Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion
Archived Chit Chat & All That
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Where to start with Dickens. Should i read Oliver Twist or ATale of two cities first?
Great Expectations is my favorite! Oliver Twist is in a similar vane and wonderful--a little Les Miserable itself. Ooh,and David Copperfield, too. I read thes some 40 years ago and remain fond of them.
Twist and Copperfield are my favorites. Two Cities is fairly dark and bloody and looks at the ugly side of man. Then the final paragraph makes me cry. :) I think Oliver Twist was the better story in general. I would recommend that one before Two Cities, although they are both very good.
What Sarah said. I struggled a bit with A Tale of Two Cites but loved everything else Dickens wrote.
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Holly, you can't go wrong with either. I prefer A Tale of Two Cities because it's an excellent work of historical fiction regarding the French Revolution and it's impact on the cities of Paris and London.
thank you so much for the replies. It really helps.
Good luck with whichever one you choose Holly. I'll quietly mention that I still haven't read any Dickens apart from A Christmas Carol. Oh dear.
Great Expectations wasn't a favorite of mine. Bleak House is often heralded as one of his best and it was very good as a complex mystery of sorts. The opening page maybe worth any purchase price for its vivid description of London in mud season.I also enjoyed Little Dorrit.
Of Dickens' books I have only read A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities. I enjoyed them both, but I really loved A Tale of Two Cities.
I didn't like Great Expectations or A Christmas Carol. I love what I've read of his other ones, but David Copperfield and Oliver Twist are my favorites. I would start with Oliver Twist.
Pink wrote: "Good luck with whichever one you choose Holly. I'll quietly mention that I still haven't read any Dickens apart from A Christmas Carol. Oh dear."Oh, Pink. I'll cry for you.
Bleak House is definitely my favorite and is what got me into classics. Granted, I haven't finished all of his novels sadly. :(
I also really love A Tale of Two Cities.
Great Expectations just didn't do it for me, but I haven't read it since high school, so maybe it's time to give it another shot!
Bleak House is definitely my favorite and is what got me into classics. Granted, I haven't finished all of his novels sadly. :(
I also really love A Tale of Two Cities.
Great Expectations just didn't do it for me, but I haven't read it since high school, so maybe it's time to give it another shot!
I found A Tale of Two Cities dark and bloody. I really enjoyed it in the end but I wouldn't personally choose it as a first Dickens. It is really very good though.
This year I'm trying to read Jane Austen's books, and I'm thinking that going forward I might pick a new author each year to try to focus on. Dickens might be my pick for 2016.
Sarah wrote: "I found A Tale of Two Cities dark and bloody. I really enjoyed it in the end but I wouldn't personally choose it as a first Dickens. It is really very good though."Agreed, A Tale of Two Cities is quite dark and I wouldn't recommend it either as a first Dickens read. I really enjoyed David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist: the characters are so colorful and there is some lightness in the atmosphere. But I struggled a bit through A Tale of Two Cities.
Holly, just not sure of what you meant by mentioning the french revolution: A Tale of Two cities takes effectively place during the french revolution, however, les Misérables context is a bit afterwards and I think it begins in 1815 (Waterloo) and ends in 1832 (with the rebellion of June in Paris).
If you wish to read about the french revolution, there is Ninety-three by Hugo: I found it even better than les Misérables (and it is shorter ;) ).
Christine wrote: "This year I'm trying to read Jane Austen's books, and I'm thinking that going forward I might pick a new author each year to try to focus on. Dickens might be my pick for 2016."On amazon today, there's apparently Dickenson's entire works available for free. It's all in one giant ebook though which may be off putting to some. I don't know if the ebook publisher is any good either so buyer beware.
Delphi Complete Works of Charles Dickens (Illustrated)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004...
I bought the Delphi Complete Works that Myst mentioned. I already had a copy of the complete Dickens work, but what the heck, this might have some good stuff. And it does. There are pictures of Dickens' homes, collaborative works, criticisms of Dickens' work and even some adaptations of his novels (they are plays, I think). So thank you, Myst, I think this was a nice addition to my library.
Thank you Myst. I picked that edition up too!!
