The Old Curiosity Club discussion
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You can find out which book is currently discussed by going on the Group Home Page. At the moment, we are re-reading A Christmas Carol, which is, of course, not too surprising a choice. The reading schedule is in the discussion folder, and so will any other reading schedule for oncoming books. There is always one thread in the respective folder that will contain a reading schedule. We are not reading very quickly but take our time to discuss things and exchange ideas and impressions, and we are not very particular about sticking to the topic, as you may find out when reading one of the threads. There is only one strict rule - namely the one to avoid spoilers, i.e. don't talk of events that happen in parts of the book that we have not read officially as yet.
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask - but now, enjoy!
It's nice to have you, janz. I look forward to having you join the group. We'll just be getting to the discussion of Stave 2 this weekend so plenty of time for you to join in if you'd like.
Ok - what is Stave 2? A chapter in a book? A secret code?
Mod
If you enjoy Dickens and enjoy a good group of interesting people you have arrived at the perfect place. As Mary Lou said above we are now discussing A Christmas Carol. What a treat. All new postings for the novel should appear below the icon of a bell on the top of the Goodreads page. If you have any problems just ask and we will sort it out.
In January we begin our reading of Little Dorrit. A wonderful novel. We will post about 3 chapters per week with an opening commentary to accompany each week.
Have you found our opening week’s discussion for A Christmas Carol? Please join us.
Mod
When you get a copy, download a copy, or otherwise obtain a copy of A Christmas Carol (ACC for short form) you will notice that Dickens used the word Stave rather than the word Chapter for each of the five chapters/staves in the novella. The word stave is Dickens being a bit creative and suggesting that each chapter can be likened to a verse of a song.
It’s the only time he does so.
Peter wrote: "Peacejanz wrote: "Ok - what is Stave 2? A chapter in a book? A secret code?"When you get a copy, download a copy, or otherwise obtain a copy of A Christmas Carol (ACC for short form) you will not..."
You are so right about stave - I had forgotten it until I sent the query. Thanks for the message. peace, janz
Mod
Thank you. Never heard this before but now I will know forever. Hooray for Dickens writing something that is unusual - just a way to learn. Thanks. peace, janz
Hello! I'm Gia. I've been an avid reader my whole life reading mostly non-fiction books on my own (so much to learn!). January 2020 was the year I began to include the reading of the classics and it has been a very fun adventure---I feel like a whole new world has opened up! I'm a newbie to Dickens; I've only read A Tale of Two Cities. I am looking forward to learning from everyone here. I plan to join you all in reading Little Dorrit come January 6. Years ago I watched Little Dorrit on PBS and ever since then I have wanted to read the book!
Mod
Hello Gia
Welcome to the Curiosities. Perfect timing for you to join with us. A new year and a new Dickens novel. Please join us with your ideas, comments, questions and insights. 2022 will be a great year to read.
Gia wrote: "Hello! I'm Gia. I've been an avid reader my whole life reading mostly non-fiction books on my own (so much to learn!). January 2020 was the year I began to include the reading of the classics and i..."Welcome Gia, I think you will really enjoy the group. I also saw the Little Dorrit mini series on PBS and have been waiting to read it with the group. I also want to re-watch the series but not until we finish the novel.
Mod
Thank you all so much for the warm welcome! :)
Welcome Gia! It's always nice to see new people come in and read along :-D
Hey there! I'm Jenn, a librarian in Philadelphia. I read a handful of Dickens when I was younger, but decided last year to start making my way through all of them - either again or for the first time. In 2021 I read Bleak House, Hard Times, A Tale of Two Cities, Pickwick, and A Christmas Carol (and some of the other Christmas stories). But I do think it's helpful sometimes to connect with others reading the same book, so thought I'd join to start the new year with Little Dorrit and you all!
Glad to have you join us, Jenn. I find reading Dickens is a much richest experienced with this group. I hope you'll feel free to jump into the discussions.
