثار دیکنز، مانند "اسکروج" (مرد خسیس داستان سرود کریسمس) برگزاری مراسم کریسمس را متحول کرد. دیکنز در کودکی مجبور شد مدرسه را رها کند و به کار در کارخانه بپردازد و همین امر به او کمک کرد تا کودکان کار، و مردم فقیر لندن را از نزدیک بشناسد. دیکنز حرص و طمع، فساد و خصومت، نفرت و خست، و هر خصلت ناشکیل انسانی را جزو ذات بشر می دانست، بی آن که انسان را در این زمینه ها و رفتارها مقصر بداند. او شاید اولین نویسنده ای ست که جامعه را در همه ی زمینه های ستم اجتماعی، به ویژه نسبت به کودکان و زنان مقصر می دانست. در یکی از رمان های مشهورش "بلیک هاووس"، به اندازه ی یک حقوقدان، و با دیدی کاملن انتقادی نسبت به قوانین و مسایل حقوقی سخن می گوید. این رمان یک حمله ی تمام عیار به نظام قضایی وقت انگلستان است و گفته می شود بسیاری از قوانین پس از "بلیک هاووس" تغییر و ترمیم شده است.
بسیاری از شخصیت های دیکنز، به عنوان یک "مفهوم" در زبان انگلیسی و به ویژه در انگلستان بکار برده می شوند؛ "ابه نه زر اسکروج"؛ سرود کریسمس یا قصه ی اسکروج در یک شب کریسمس، یکی از ماندگارترین قصه های تاریخ است. این نام در فرهنگ انگلوساکسون به معنای فردی خسیس و سنگدل، خودخواه و بدخلق درج شده است. همین طور "فاگین" از رمان الیور توییست که نمونه ی شخصیتی رذل و بدذات و بی رحم است، و اولیور توییست، نماد خوش قلبی و مهربانی، نانسی؛ فاحشه ای از جان گذشته که تصویر و تصور "فاحشگی" را در فرهنگ انگلیسی زبان و دنیای مدرن، بکلی دگرگون کرد، پیپ (رمان آرزوهای بزرگ) یا ساموئل پیک ویک (نامه های آقای پیک ویک) نشانه ی مردی نرم و نجیب و.... خانم هاویشام (آرزوهای بزرگ) که به انتقامی مردی که در شب عروسی از او گریخت، تا آخر عمر لباس عروسی را از تنش بیرون نکرد، پرده ها را کشیده و به نور، اجازه ورود به خانه نداد تا گذشت زمان را نفهمد. زنی متمول که به دختر خوانده اش استلا یاد داد تا با سخت دلی توام با خونسردی، قلب مردها را بشکند تا از این راه از مردی که او را تنها گذاشته، انتقام بگیرد. نامی که امروز ترمی در روان شناسی به حساب می آید.
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Aug 31, 2012 Thom Swennes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Of all the Dickens’s novels I have read, The Pickwick Papers stands head and shoulders above the others. I don’t make this statement lightly nor do I mean it, in any way, derogatory to the works of Charles Dickens as a whole. Quite the contrary, in my opinion, the works of Dickens are probably the best examples of 19th Century English literature written. First published in 1836, The Pickwick Papers is his first novel. One would think that his talent would mature and improve with time but in my o...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Gwen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, literary-spinach

I wish I had gotten around to reading Charles Dickens before my English teacher did, because I have spent most of my life erroneously believing that I loathed the author, only to force myself recently into reading through his work in chronological order and discovering that I LOVE Charles Dickens.

Seriously, this book is terrible on a technical level, having a plot which wanders all over the place, characters doing a lot of mundane things like eating, going hunting, telling stories which have not...more I wish I had gotten around to reading Charles Dickens before my English teacher did, because I have spent most of my life erroneously believing that I loathed the author, only to force myself recently into reading through his work in chronological order and discovering that I LOVE Charles Dickens.

Seriously, this book is terrible on a technical level, having a plot which wanders all over the place, characters doing a lot of mundane things like eating, going hunting, telling stories which have nothing to do with the plot, etc., but the characters and the writing style are so fun that you forget that the whole thing is just one big shaggy dog ramble. I wouldn't normally be tempted to give 5 stars to something like that, but Dickens made it work for me somehow.

When I was young, I think to a certain extent I believed that Dickens was a horror writer. The ghosts from Christmas Carol terrified me when I was a small child, and later in English class, we read the scene from Great Expectations where Pip meets Miss Havisham, and the description of Miss Havisham left me with the impression that she was much like the Cryptkeeper from Tales From the Crypt in a wedding gown. Everything I was exposed to about Dickens when I was young left me with the impression that he was a wordy, depressing bore, or just too scary for me.

