The Old Curiosity Club discussion
General Discussion
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Please Introduce Yourself
Hilary wrote: "Oh a banner? Do you mean The Old Curiosity Club? "It's the bit stretching right across at the top, where Everyman indicated. It's sometimes called a "header" I think. And on Facebook they call the panoramic background the "cover", and I sometimes have "Dickens's Dream" as mine there as you may know, so I knew it would look good here :) The inserted bit they call the "profile picture" on Facebook, and the "thumbnail" here, I think.
I really like our new name too! At first I thought it would just make people think we were all old curiosities, but ... oh never mind ;) I love it!
Hi Aimee and welcome! I'm pleased to meet you :)
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Welcome, Aimee. You're in good company. We're all avid readers here; you'll fit right in.
Lagullande wrote: "Everyman wrote: "I would ... encourage you gradually wean yourself from mere lurking into sharing your insights..."Thanks, Everyman. As soon as I get one, I promise to share it. "
Hahaha! It's never stopped me before, Lagullande. Jump right in. :-)
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Oh, I'm definitely not on the fenc..."
Well, no-one could take such a vital question lightly ;-)
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I've been devouring books since I was about thr..."
Hi Aimee,
welcome to the Club, and I hope you'll find time and interest to partake in our discussions. Had I read the book at the tender age of 11, I would surely have been scared to death of Miss Havisham - and that's probably a bit of how Pip might have felt like.
Aimee wrote: "Hello all, it looks like I may be one of the only folks here who is not a teacher and has never formally studied literature. I just like to read. :)I've been devouring books since I was about thr..."
Welcome, Aimee! You definitely aren't the only one here who isn't a teacher, but how lucky we are to benefit from their keen knowledge of literary devices. They pick up on things I would easily miss, and make the experience so much richer.
I'm a Marylander, too -- in Frederick County -- as is Xan. In fact, I think we Marylanders now dominate the group, geographically. :-)
Hello everyone, I know some of you virtually already, but it's nice to read the intros… Like Peter, I live in Q Victoria's namesake city in BC, Canada. Arrived a little earlier (Brit, by birth), and mostly grew up here. A writer, I also teach Argentine tango (which helps to get me out of my head :). Occasionally DJ. A proud mum of two grown daughters: one who rescues kittens (professionally! and has me fostering), the other who wants to rescue slightly bigger mammals -- whales -- and just completed her divemaster training in Oz. I try not to think about the sharks.
I love classic literature and Pacific NW history. I'm ever-so-slowly reading my dad's Dickens collection -- his favourite author, and becoming one of mine -- so far, three novels, some Xmas stories and other shorter works. I arrived here looking for an answer about Our Mutual Friend, but will look for the right thread…
ps. Love the cover painting/sketch! But who is that in Dickens' lap?
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I know some of you virtually already, but it's nice to read the intros… Like Peter, I live in Q Victoria's namesake city in BC, Canada.."
We understand that you and Peter have met or are planning to meet soon. WE WANT PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plus, of course, a full report.
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I know some of you virtually already, but it's nice to read the intros… Like Peter, I live in Q Victoria's namesake city in BC, Canada. Arrived a little earlier (Brit, by birth), a..."
Hi Vanessa
I knew you had been invited to meet us here, and am glad you have found us. Lots of books to read and lots of stories yet to come.
Welcome Lagullande, Aimee, and Vanessa! We are gathering together a nice little group here. It's nice to meet everyone.Aimee - like you, I've never taken any formal literature studies either, I just like to read. :)
Everyman wrote: "Vanessa wrote: "Hello everyone, I know some of you virtually already, but it's nice to read the intros… Like Peter, I live in Q Victoria's namesake city in BC, Canada.."
We understand that you an..."
Haha... ! Maybe we will practice a Royal wave to the rest of the... Curiosities? What do we call ourselves? I like Jean's idea ;)
Peter wrote: "Vanessa wrote: "Hello everyone, I know some of you virtually already, but it's nice to read the intros… Like Peter, I live in Q Victoria's namesake city in BC, Canada. Arrived a little earlier (Br..."
Hi Peter,
Well I haven't received an invitation yet, so I just crashed the party! Maybe I'm not very Canadian:) Looking forward to Our Mutual Friend, and meeting...
Thank you, Linda!
Hi and welcome Vanessa,Then until our mods decree otherwise, I hereby vote we call ourselves "the old curiosities" :) Ha!
