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David Copperfield Dickensalong

539 replies

Piggywaspushed · 04/01/2020 11:36

Hello All

Inspired by the Bleak House readalong, I have decided this might be the year to tackle David Copperfield.

Those of us who did BH read it obediently in Dickens' instalments ,which wasn't to everyone's taste! We had a chat at the end of each month. It took 18 months and I think we had three stalwarts left at the end.

DC was published as follows (note different months!):

• I – May 1849 (chapters 1–3);
• II – June 1849 (chapters 4–6);
• III – July 1849 (chapters 7–9);
• IV – August 1849 (chapters 10–12);
• V – September 1849 (chapters 13–15);
• VI – October 1849 (chapters 16–18);
• VII – November 1849 (chapters 19–21);
• VIII – December 1849 (chapters 22–24);
• IX – January 1850 (chapters 25–27);
• X – February 1850 (chapters 28–31);
• XI – March 1850 (chapters 32–34);
• XII – April 1850 (chapters 35–37);
• XIII – May 1850 (chapters 38–40);
• XIV – June 1850 (chapters 41–43);
• XV – July 1850 (chapters 44–46);
• XVI – August 1850 (chapters 47–50);
• XVII – September 1850 (chapters 51–53);
• XVIII – October 1850 (chapters 54–57);
• XIX-XX – November 1850 (chapters 58–64).

I am happy to negotiate reading faster so that we tackle three instalments at a time? Thus , the first would be Chapter 1 -9 and we would be finished in the summer.

What does everyone think?

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grimupnorthLondon · 27/01/2020 12:39

Have reached chapter 8 so hopefully on pace for 1 Feb discussions (is that how this works?) Am alternating between amusement and heartbreak for the plight of poor little Davey - the waiter in the inn - OMG!

Piggywaspushed · 23/01/2020 13:28

Oh yes, 'Barkis' See, I remember him! My year 11s would call him 'cute'.

They find Macduff cute, mind...

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bibliomania · 23/01/2020 10:45

Liked the lost sheep joke too. Enjoying "Barkis is willin'". Ah, romance.

nowanearlyNicemum · 23/01/2020 10:06

Yes, palegreen that one made me laugh too Grin

I read A Christmas Carol when I was at school but haven't read any Dickens since.

I confess to reading 2 chapters on Saturday night after one or two glasses of red and when I picked it up again on Sunday afternoon I literally didn't remember ANYTHING about the story, or who was who!! Back to the beginning I went Blush

Finished Chapter 5 last night and am really enjoying it now. Great idea of yours piggy!

Palegreenstars · 22/01/2020 22:29

I’ve only read Nicholas Nickleby and Great Expectations. I loved the former and remember laughing a lot so fingers crossed.

Piggywaspushed · 22/01/2020 21:57

I'd missed that joke! That is funny!

It's much funnier than any other Dickens I've read.

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Palegreenstars · 22/01/2020 21:42

I read the first chapter a week ago and picked it up again and couldn’t remember a thing so going to start again and go a bit faster.

He’s just so funny. Outside the church ‘I see a stray sheep - I don’t mean a sinner, but mutton’.

ChessieFL · 22/01/2020 20:58
Grin
DesdamonasHandkerchief · 22/01/2020 18:32

The trouble with the character descriptions is they contain some pretty major spoilers if you're not already familiar with the plot.

Piggywaspushed · 22/01/2020 18:12

Well, that's just showing off...

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ChessieFL · 22/01/2020 17:27

My copy has a list of all the characters at the front!

Piggywaspushed · 22/01/2020 17:14

I had this issue with Bleak House , too! Thanks Ma!

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MaJoady · 22/01/2020 17:13

Spark Notes has a character list that might help!
www.sparknotes.com/lit/copperfield/characters/

bibliomania · 22/01/2020 16:35

I've been thinking I need a crib sheet with a list of characters. Dickens novels are certainly peopled.

Piggywaspushed · 22/01/2020 16:13

Tried to read some at school today while the class were 'silent reading'. Got to the end of the chapter and had no idea who a character was ! So much so, I have forgotten his name, except that it begins with an M or has an M in it

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KeithLeMonde · 22/01/2020 16:02

I'm on chapter 5 - I think. OMG, this is so good! I want to go to bed early to keep reading.

nowanearlyNicemum · 19/01/2020 08:24

I started last night too! Only read a couple of chapters so far.

Piggywaspushed · 18/01/2020 21:06

I started it today too!

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InTheCludgie · 18/01/2020 20:58

Finally, I've started David Copperfield. Am only on the second chapter but really liking it so far.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 13/01/2020 19:14

A good example of the angel at the hearth trope is Lorna Doone.

KnucklesMcGinty · 13/01/2020 18:25

Well, maybe it is a bit of a generalisation, but I think it applies to well over half the female characters in his books. Interestingly, I think it tends to be older women who have more developed characters, like the widowed mother in little dorrit (and Betsey Trotter, Miss Havisham....)

RosehipHoney · 13/01/2020 16:50

Can I join? Copy ordered from the library and in transit..

Piggywaspushed · 13/01/2020 14:36

That should say the man himself!

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Piggywaspushed · 13/01/2020 14:34

I don't actually think this a very fair accusation to level at Dickens compared to many other writers ( genuinely don't find his work misogynist, even if them any himself may not have been all that unVictorian in terms of his own marriage!). Katie Lumsden on YouTube does often say really helpful stuff about the angel by the hearth paradigm, though.

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bibliomania · 13/01/2020 14:28

Women are virgins, whores or matrons.

I've only read the first chapter, but I'm finding Betsey Trotter to be rather than more interesting and complex than that.

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