Mod
If you want to compare to Les Miserables, I say read A Tale of Two Cities. Otherwise, I'd suggest Oliver Twist; it's not as dark.
Oliver twist! A tale of two cities requires a bit more commitment.
A Tale of Two Cities definitely. I think it's his best and a must read for anyone with a heart.
Great Expectations is really very good, one of my favourite books altogether. But Dickens also wrote lots of good short stories. I especially loved a ghost stories collection published in Wordsworth Classics series.
I listened to a terrific audiobook of Oliver Twist, and I'd recommend doing that. I haven't read A Tale of Two Cities. Great Expectations is wonderful, but I do love Oliver Twist. Something about that sinister underworld really captured my imagination when I read it. Yes, it is Anti-Semitic, but it needs to be taken in context. Fagin, Dodger, and Bill Sikes are some of the memorable characters I have ever encountered. I really felt like I was there, hanging out with pickpockets.
A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite Dickens, but if I were to suggest where to start, I'd say David Copperfield (my second favorite), since it is semi-autobiographical*, and I believe it will give a little understanding of the author, which will likely lead to greater appreciation of his writing. * David's initials, DC are the inverse of the authors. Many other autobiographical elements. Plus CD said DC was his favorite.
Joseph wrote: "A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite Dickens, but if I were to suggest where to start, I'd say David Copperfield (my second favorite), since it is semi-autobiographical*, and I believe it will give ..."I second Joseph's suggestion! David Copperfield is my favorite Dickens so far, and I still remember many scenes vividly. It was the first one I read after A Christmas Carol, and it just feels the most Dickensy. :-)
I will through my two cents in with a vote for David Copperfield. It's my favorite Dickens (although I've yet to read them all) and it has lots of everything to offer - beautiful writing, mystery, romance, humor, joy, sorrow, friendships, enemies, intrigue... What more could you ask of a book? It's also a delightful read!
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I am glad to hear Two Cities is good. I'm always nervous about reading a Dickens book. I have been dreading Two Cities ever since I put it on my Old & New challenge. Sometimes it pays to get lucky, thanks Joseph.
I've only so far read Great Expectations which I really loved so it's interesting to see all your recommendations for further Dickens-reading.
I"m sure Holly's already read some Dickens but my vote is for Oliver Twist.My biggest memory is of A Tale of Two Cities is that it's really predictable. I guessed how it was going to end a couple of chapters into it and spent the rest of the book impatiently waiting to be proven right.
Though I might go for Great Expectations over either simply because Miss Havisham is such a memorable character.
But please note - I actually don't like Dickens at all, so my advice shouldn't count for much.
I'm going to whisper very quietly, that I've still only read A Christmas Carol by Dickens and I kind of hated it. I do have Great Expectations on my shelf, but I haven't been in a rush to pick it up since buying it about 10 years ago!
Pink wrote: "I'm going to whisper very quietly, that I've still only read A Christmas Carol by Dickens and I kind of hated it. WHAT! Can we vote her out! I'm...I'm...I'm just so kidding. Seriously, one of the thing I love about this group, Goodreads, and some other bookish networks I'm in, is the differing perspectives.
But seriously, you're a Briton. Ya gotta love Dickens. Unlike me, a Yank...and perfectly comfortable disliking Faulkner.
Joseph wrote: "Pink wrote: "I'm going to whisper very quietly, that I've still only read A Christmas Carol by Dickens and I kind of hated it. WHAT! Can we vote her out! I'm...I'm...I'm just so kiddi..."
Oh yeah...and does anyone else use the "compare books" feature to compare how you rated common books with another member. It's quite fascinating.
Bob wrote: "Joseph wrote: "A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite Dickens, but if I were to suggest where to start, I'd say David Copperfield (my second favorite), since it is semi-autobiographical*, and I believ..."Bob...not only is A Tale of Two Cities my favorite Dickens, it's one of my top 5 favorites of any author. And you and I rate very similarly.
Pink wrote: "I'm going to whisper very quietly, that I've still only read A Christmas Carol by Dickens and I kind of hated it. I do have Great Expectations on my shelf, but I haven't b..."
I didn't like A Christmas Carol. Not sure why. Strangely I almost enjoyed A Tale of Two Cities...I didn't despise it like most classics.