Mod
Welcome Jenn.
Curl up with a copy of Little Dorrit. Soon we will all be off for our first reading adventure of 2022.
Thank you for the welcome. Looking forward to it!
Mod
A hearty welcome from me! I have already got the book out of my shelves and will post the first recaps in the course of the weekend.
Tristram wrote: "Jenn,A hearty welcome from me! I have already got the book out of my shelves and will post the first recaps in the course of the weekend."
Thank you! I've started my reading and look forward to the recap/discussion!
Dear kindred spirits,I hope this finds you happy and well. My name is Abigail, and It’s very lovely to meet you!
I am starting my first year of college this fall and am beyond excited to begin the journey of majoring in English Literature! I do not have the same vast knowledge yet as most members do of Dickens work. However, I one day hope too! Though in the mean time I look forward to learning from everyone’s wisdom and insights.
A Tale of Two Cities is one of my most favorite stories, and I’m looking forward to reading Bleak House, and David Copper Field soon!
A funny Dickens story of mine.
About a year ago, I went to a library book sale and bought a beautiful vintage copy of Oliver Twist. It was a deep emerald green, with fine details of gold embellishments. Yet one year later, in a completely different state, I found a matching book of A Christmas Carol at a flee market!
The women who sold me the book was very kind, and told me ‘Give the book a good home, and lots of love’. Which I truly hope I have. I felt like I got to play a little role in bringing the two books back together again after being cities apart. I wonder if that’s how Mr. Lorry felt seeing Lucie and Dr. Manette reunited again! Though my mission was strictly business…
(My apologies for the ramble, but I thought I’d share my silly little story).
I look forward to talking with you all, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
Warmly,
Abigail Grace
Mod
I hope this finds you happy and well. My name is Abigail, and It’s very lovely to meet you!
I am starting my first year of college this fall and am beyond excited to begin th..."
Welcome Chamomile
How wonderful you have joined us. It must be an exciting time for you as you prepare to enter college and major in English Literature. I was in the same position as you, but that was in the last millennium. 1969.
The Curiosities are are wonderful group who all bring their individual strengths and questions to the group. We are not experts, but we certainly are enthusiasts.
We are going through the canon chronologically. After A Tale of Two Cities will be Great Expectations (a favourite of mine), then Our Mutual Friend, then The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
You mention your special enjoyment of David Copperfield and Bleak House. While we won’t be specifically looking at them in the near future, may I make a suggestion? You can go and look at our discussions of those two books. You might find them interesting. Also, you can contribute a comment or insight or ask a question about those two books and I am certain you will receive an answer.
Thank you for your story of finding two special Dickens books. As you read your way through the books with us you will find we all enjoy sharing interesting trivia and adventures. You will fit right in!
I look forward to your presence with us.
Peter
Welcome Chamomile, I haven't been as active recently because I am selling our house and moving next month. But I really enjoy this group and I am sure you will too. I like your story and it reminded me of a small second hand book shop in Houston which I used to frequent, I loved browsing in there and that is when I started collecting Dickens books. I found several small editions of his there and I simply loved them. They were probably about 5-6 inches tall and were burgundy I believe. I gave them to my daughter when I bought a full set of Oxford Illustrated Dickens which I love, but I continue to love old editions.
Peter wrote: "Chamomile wrote: "Dear kindred spirits,I hope this finds you happy and well. My name is Abigail, and It’s very lovely to meet you!
I am starting my first year of college this fall and am beyond e..."
Thank you so very much, Peter!
It's really encouraging to hear from someone who went through the same experience.
How wonderful! Groups that are made up of enthusiasm and curiosity I believe to be the best kind there is.
Thank you for the suggestion, I'll definitely make sure to look through the old discusions of previous books. I'm really curious to see others' insights on A Tale of Two Cities, for I've been going back and re-reading. I'm very excited to begin Great Expectations, for my expectations are quite high, (hehe).
