What do you think?
The Chimes
"The Chimes" is Charles Dickens 1844 novella that concerns the disillusionment of Toby "Trotty" Veck, a poor working-class man. When Trotty has lost his faith in Humanity and believes that his poverty is the result of his unworthiness he is visited on New Year's Eve by spirits to help restore his faith and show him that nobody is born evil, but rather that crime and poverty are things created by man.
116 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1844
About the author
Charles Dickens
13.6k books32.3k followersCharles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.
Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.
(from Wikipedia)
Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.
(from Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
August 24, 2024
http://whatsread.pp.ua/work/2652
У мене таке відчуття, що Діккенс трохи «не мій» письменник. Хоч я не так багато у нього і читав, але з кожним наступним твором дедалі більше обтяжує його похмурий важкий стиль. Ось і в цьому оповіданні майже до самої кінцівки панує смутна безвихідь. І так, начебто все правда, але як все погано і важко. Ну, невже справді немає в цьому житті нічого хорошого, нічого святого? І в цьому не переконує навіть кінцівка, яка начебто й має показувати альтернативу. У тому ж Олівері Твісті, після всіх лихих пригод, описаних автором, у гарну кінцівку віриться також із великими труднощами.
З іншого боку, читав у перекладі Мокровольського, і цей переклад начебто сучасний, але товариш, таке враження, робив все, щоб ще більше посилити пригнічуючий ефект автора і обтяжити читання, вставляючи анахронізми і просто якісь свої придумані слова і звороти. Можливо в іншому перекладі моє враження від книги було б приємніше, а то як якась диверсія.
Але чесно, у мене і від уславленого Олівера Твіста залишилися схожі похмурі враження. І я радий, що в сучасному суспільстві не так безрадісно, як описано на сторінках творів автора — хоча бідність і розкіш нікуди не поділися, але будучи здоровим, думаю (сподіваюся), вже голодувати не доведеться, якщо працювати, а не дармої́дствувати. Хоча, можливо, і за часів автора все було не настільки жахливо та безпросвітно. 7/10
У мене таке відчуття, що Діккенс трохи «не мій» письменник. Хоч я не так багато у нього і читав, але з кожним наступним твором дедалі більше обтяжує його похмурий важкий стиль. Ось і в цьому оповіданні майже до самої кінцівки панує смутна безвихідь. І так, начебто все правда, але як все погано і важко. Ну, невже справді немає в цьому житті нічого хорошого, нічого святого? І в цьому не переконує навіть кінцівка, яка начебто й має показувати альтернативу. У тому ж Олівері Твісті, після всіх лихих пригод, описаних автором, у гарну кінцівку віриться також із великими труднощами.
З іншого боку, читав у перекладі Мокровольського, і цей переклад начебто сучасний, але товариш, таке враження, робив все, щоб ще більше посилити пригнічуючий ефект автора і обтяжити читання, вставляючи анахронізми і просто якісь свої придумані слова і звороти. Можливо в іншому перекладі моє враження від книги було б приємніше, а то як якась диверсія.
Але чесно, у мене і від уславленого Олівера Твіста залишилися схожі похмурі враження. І я радий, що в сучасному суспільстві не так безрадісно, як описано на сторінках творів автора — хоча бідність і розкіш нікуди не поділися, але будучи здоровим, думаю (сподіваюся), вже голодувати не доведеться, якщо працювати, а не дармої́дствувати. Хоча, можливо, і за часів автора все було не настільки жахливо та безпросвітно. 7/10
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review