The Pickwick Club discussion
A Tale of Two Cities
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Reading Schedule, and General Remarks
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We were also wondering what to read after A Tale of Two Cities. Starting a new novel might get us into problems with regard to our annual Christmas read, because that would mean reading two Dickens books simultaneously in December, at a time of year when many of us are trying their best to survive family reunions and shoo carol singers off our premises.So we were thinking of either reading some of the Sketches or of throwing in some longer short stories by Dickens. Nevertheless, if you have other ideas, feel welcome to post them here, and eventually, we'll have a poll on our next project after A Tale of Two Cities.
Here is the normal way of dating things, it took me less than an hour to figure out what Tristram was saying:8/25/16 - 8/31/16: Book 1, Chp. 1 - 6
9/1/16 - 9/7/16: Book 2, Chp. 1 - 6
9/8/16 - 9/14/16: Book 2, Chp. 7 - 13
9/15/16 - 9/21/16: Book 2, Chp. 14 - 18
9/22/16 - 9/28/16; Book 2, Chp. 19 - 24
9/29/16 - 10/5/16: Book 3, Chp. 1 - 7
10/6/16 - 10/12/16: Book 3, Chp. 8-12
10/13/16 - 10/19/16: Book 3, Chp. 13 - 15
Yes. Christmas does tend to come at us from various angles and throw one's reading rhythm off.I'd go for some shorter material, sketches, letters etc. Then, in January, away we go with our next novel. I have great expectations it will be a wonderful time.
I'll probably skip Tale of Two Cities since it's far from my favorite Dickens and I'm heavily invested in reading elsewhere. Since TOTC, according to the reading schedule, will end on October 19th, it would be two and a half months of fill-in if we waited until the new year to start the next novel. That's a long time. So my preference, if it matters, would be to move forward with the next novel and maybe adjust the readings around holiday weeks to be shorter, or have two-week instead of one-week sections over Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Hi everyone. I know I dropped the ball on Little Dorrit - even with the best of intentions on getting back on track this summer I failed to do so. I'm now changing my tactic and I downloaded the audio book, so I'm now becoming reacquainted with the characters and finishing up the novel that way. I'm in for A Tale of Two Cities, although I'll be starting late after I finish up LD. Hopefully with summer winding down and school starting up again, I'll be able to focus on Dickens once again.
Since I have not been a regular participant in the last two books, I will leave up the post-TOTC planning to the mods and others.
My comment disappeared. As I said in another thread I may not be taking part in this read. I do hope that you all enjoy it. I shall have to mull over this a little as I do miss the collective comments and the nonsense that is often bandied about. I believe that nonsense can never be overrated. :D
Hilary wrote: "My comment disappeared. As I said in another thread I may not be taking part in this read. I do hope that you all enjoy it. I shall have to mull over this a little as I do miss the collective comme..."Hmmm, I'm sorry your comment disappeared, Hilary and I don't know how this could have happened. If it happens again, let me know and I'll ask in the moderators' group if things like that happen very often.
It's a pity you are not going to join us, but I am sure you will look by from time to time, and help us bandying nonsense ;-) Like you, I believe in the unoverratability of nonsense. That sounds like the title of a book that ought to be written:
THE UNOVERRATABILITY OF NONSENSE
Everyman wrote: "I'll probably skip Tale of Two Cities since it's far from my favorite Dickens and I'm heavily invested in reading elsewhere. Since TOTC, according to the reading schedule, will end on October 19t..."
It's a pity you are skipping TTC because your insightful remarks and your wry humour will be missed. I noticed, some days ago, that your group is reading one of my favourite novels, The Brothers Karamasov, and I'm sure that this is where you are heavily invested. I can understand that, because it is not just a novel, but an ocean (I've read it four times so far) and happen to be reading it again. I might drop in from time to time but I am afraid of putting spoilers into my posts, being halfway into the novel and not always able to remember what happened when.
About your idea of reading another novel and reading it at half speed in December: I can see your point, but we also want to read a Christmas tale in December, which would mean that we might have to stop reading the novel altogether at that time because reading two Dickens books at the same time may be a bit too much for you, and covering all the threads of two simultaneous reads in December will also be quite a lot of work for us moderators.