I'm so happy to hear that! I truly look forward to hearing everyone's insights, trivia, and adventures.
Thank you very much for the warm welcome! I can't wait to participate.
Sincerely,
Abigail
Bobbie wrote: "Welcome Chamomile, I haven't been as active recently because I am selling our house and moving next month. But I really enjoy this group and I am sure you will too. I like your story and it reminde..."Thank you very much, Bobbie!
This group seems so warm and lovely.
That's such a great story, It's a wonderful feeling being able to fined a nice book store where you can give a book a home. I have a favorite book store that always has a friendly cat named Guildenstern to greet me. I feel as though books carry two stories, the one crafted on the pages, and the one that makes a space in our hearts.
That's very kind of you to give them to your daughter!
My mother and grandmother did the same for me. I hope to give my collection someday to family as well, then they can become heirlooms.
The illustrated versions are just beautiful! I have a few myself and I just adore them. I think it's intersting how well Dickens works transfer into ilustrations, his writting is so visual and atmosphic that I feel as though his writing is like painting with words.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story, it added warmth to my day!
Abigail
I am jealous of you - you have the beginning of a set. All of my Dickens books have different book covers, are different sizes, colors, but I am too old now to start collecting a complete set that looks so lovely on the shelf. No matter - Dickens is Dickens - we can always get extra info here or from other sites. Welcome. peace, janz
Mod
I wish you a warm welcome to the group and hope that you will find our discussions insightful and interesting and feel intrigued enough to participate. From what you write - e.g. your remark about the two stories implied in a book - I can tell you are a great lover of literature and an extremely thoughtful reader. It's nice to have you here!
Like peacejanz, I have never succeeded in buying a complete edition of Dickens's works but have quite a motley crew on my shelves. Once the university library in our town had a sale of books they no longer wanted, most of them actually quite new and in mint condition. They had a complete Dickens edition, and I bought two books, having no way of transporting the whole lot of them. When I returned with my car, somebody else had bought the remainder of the edition - even though I asked the guy behind the counter to put the books aside for me. It's a pity that collection was ripped apart.
Mod
Kim - is there a Better World Books drop off near you? College kids started this several decades ago. They pick up books that people are dumping when the semester is over. All the profits go to reading groups- many in Africa. When I buy a book, I get a notice telling me how many kids I have helped to read or how many books I have donated. They charge no shipping costs ever and the sales are pretty straight forward. They often refer you to other book outlets if they do not have the book. So, Kim, box up some of those old books, ship them to Better World Books and feel good about yourself. Before you decide to move down here (Florida), I will remind you that shipping goods goes by weight. I disposed of so many books when I moved here 10 years ago. peace, janz
Mod
Kim
Careful now. If I do some math I may be able to figure out your age.
;-)
Welcome Chamomile! You read like you will fit right in with this group :-D
Peacejanz wrote: "I am jealous of you - you have the beginning of a set. All of my Dickens books have different book covers, are different sizes, colors, but I am too old now to start collecting a complete set that ..."Thank you very much!
I really love looking at a mix of books on a shelf. They can all be by the same author, yet tell such different stories based on their covers. I bet your Dickens books are very grateful for the love and home you have given them.
Kim wrote: "Welcome Chamomile, It's nice to meet you. All this talk about complete book editions has me thinking that I don't think I have even two in a set let alone all of them. For so long my books have com..."Thank you very much!
That's a really neat collection, I love getting second-hand books knowing someone else must have poured over the pages with thought and care. I understand that. I've moved in the past and having to find where to find the good books can at times feel overwhelming. I wish you luck in finding good book suppliers!
