A House To Let - Going into Society

[SarahC]

Chap. 3 of A House to Let

[Bea]

This was my absolute favorite part! I was not surprised to find after finishing that it was the Dickens contribution. We so often think of Dickens as melodramatic but to me he is a master of humor.

[Becky]

Really? I thought this was a little too off key for me. I really loved the Manchester Marriage, and then this just seemed like a really shocking flavor afterwards. I didn't dislike, I just didn't like it as much as the other parts.

[Bea]

I agree that the parts are discordant. My second favorite was the Manchester Marriage.

I guess I just like a good laugh! I underlined whole sections of Going Into Society they were so delicious.

[Marialyce]

It was not my favorite either. I have to say that this chapter too, seemed disorganized and off. Perhaps I should blame my fore knowledge of the fact that different authors contributed different pieces. The whole book thus far seems like puzzle pieces. I can't really yet see the discordant pieces adding to the whole.

I know we are a bit more than midway, but presently I am not a fan of this book. I guess given the bevy of Victorian stars, I was looking for more.

[LauraT]

Becky wrote: "Really? I thought this was a little too off key for me. I really loved the Manchester Marriage, and then this just seemed like a really shocking flavor afterwards. I didn't dislike, I just didn't l..."

As Becky and Marialyce wrote I didn't like this particular episode better than the others; maybe a little less ... And I feel like Marialyce and the puzzle: too many hands!

[SarahC]

I don't think this varies too far from the Dickens vision (or at least as I find his vision). The kind of "in life you stumble upon lots of disjointed stuff" vision. This chapter says to me that you are likely to run into anything. And maybe it was to throw off the hunt -- that after the circus people lived there, nobody wanted to touch the house. Of course Sarah and her detectives don't fall for that :)

Dickens liked to bring out the odd people in life and tell us a little of their story in many of his books, right?

[Bea]

SarahC wrote: "I don't think this varies too far from the Dickens vision (or at least as I find his vision). The kind of "in life you stumble upon lots of disjointed stuff" vision. This chapter says to me that yo..."

I agree, Sarah, and I loved that Dickens was able to pull all the stops out in this little story and do social satire and humor without any of the melodrama and pathos that come with a lot of his novels. Don't get me wrong, he's probably my favorite writer but I like him funny as well as profound.