I'm really enjoying this thread, as even though I do cyber-know lots of you already, I'm learning a great deal about your non-Dickensian sides! I keep thinking well who'd have thought ... etc.
Yes, I've said it elsewhere, but definitely PICTURES! What a perfect way to kick off a new group with an actual meet-up of members :)
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I know some of you virtually already, but it's nice to read the intros… Like Peter, I live in Q Victoria's namesake city in BC, Canada. Arrived a litt..."
Welcome to the new group, Vanessa! It's nice you have found your way over here - and if it were not a completely different author, albeit one I hold in high esteem, and if the associations were not rather bleak, I'd say that the crew of the PEQUOD seems nearly complete again.
Tristram wrote: "So stylish indeed that I'll throw in an extra couple of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!! "You just have to poke the bear, don't you?
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Speaking of which, in our town there is a zoo with only European animals, and the two bears are its main attraction. In the winter, however, of course, the bears are hibernating. I didn't actually believe that bears in zoos would do that and went to the bear compound anyway when I was last there with my family. My wife later asked me if I saw the bears, and unfortunately I did not. I could not admit that, however, and did a Pip ex tempore by saying that not only were the two bears wide awake but they also did some juggling, one of them playing the accordeon all the while, and afterwards they made icecream and passed it around to the kids - and that she missed it because she wouldn't go with me. Unluckily, my wife is more skeptical than Uncle Pumblechook and didn't believe me ;-)
Tristram wrote: "Poking bears at this time of the year is a relatively harmless sport as they are tricky to wake up ;-)Speaking of which, in our town there is a zoo with only European animals, and the two bears a..."
Your wife puts up with a lot, bless her. :-) Now I'm going back to my nap.
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Tristram wrote: "So stylish indeed that I'll throw in an extra couple of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!! "If my old eyes are not deceiving me, I do believe Tristram just used eleven exclamation points in a row! :D
Linda wrote: "Tristram wrote: "So stylish indeed that I'll throw in an extra couple of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!! "If my old eyes are not deceiving me, I do believe Tristram just used eleven exclamation poin..."
And I'm doing my best not to think less of him for it. ;-)
Jean wrote: "Hi and welcome Vanessa,Then until our mods decree otherwise, I hereby vote we call ourselves "the old curiosities" :) Ha!
I'm really enjoying this thread, as even though I do cyber-know lots of ..."
Thanks, Jean... and for befriending another Ol' Curiosity :)
Tristram wrote: "Welcome to the new group, Vanessa! It's nice you have found your way over here - and if it were not a completely different author, albeit one I hold in high esteem, and if the associations were not rather bleak, I'd say that the crew of the PEQUOD seems nearly complete again."Thank you, Tristram! It's been so long since I read that novel, that I forgot the name of the ship… but not, Call me Ishmael. I'm just glad no whales will be harmed in the forming of this Curious crew. Long live Moby's Descendants... !
Hello!My name is Gavin, I am half a scotsman and half a german, with interests in any kind of literature, movies, drama, art and so on.
I was invited to this group and want to say Thanks for the invitation. I Iike Dickens a lot, love to read him, but I am not a fanatic about the 19th century literature. So I´m happy to learn!
Though I am half scottish my English is quiet rusty - I hope you will pardon that!
I am looking forward to whatever happens here!
Welcome Gavin! I'm happy to meet anyone who enjoys Dickens, and hope you enjoy the group :)
Thank You, Jean! I´m looking forward to read Dickens again!
We're reading Great Expectations at the moment. That has to be a favourite, doesn't it? I do hope you can join in with us.
Ok, I´ll try to catch up. It´s been a few years, since I´ve read it for the last time. Maybe it IS my favourite book by Dickens, not easy to say...
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If my old eyes are not deceiving me, I do believe Tristram just used eleven ex..."
Linda and Mary Lou,
think of me what you will but these exclamation marks just have to go now. They are an old family heirloom - in fact there is a whole box of exclamation marks come down to me from my grandfather, who - due to my grandmother's doing all the exclaiming in their marriage - never had an opportunity to use them, at least not indoors. Since I don't want to start testing these exclamation marks on my wife and children, I will throw them in here from time to time. See, there's a couple of them again !!!!I Oh, I admit, the last one of them is broken. Maybe, my grandfather had used it already ;-)
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I most whole-heartedly agree. I sometimes have the opportunity of seeing whales in my wife's homecountry Argentina - although they are not of the Moby-Dick family - and it is a grand feeling.
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My name is Gavin, I am half a scotsman and half a german, with interests in any kind of literature, movies, drama, art and so on.