Jantine wrote: "Welcome Chamomile! You read like you will fit right in with this group :-D"Thank you very much Jantine! It's lovely to meet you, and I can't wait to begin great Expectations with the group!^^
Hello everyone! My name is Mark and I recently completed my second novel called “Solving Drood” (by Mark Wheats). Though it’s completely a work of fiction, and you are no doubt going to think I’m crazy, but after launching my book (which I solely used as a MacGuffin that my two main characters are seeking), I accidentally found a clue that leads to the real villain in Mr. Dickens’s unfinished story, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” Please know that I am completely serious and have been in communication with the editor of The Dickensian regarding the non-fiction article I’m putting together. (And if the article does not show who the villain is in Mr. Dickens’s unfinished swan song, I will eat my own head!) Nice to meet everybody. If there’s one thing I can say about reading Charles Dickens, it’s that I have always come away from his writings feeling like a better person, so I know I must be in good company if you also enjoy opening your heart to his wonderful works. I look forward to chatting “Dickens” with you.
Mod
Please feel welcome to the Curiosity Club. Reading Dickens is indeed a pleasure and when I come away from his writings, I often feel like a person more alive. It just does a world of good to meet all those old acquaintances, from Mr. Pickwick and his motley crew to the sinister John Jasper, again once in a while.
Saying this, I'd also think it fair to inform you that in this group we have read Dickens's works nearly twice (before there was another group where we started), and that's why from 2023 we are planning to read other Victorian novels, not so much on a regular basis and with a high degree of scholarly impetus, but more to keep in touch with each other and to discover works we might otherwise never have read. So there will probably not be a lot of "Dickens chatting" going on for a while. Still, of course, you are welcome to join our discussions. As it happens we are starting with Trollope's Cousin Henry this week.
As to who killed Edwin Drood, you will never get me away from prime suspect JJ.
Many thanks for the kind welcome, Tristram. I look forward to the discussions!
Mod
Hi Kim… I thought it was John Jasper the first few times I read it too, but after much research, it was by happenstance that I stumbled upon a clue that “The Squire of Gad’s Hill” himself left behind for us (and it’s been sitting right in front of us for the last 152 years). Loving The Dickensian and its Fellowship, I really want them to have first dibs on it. I will definitely keep you posted!
Pocket bio: Retired humanities teacher, residing in Tlaxcala, Mexico, with two dogs and six indoor cats. Passionate about literature, history, philosophy, classical music and opera, jazz, cinema, and similar subjects. Nostalgic guy. Politically centrist. BA in American Studies from Yale; MAs in English and Education from Boston University. Born in northern New Jersey. Have lived and worked in San Francisco, Chicago, northern Nevada, northeast Wisconsin, South Korea. More detail at Goodreads profile.
Hi Kim… I don’t expect you to remember me (after all, it’s been two years and two months since we last chatted), but the article was ultimately published in The Dickensian (which is the definitive version of the theory with 44 footnotes). It’s called ‘The Spike that Intervenes: How I Accidentally Solved Drood’ and was published in the summer 2024 edition. (I never realized peer review was such a long process—but well worth it!)
Hi Tristram… Wow, it’s been over two years since we last chatted and I wanted to get back to you about “JJ” being the villain in The Mystery of an Edwin Drood. (See? I told ya I’d be back). The peer review process takes much longer than I had anticipated but the article was published in the summer 2024 edition of The Dickensian (which is the definitive version of the theory since it includes descriptive footnotes). Anyway, it’s called ‘The Spike that Intervenes: How I Accidentally Solved Drood’. I hope the reading sways you a bit in favor of Jasper’s innocence. (My, how time flew by these past two years—did anything exciting in the world happen? lol.)
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)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles Dickens (other topics)Bryan Kozlowski (other topics)
Thomas Hardy (other topics)
Thomas Hardy (other topics)
How do I find out what current Dickens book is being discussed?
I live alone - was married once and I say that he was such a bad husband that I never tried it again. The truth is that we were both so immature that the marriage did not have a chance. And a lot of other factors. I think it is best that I live alone because I am so opinionated. When I was first divorced, I used to say that I could now decide where all the pictures would be hung. Thank you all for loving Dickens. peace, janz