Pickwick Papers - Chapter 3 - 5

[Suki]

There are so many funny bits in this section! Two examples that made me laugh out loud, and that I didn't see anyone else mention, are:

Later in Chapter 3, when the officers of the 97th come to call, we find that the bloodthirsty fellow with the camp-stool from the duel in Chapter 2 is named Doctor Payne. His greatest disappointment seems to be that there is to be no bloodshed. I wonder if the name is a deliberate pun on Dickens' part-- Pain is certainly an apt name for a man who would be dealing with badly injured soldiers on a battlefield, without much in the way of painkillers or anaesthetic.

The second bit that caught my eye was in Chapter 4 during the regimental maneuvers, when the Pickwickians are taken into the carriage of Mr Wardle and family. At one point after the meal, the maiden aunt engages Mr Tupman in conversation:

"Do you think my dear nieces pretty?" whispered their affectionate aunt to Mr Tupman.
"I should, if their aunt wasn't here," replied the ready Pickwickian, with a passionate glance.
"Oh, you naughty man-- but really, if their complexions were a little *little* better, don't you think they would be nice-looking girls-- by candle-light?"
She carries on in this vein for a little while longer.

Wow! Nice back-handed compliment, auntie!

I also really enjoyed Joe, the narcoleptic fat boy, and that picnic was amazing! Imagine how much food and wine was in that basket, that four extra diners could be so easily accomodated, without anything running short!

The whole horse episode in Chapter 5 was hilarious, especially with Mr Tupman and Mr Snodgrass diving into the hedges to escape.

There were some comments in the thread above about stories being serialized and the success/failure rate of this type of publication in modern times. One area where it is very popular is manga, which are comic books from Japan that are extremely popular there and in translation around the world. Stories are either serialized monthly in magazines which would have several ongoing stories appearing every month (this is mostly seen within Japan), or in the more popular form of paperback books that are about 200 pages long, and are published several times a year. Some of the stories are only between 2 to 5 books long, but there are other series that are over 30 books long and still going strong. Like PP, sometimes these smaller books are eventually gathered and released in omnibus editions, although most manga stories would still comprise more than one omnibus. Many bookstores now have dedicated manga sections.

I think one reason that Stephen King's serialized novel The Green Mile didn't catch on is that many people in the West are not used to this format, and I am sure that another reason would have been the price. I used to work in a used bookstore, and we would get copies in occasionally. They weren't very long (less than 200 pages), and I'm not sure exactly what they cost, but even at $5 - $7 per book in 1996, they were pricey. The entire book is available now in mass market paperback for $11. Another sign that many people aren't of the mind-set to enjoy serialized stories is the popularity of binge-watching streaming TV shows on platforms like Netflix, instead of watching one episode at a time, spaced out over a number of days.

[Tristram]

Splendid, Suki! There are always new details to be pointed out in PP, and Miss Rachel really has a way of making compliments ;-) I must confess that sometimes I use this technique, too, - just my warped sense of humour ...

I am not much into binge watching, although from time to time, a couple of friends and I have Seinfeld or Simpsons nights, but then I do not really like TV shows that spread over dozens of episodes with an ongoing story. I rather prefer shows having episodes that stand for themselves.

[Mary Lou]

Suki wrote: "I wonder if the name is a deliberate pun on Dickens' part..."

I would be shocked to learn that Dr. Payne's name was a coincidence. There are coincidences galore in Dickens' novels, but I don't think the aptronyms (thank you, Tristram!) are among them!

[Peter]

Suki wrote: "There are so many funny bits in this section! Two examples that made me laugh out loud, and that I didn't see anyone else mention, are:

Later in Chapter 3, when the officers of the 97th come to ca..."

Suki

Thanks for your comments and insights. Dickens and characters’ names. What fun!

Yes. Publication forms and styles introduce much to think about. I enjoy our format of reading and hope you continue to share your insights with us.