Dickens - where to start?

[MackerelOfFact]

I read 'A Christmas Carol' every year to get me in the festive mood, and always enjoy the humour and the glimpse into Victorian London. Every year I vow to read more Dickens, but frankly, I don't know where to begin - I hated it so much at school that even the titles just put me off.

I was thinking of The Old Curiosity Shop as I work round the corner from what was supposedly the actual shop, but the plot does sound a little dull.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[DoreenLethal]

Great Expectations is one of the best. Helps that I used to live near where it was written and it reminds me of home.

[parrotonmyshoulder]

The Old Curiosity Shop is the only one I dislike! I love David Copperfield, Our Mutual Friend and Hard Times best of all I think.

[BluePancakes]

I love Great Expectations, and I recently read A Tale of Two Cities which took a couple of chapters to get into (probably cos I hadn't read Dickens for ages) then really enjoyed.

[CastaDiva]

I think I'm the world's only Little Dorrit fan, but I would begin with that, Bleak House, David Copperfield or Great Expectations. Or Hard Times, which is very short, and might be a good place to start small?

Though if it's the humour that you enjoy about A Christmas Carol, something like the Pickwick Papers, which I admit I can't bear...?

[MackerelOfFact]

Hard Times I remember studying at school, I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet (short or not)!

Great Expectations sounds like it might be a good gateway read, I might give that a try first.

[Thaisa]

Casta You're not alone, I think Little Dorrit is my favourite of the novels that I've read. Arthur Clennam is one of my favourite characters in literature, actually. I wouldn't necessarily recommend LD as a beginners read, though. Nor Bleak House, another one I really like.

I agree with Doreen and Blue that Great Expectations is a good one to start with. It's one of the few novels I can think of that has made me laugh out loud.

Hard Times gave me a pain, though to be fair, that was probably because had to write an extended essay on it.

There are still quite a few I haven't read. I started Martn Chuzzlewit a while ago but gave up about a third of the way in. I really ought to give it another go.

[cressetmama]

I like Tale of Two Cities or Nicholas Nickleby best from the Dickens I've read, but have never completed the canon.

[FrChewieLouie]

When it was the Dickens bicentenary, a couple of years back, I decided to read all of his novels. I did it in chronological order, which was a good idea, as Pickwick Papers comes first - despite being a weighty tome, it's a light and easy read, full of humour with some laugh-out-loud bits. Gets you over the Dickens 'scare factor' so you're ready to go in a bit deeper. I managed to read the lot in the end, and thoroughly enjoyed them. Even Barnaby Rudge.

[Muskey]

Bleak house is very good the characters are interesting and the plot at times is nail biting. Great expectations is good if a little pedestrian. I enjoyed hard times but to say the least it is truly miserable. DoMby and sons is good as well. I would stir clear of Pickwick papers, the old curiosity shop and little Dorit (really dull)

[IndridCold]

Pickwick Papers! Dull!

I love Dickens and it took ages for me to get around to reading it. It is used so often as representing every Victorian Christmas cliche, when I finally got around to it I was surprised at how much I loved it. Fascinating glimpse into life at that time and very funny.

I would start with David Copperfield (one of the best descriptions of getting drunk I've ever read), Bleak House or Great Expectations.

Whatever you do don't start with Old Curiosity Shop - you will never pick up another Dickens again .

[dun1urkin]

Another vote for Bleak House here

[Themodernuriahheep]

David Copperfield, Great Expectations first. Then Bleak house. Superb. Our mutual friend poetic but strained, I always think.

Pickwick is really pre Victorian in spirit, more galloping regency. V funny in bits.

I'm fond if little dorrit. Tattycoram is a magnificent pre Kevin teenager. Mrs clennam a Protestant witch. Arthur, sorry, a wimp. Dorrit an inexcusable EAr. And the ministry v funny.

[Themodernuriahheep]

Dombey is an appalling EAr, with NPD, sociopathic tendencies. How MN would go to town on him, and Florence an enabler till Wall'r puts some spine into her.

[annandale]

Bleak House [gavel]

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

I adore Bleak House, like Tale of Two Cities, can't stand Great Expectations.

Maybe it's less a case of where to start, than of not giving up on Dickens if one doesn't suit: there's probably another that you'll like.

[Thaisa]

Arthur, sorry, a wimp.

I know he is. A bit. But I still love him.