Therefore, we would need a short read from mid-October (acutally we might give another week to discussing the book as a whole, so that we are talking of the end of October) to the beginning of December. That would be four weeks at most. We might definitely put in some of Dickens's longer short stories, like "George Silverman's Explanation", or "Hunted Down" or some such thing.
But your idea would work if we did not read a Christmas story. And this, I think, cannot be done, as Christmas and Dickens are intertwined concepts ;-)
Linda wrote: "Hi everyone. I know I dropped the ball on Little Dorrit - even with the best of intentions on getting back on track this summer I failed to do so. I'm now changing my tactic and I downloaded the au..."Hi Linda, I am glad that you intend to join us! Let's have "the best of times" reading TTC!
Was there not also a comment from Mary Lou here? Did that also disappear?
I'll catch you up on this one - am in the second half of Little Dorrit now. As I remember, A Tale of Two Cities is one of my least favourites to read, though of course the story itself is one of his most popular.
Don't trouble at all about my disappearing comment, Tristram! Technology and I have an uneasy shared history. I blame technology and technology blames me!I am greatly tempted to join the reading. I wish that I had not such a backlog of unfinished books. I shall review the situation as it progresses. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. :-)
Oh, please read along with us Hilary, I'm not sure I can handle the grumpiness of the group without your support.
As to the disappearing comments, I'm as puzzled as Tristram is, if it happens again I may lose some of my sweet temper.
Tristram wrote: But your idea would work if we did not read a Christmas story. And this, I think, cannot be done, as Christmas and Dickens are intertwined concepts ;-) ."In some minds, perhaps. But perhaps it's time for a divorce. As a former divorce lawyer, I'm ready and able to help you with the initial separation and eventual formalities of the divorce.
And intertwining can be deadly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhJ1M...
Kim wrote: "Oh, please read along with us Hilary, I'm not sure I can handle the grumpiness of the group without your support."I'm glad you recognize that there will be a sufficiency of grumpiness even if I am not along for the ride. There are plenty of others to fill in.
Everyman wrote: "Kim wrote: "Oh, please read along with us Hilary, I'm not sure I can handle the grumpiness of the group without your support."I'm glad you recognize that there will be a sufficiency of grumpiness..."
Oh, I forgot you aren't reading it with us, grumpiness is already cut in half.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgP0a...
Thank you so much, Kim, for the encouragement! Your kindness has given me that little nudge that I needed. I intend to give this one a go after all. Perhaps I'll fall in love with it on a second reading. Of course, Kim, we must not allow our defences to weaken over against an undoubtedly diminished share of grumpiness. We must not be complacent, however. It is said that nature abhors a vacuum, so although the ongoing display of grumpiness may appear to be halved, we must be on our guard. Stronger together, I think ...
Hilary wrote: "Thank you so much, Kim, for the encouragement! Your kindness has given me that little nudge that I needed. I intend to give this one a go after all."Yay! :)
Linda wrote: "Hilary wrote: "Thank you so much, Kim, for the encouragement! Your kindness has given me that little nudge that I needed. I intend to give this one a go after all."Yay! :)"
Double Yay!!!
Kim wrote: "Linda wrote: "Hilary wrote: "Thank you so much, Kim, for the encouragement! Your kindness has given me that little nudge that I needed. I intend to give this one a go after all."Yay! :)"
Double ..."
The best of times !
Kim wrote: "Oh, I forgot you aren't reading it with us, grumpiness is already cut in half.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgP0a...."
Ah, my theme song!
Peter wrote: "The best of times ! ."Ah, yes.
But also ...
But also ... The best of times! Only and forever! That way this novel could be a riot; thigh-slappingly hilarious! Oh we're in for a real hoot!Thank you so much, Linda and Kim. Yay! Yay yay! And yay, yay, yay!!! Ok, now I'm just being silly :D
Hilary wrote: "Thank you so much, Linda and Kim. Yay! Yay yay! And yay, yay, yay!!! Ok, now I'm just being silly :D "I love it. :)
Everyman wrote: "Kim wrote: "Oh, I forgot you aren't reading it with us, grumpiness is already cut in half.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgP0a...."