I read A Tale of Two Cities right after high school, it was like one of my first classics (or my first leisurely classic read). I'm intending on reading it again though, because it was a bit of a challenging read for me at the time, and I don't think I fully appreciated it!
Also, David Copperfield is awaiting me to be read as well. I got hooked reading it on the bus after purchasing it. I just got distracted, which reflects only on myself, not the book.
Also, David Copperfield is awaiting me to be read as well. I got hooked reading it on the bus after purchasing it. I just got distracted, which reflects only on myself, not the book.
Joseph wrote: "WHAT! Can we vote her out! I'm...I'm...I'm just so kidding...."I know, I know, it's a wonder you all let me stay, never mind help moderate Old School ;)
I should have read more by him, but I already think I'll hate them. Perhaps I'll be pleasantly surprised one day, but there's so many other books to read, Dickens just gets pushed further and further and further down my list!
Oh and yes I love the compare books feature. I too think it's great that we have such a variety of opinions. It would be boring otherwise and we can't all like the same thing. I could give a long list of 'great classics' that I've hated, but I think I've done enough damage for now!
Hey Dickens fans, (Pink you may be excused), Behold the Stars is hosting a 19 month read-along of The Pickwick Papers. To mark the 180th anniversary, and read it serially, just as the original readers did. http://100greatestnovelsofalltimeques...
Thank you so much Joseph. That sounds great - what a novel idea! I absolutely love Dickens and this is certainly doable reading wise - a mere 2 chapters a month is nothing. Is there anyone else interested? It seems like serial reading is becoming the newest trend in books.
Dickens is tough. I can't read it. I AM SO SORRY, YOU GUYS. But he and I don't gel all that well. If one of his books comes up as a group read, I am out and will be re-reading "Rebecca" or "Moll Flanders" or "Lamb" instead.
One of my favorite book of all time is A Tale of Two Cities. It is a bit harder read than some of Dickens work, but I think it is well worth it.Paula, out of curiosity, what make you not gel with Dickens? I have authors like that as well. In fact, for me, Moll Flanders was a chore.
Sid wrote: "One of my favorite book of all time is A Tale of Two Cities. It is a bit harder read than some of Dickens work, but I think it is well worth it.Paula, out of curiosity, what make you not gel with..."
I tried several. I got 3 or 4 chapters in and just couldn't get it. Maybe Dickens is someone that hits you at chapter 12. If so, that is not for me. I appreciate an author that hooks me early, then makes me stew. Draw me in early and then string me along. That's what makes me keep reading. If I have to wait until I have read 123 pages to get into something, it will never happen. There are too many books to read.
Moll Flanders captured me early. It was a first person narrative, and a woman from centuries ago, speaking to me from prison where she was telling me about her nefarious deeds. It gripped me and kept me in.
Paula, Makes sense. I think thats what killed Moll Flanders for me. I am not a fan of 1st person perspective, so tend to shy away anyway (unless I just listen in audibook form). Sometimes a 1st person perspective book will grab me right away, but I think Moll Flanders just didn't.
I agree with you, there are too many books out there to spend time on one that becomes a chore to go through.
On a semi-related note, I tend to love first person narrative books and really hate the movie adaptations of those books. Okay, all movie adaptations are horrendous, but movie adaptations of first person narrative books are THE WORST. I'm looking at you, To Kill A Mockingbird. Yes, I said it. What is considered one of the greatest movies of all times was awful, in my opinion, because the book was so great. And the award-winning movie lost the perspective of Scout, the little girl through who the entire story was perfectly filtered. Ditto for The Hunger Games. Even though it is a YA book, that was a hella great book. The movie, MEH.
Good morning!Today I just got a Book House collection of all of Charles Dickens' novels for free from Amazon for Kindle for PC 2.
Jim
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Today I just got a Book House collection of all of Charles Dickens' novels for free from Amazon for Kindle for PC 2.
Jim"
Wow, good news.
Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)
Books mentioned in this topic
A Christmas Carol (other topics)Great Expectations (other topics)
David Copperfield (other topics)
A Christmas Carol (other topics)
A Christmas Carol (other topics)
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Anyone have an opinion?