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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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Thread gallery
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Piggywaspushed · 01/06/2020 08:26

Yes, you're right biblio : she stood up for herself there.

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bibliomania · 01/06/2020 08:09

I think Dora resembles David's mother in some ways - his mother wasn't as extreme, but we've seen her be susceptible to flattery and fairly ineffective - so I think David's attraction is psychologically plausible. I'm touched by his aunt's decision not to make the same mistake s again by interfering and becoming estranged. She's willing to learn and grow (unlike Dora). But I liked Dora standing up for her right to be herself, saying that David knew what she was like before they married so had no right to demand that she turn into someone else.

Piggywaspushed · 01/06/2020 07:57

Well, good morning!

This has been a month of marital mayhem, mismatches and mishaps!

We were talking last month about Dora and it seems she choose to infantilise herself. I spy trouble ahead in the unsuitability of mind and purpose. She really reminds me of a young woman on Love Island... just chooses to be a pretty airhead and wants no more. Tut.

The plot with Emily revived itself and I hope she will turn out to be OK and the dastardly Littimer and Steerforth get their comeuppance. She showed some spirit escaping form a window. Dickens certainly presents us a range of women , trapped by circumstance, including the unspoken misery somewhere of David's aunt.

I was most interested in the red herring of Annie who does, after all, love Dr Strong and not the other guy (forgotten name klaxon). It's another one of those matches, like in Bleak House, of a young woman with a much older man, there for companionship and succour and I suppose it is good to see that that is what Annie says she wants, but it feels very odd to a modern readership!
I do still find Mr Dick utterly charming. I think this novel has more nice people in it than other Dickenses I have read?

I was tickled pink by Traddles' hair : 'You have no idea what obstinate hair mine is, Copperfield. I am quite a fretful porcupine' !

Uriah Heep continues to ooze marvellously batlike malevolence everywhere. DC literally imagines him hanging upside down at one point...I liked the bit about the toothache ; it's so dry I heard the next morning he went to the dentist to have a tooth removed. I hope it was a double one The way Dickens slips into the present tense there is so clever. DC still hates Uriah, even 'now'.

Obviously ,we all want Agnes and DC to end up together : I cannot see how that will happen without Dora dying. Irritant that she is, I don't wish death upon her. Time will tell!

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Piggywaspushed · 27/05/2020 19:39
Grin

It's a lockdown hair quote...

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FortunaMajor · 27/05/2020 12:23

That's just showing off Piggy Grin

Piggywaspushed · 26/05/2020 21:58

Three here I think.

I have actually remembered to mark the page on my favourite quotation this month!

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Knitwit99 · 26/05/2020 21:21

2 chapters to go

Piggywaspushed · 26/05/2020 19:41

Hello All.

Just issuing the end of month reminder!

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FortunaMajor · 25/05/2020 20:29

Knitwit It was Novels that Shaped Our World on BBC. Still available on Iplayer. Some of the readings were a bit extra but overall it was very good.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000b8mh/novels-that-shaped-our-world

I hope they make more.

Knitwit99 · 25/05/2020 19:59

What's the documentary you are talking about?

nowanearlyNicemum · 25/05/2020 19:59

Moving VERY slowly on the DC chapters this month. May have peaked too soon. Must buckle down!

FortunaMajor · 25/05/2020 19:26

Agree, I thought they were really interesting.

BookWitch · 25/05/2020 18:37

I'd never heard of it either, really enjoyed that series though, I wish they'd made more of them. I read Queenie because of it.

FortunaMajor · 25/05/2020 17:01

Yes, that's what made me want to read it. I'd never heard of it otherwise Blush

It's 22 hours on audio!

BookWitch · 25/05/2020 16:30

Pamela was the one featured in that BBC documentary on the novel, wasn't it?

FortunaMajor · 25/05/2020 16:27

I haven't even started this month yet.

I started a different and very long classic yesterday (Pamela) and regretting it slightly. I'm a third in and don't see how much further the shrieking hysterics can go plot wise.

BookWitch · 25/05/2020 15:53

I've struggled a bit with all the characters, especially the minor ones, who turn up briefly then 500 pages later turn up again and I'm expected to remember everything they did (I'm looking at you Miss Mowcher)

Beware of looking up character lists as well- they should come with spoiler warnings.

bibliomania · 25/05/2020 12:36

Nearly there, Knit,* keep going! I think I would have given up at certain points without this thread, but I know I will be glad to have read it.

Knitwit99 · 25/05/2020 11:39

I'm kind of losing the plot with this this month. I've forgotten who half of the people are. I'd forgotten all about the Strongs, I haven't a clue who Miss Mills is, I'm ploughing on because I don't want to let the team down but if I wasn't reading with you I would just give up and never read to the end, and never feel I've missed anything worthwhile.

nowanearlyNicemum · 19/05/2020 21:30
Grin
bibliomania · 19/05/2020 11:52

Will heroically refrain from hints, now.

nowanearlyNicemum · 19/05/2020 11:38

Definitely not going anywhere near the film before finishing the book. (Though clearly I'm intrigued to know what you're talking about biblio.
I've read up to the end of Chapter 41 so far.

bibliomania · 19/05/2020 08:54

The film is good, but yes, we're not far off finishing the book now. It's felt like a proper journey with young Davey.

ChessieFL · 19/05/2020 08:34

I haven’t seen the film yet. It’s out on DVD quite soon but I might wait now until I’ve finished the book, especially if the plot is different!

bibliomania · 18/05/2020 21:49

Ooh, the plot just diverged from the film version earlier this year. I wasn't expecting that. I'd better wait before I say more [bites tongue].