Ah, my theme song!"
Now, you see most people would have watched that and thought - "oh no, people (Kim) must think I'm too grumpy, I should try to be a little more like some of the other people in this group (Kim)." They would wonder how they ever got so grumpy, I'd guess it's either all those years being a lawyer, or a teacher, or canoeing through the wilderness, or living on an island that doesn't have a single fast food restaurant. All or any of that could cause grumpiness. But no, it's your theme song. Here, maybe this will help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eulS...
Bwah ha ha! Kim, you are a tonic! What a lovely wee song. This one played here in Donegal, so even YouTube must be feeling your Christmas cheer the whole way from Pennsylvania to our little Emerald Isle. ;-)
Kim wrote: " Here, maybe this will help.."Thanks. That was useful to help me realize that there are traitors and defectors in every walk of life. We who are true and pure of heart in our Grinchiness must just turn our heads sadly and rededicate ourselves to the true path.
http://www.bartleby.com/246/645.html
Everyman wrote: "Kim wrote: " Here, maybe this will help.."Thanks. That was useful to help me realize that there are traitors and defectors in every walk of life. We who are true and pure of heart in our Grinchin..."
You're a nut. :-)
Kim wrote: "You're a nut. :-)"
Why, thank you. That's the nicest thing you've said about me in a long time.
Oh, do you have monkey nuts in the States?!
Hilary wrote: "Oh, do you have monkey nuts in the States?!"Since we have monkeys in zoos, and some are males, I assume we do.
[g]
Or did you mean something else??
I do get ginger nuts from my British Pantry store from time to time. Quite a favorite of mine.
Tristram wrote: "Was there not also a comment from Mary Lou here? Did that also disappear?"I think you're referring to the comment I made which was in the LD final thoughts thread. No vanishing act that I'm aware of. :-)
Everyman, you're a geg! ;) Ah, yummy gingernut. Yes, we like our gingernuts, but they are only for gingers: people with ginger hair. We tend to practise a strange exclusiveness in the UK/Ireland. :D
Mary Lou wrote: "Tristram wrote: "Was there not also a comment from Mary Lou here? Did that also disappear?"I think you're referring to the comment I made which was in the LD final thoughts thread. No vanishing a..."
Now that you say it, I think I mistook the LD comment for one you had never written ;-)
In March 2013, Amazon purchased Goodreads. But this might not be the reason for some reviews on Amazon.com matching reviews on Goodreads word for word. I think the reason for that is that some reviewers put in their reviews on more platform than just one.
The Pickwick Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Little Dorrit (other topics)A Tale of Two Cities (other topics)
I am sorry that I did not post this thread earlier but I was still mentally preoccupied with Little Dorrit somehow, and after all, as we are going to read Dickens's novels in their chronological order, it cannot really come as a surprise that we have now before us Dickens's second historical novel, A Tale of Two Cities.
Kim and I were discussing the reading schedule up to yesterday, and we thought that although it is a short book, reading weekly instalments would make it drag on too slowly. That's why I always bundled up the original instalments of four weeks for one week's reading. Don't worry, it sounds like a lot, but it is more or less our usual reading pensum.
This is the reading schedule we'd like to propose, and I ruefully add that the dates are again in the European fashion, which is a) logical and wonderful, or b) odd and unfathomable, depending on from which side of the Atlantic you are looking at the dates:
25/08/16 - 31/08/16: Book 1, Chp. 1-6
01/09/16 - 07/09/16: Book 2, Chp. 1-6
08/09/16 - 14/09/16: Book 2, Chp. 7-13
15/09/16 - 21/09/16: Book 2, Chp. 14-18
22/09/16 - 28/09/16: Book 2, Chp. 19-24
29/09/16 - 05/10/16: Book 3, Chp. 1-7
06/10/16 - 12/10/16: Book 3, Chp. 8-12
13/10/16 - 19/10/16: Book 3, Chp.13-15