I was invited to this group and want to say Thanks for the..."
Callooh!!!!! Callay!!!!! It's wonderful to have you here, Gavin!!!!!!!
Quick - those exclamation marks are getting away again Tristram - you'll have none left at this rate!(I really need that laugh right now - thank you so much :D)
“Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of an insane mind.”― Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man
Tristram, it took me YEARS to use up all the Ivory soap my great aunt stocked up on during a sale in the 1940s. But it would have been insane to try to use all that soap in one bath. "Waste not, want not" works for excessive punctuation, too. Save some of those exclamation marks for a rainy day; It would be a shame for you to have exciting news someday and none to spare. But if you truly want to get rid of them, my husband would be thrilled to trade your heirloom exclamation marks for all that family china boxed up in my basement that the next generation has no interest in. The exclamation marks take up lots less storage space.
P.S. Despite having never met them, I feel a fondness for your grandparents. They sound just a little like Joe and Mrs. Joe. :-)
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As to the family china, well, I've got a wife, and she has more china than any enthusiastic bull in a china-shop could smash ;-)
Mary Lou wrote: "“Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of an insane mind.”― Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man
Save some of those exclamation marks for a rainy day; It would be a shame for you to have exciting news someday and none to spare."
lol. Thanks for the laugh this morning, Mary Lou! :)
Gavin wrote: "Hello!My name is Gavin, I am half a scotsman and half a german, with interests in any kind of literature, movies, drama, art and so on."
Welcome Gavin!
Tristram wrote: "As to the family china, well, I've got a wife, and she has more china than any enthusiastic bull in a china-shop could smash ;-)"It was worth a shot.
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My name is Gavin, I am half a scotsman and half a german, with interests in any kind of literature, movies, drama, art and so on.
I was invited to this group and want to say Thanks for the..."
Welcome Gavin
You have entered another dimension with us. A fine place to be.
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Tristram
Did you just write "hockey club???" Are you referring to hockey, the game played on ice??? The reason all Canadians love winter??? Now, as a proud citizen of Canada I must correct you. They are called hockey sticks.
The fact that we frequently use the stick in a game like a club is another story.
The fact that I used the ? mark so much is because I can't believe your excessive use of the ! mark. Oh what a way to begin the week!! and another one for good measure!
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My name is Gavin, I am half a scotsman and half a german, with interests in any kind of literature, movies, drama, art and so on.
I was invited to this group and want to say Thanks for the..."
Whoever invited you, thanks to them. And glad that you accepted the invitation. Welcome to the group.
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We're not very far in yet, so should be easy enough to catch up. Hope you decide to.
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We see whales (or actually Orcas which while called killer whales are really of the dolphin family and sometimes actually feed on whales) fairly regularly during the summer. Where we live they're usually not right by the land, since we're back at the mouth of a bay and they're heading up to go outside Henry Island, but they're easy enough to see anyhow, especially with the binoculars we keep several sets of on our living room windowsills.
And if we want to go down to Limekiln Park, a few miles south along the coast, the Orcas often come within a few dozen yards of the shore there.
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Perhaps Tristram was thinking of the man who went to a fight and hockey game broke out.
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By the way, Gavin, despite what you have seen posted here right after you introduced yourself, we sometimes do actually discuss things seriously. So don't despair!!??!!??!!??!!??
Everyman wrote: "So don't despair!!??!!??!!??!!??"Okay.... now you're just mocking me. (I do realize I was being mocked earlier, but I chose to pretend otherwise. As butt of all family jokes, I've grown used to it. It's a cross I have to bear.)
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Okay.... now you're just mocking me."
Not intending to mock you. Intending to mock Tristram!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and Peter?????????
The Old Curiosity Club
Books mentioned in this topic
A Christmas Carol (other topics)A Christmas Carol (other topics)
The Pickwick Papers (other topics)
The Pickwick Papers (other topics)
Bleak House (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles Dickens (other topics)Bryan Kozlowski (other topics)
Thomas Hardy (other topics)
Thomas Hardy (other topics)
I've been devouring books since I was about three. Growing up, any books on the shelf were fair game, and my parents had a nice collection of the classics. I read Great Expectations once before around age 11 or 12 and look forward to revisiting it at 30 when I'm bound to get a bit more out of it.
I live in Baltimore, MD, USA. I work in digital marketing and study online for my MBA, so the tactile nature of turning a printed page is a welcome pleasure. I resolved this year to read/re-read more classic novels, so I'll look forward to discussing Dickens with you all!