It probably does not help that English teachers everywhere seem to be enamored of his later "serious books" (read: heavy, depressing tragedies). They are also guilty of burdening what work we do study with obtuse discussions of symbolism, Jungian psychology, and all the other usual methods that teachers use to foster an "appreciation" (read: strong hatred) of classic literature.

But here's the thing: you need to make reading FUN if you want to win over new converts to the Church of Dickens or Shakespeare or anyone else, guys. His early novels may be silly fun, and sometimes read as though they were written by a Victorian J.K. Rowling, but that is actually a STRONG point in Dickens' favor! The early Harry Potter books were much the same way - silly, fluffy - but reading those first prepares the reader to accept the darker, more serious tone of the latter books, because we are already in love with the author and therefore care about what happens to the author's characters.

I believe this is the crucial point as to why Dickens was so loved and sold wildly with his original Victorian audience, but later generations perceive him as depressing school drudgework, an author you HAVE to read, but really don't want to. He was introduced to the Victorians by books like Pickwick Papers and Sketches by Boz, not by Bleak House. (ugh, the name alone sounds like a chore to read)

If you've ever stalled out with Dickens by starting with his later books, I encourage you to give him a try in chronological order of publication. I'm personally looking forward to the later books now, because I have become a Dickensian convert by the persuasive power of this book.(less)

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May 25, 2012 Cmtripp rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first taste of the Pickwick society came from an unlikely source: Louisa May Alcott. In Alcott's Little Women, the March girls dressed and romped as the fine gentlemen of the Pickwick Society..... I had to know more! I soon found out that these little women were miming one of Dickens' most humorous and lovable of all characters: Mr. Samuel Pickwick of the Pickwick Society.

Dickens' The Pickwick Papers follows the misadventures of Samuel Pickwick and his friends of the Pickwick Society. This bo...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Samantha Klein rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first book (and maybe first Dickens) of the year was The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. It was actually Dickens’ first novel, published in serial format in 1836. It’s not so much a novel with an predominant story arc as it is a collection of chronologically-ordered stories about a group of friends who wander around England getting into scrapes. The main character is Mr. Samuel Pickwick, a gentleman of middle age who is accompanied on his adventures by his younger friends Mr. Tupman,...more My first book (and maybe first Dickens) of the year was The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. It was actually Dickens’ first novel, published in serial format in 1836. It’s not so much a novel with an predominant story arc as it is a collection of chronologically-ordered stories about a group of friends who wander around England getting into scrapes. The main character is Mr. Samuel Pickwick, a gentleman of middle age who is accompanied on his adventures by his younger friends Mr. Tupman, Mr. Snodgrass, and Mr. Winkle, and later his trusted man-servant, Samuel Weller. The gentlemen travel about, ostensibly to study human nature, but really, they’re just engaging in one gigantic pub crawl. My favorite thing about Dickens is his very sly sense of sarcasm, and it’s in great evidence here. Mr. Pickwick fancies himself a most erudite and worldly individual, but he’s really rather naive and clueless. Mr. Snodgrass is a poet who doesn’t ever produce poetry, and Mr. Winkle is a “great sportsman” who doesn’t know which end of a horse is the front end. Their scrapes are sometimes romantic, sometimes pugilistic, sometimes legal in nature, and always entertaining. Despite the almost shallow nature of the story as a whole, the reader finds himself wholly invested in these charming characters, and will follow along eagerly to find out how a particular adventure ends. The ultimate ending satisfactorily closes the book on our heroes, and leaves one with a general sense of enjoyment and well-being. There’s not a lot to be “learned” or “understood” from Mr. Pickwick and company … it’s just all in good fun. It is interesting to look at Pickwick from a perspective of it being Dickens’ first major undertaking; the sarcasm, the satire, and the power of description are all there already, and one can sort of look forward to the honing of those skills throughout his later works.

I’ll stop with the wannabe English professor speak now, and just say that though long, this book is a lot of fun, particularly if you’re already a fan of Dickens or of the Victorian period in general. If you’ve already got some Dickens under your belt, and haven’t yet tackled Pickwick, then I return to my challenge and recommend that you follow my lead. You know, if you’re already ahead in your Cannonball count and can afford to only read one book this month.(less)

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About Charles Dickens

A prolific 19th Century author of short stories, plays, novellas, novels, fiction and non-fiction; during his lifetime Dickens became known the world over for his remarkable characters, his mastery of prose in the telling of their lives, and his depictions of the social classes, morals and values of his times. Some considered him the spokesman for the poor, for he definitely brought much awarenes...more

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“Poetry makes life what lights and music do the stage.” — 39 people liked it

“She dotes on poetry, sir. She adores it; I may say that her whole soul and mind are wound up, and entwined with it. She has produced some delightful pieces, herself, sir. You may have met with her 'Ode to an Expiring Frog,' sir.” — 6 people liked it

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