Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Original poster

'Little Dorrit' readalong

290 replies

Piggywaspushed · 07/04/2021 12:36

Hello and welcome to our next proposed Dickensalong after the success of our previous readalongs!

On our previous thread I suggested our first month as commencing in April and convening on June 1st to discuss the first instalment : gives everyone time to get copies and get settled down.

Everyone is welcome! We always start with about 10 people and end up with about 5...

Instalments I have chosen follow Dickens' shorter 19 instalments (which were all exactly the same number of pages originally - that must have taken considerable planning and editing!) but come in pairs or trios:-
The novel comprises only two Books, which forces a break at a particular point, too.

May 2021 - Book One , Chapters 1-11
June - Chapters 12-18
July - Chapters 19-25
August - Chapters 26- 36
September - Book Two Chapters 1-11
October - Chapters 12-18
November - Chapters 19-26
December - Chapters 27 - 34

So finished by 2022. I think that suits reading speed of most.

Happy Reading!

OP posts:
LadybirdDaphne · 01/06/2021 11:45

I really enjoyed it too and wanted to read on! I liked the parallels between Arthur and Amy - both good children who are trying to sort out the missteps of their parents. Both Arthur’s mother and Amy’s father are imprisoned in their own ways. I was (pleasantly) surprised by Dickens’ criticism of Mrs Clennam’s harsh judgemental brand of Christianity - I tend to think of Victorians as generally approving of that sort of thing (Dickens lived a couple of thousand years after my main era of historical interest Wink).

Circumlocution Office v good and I wonder if Dickens had perhaps had experience of university administration... I also suspect he was being deliberately rude with the line ‘Its finger was in the largest public pie, and in the smallest public tart.’ Tart already meant attractive woman in the c19th, and by the end of the century in definitely meant what it means to us.

Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 01/06/2021 10:59

Oh that is indeed a good line!

OP posts:
IsFuzzyBeagMise · 01/06/2021 10:01

Morning all!
I enjoyed the first installment very much. I hadn't read Dickens in years, and I was a bit daunted at the thought of it, but I'm finding it entertaining and the story is skipping along at a good pace.
I thought the first chapter was very atmospheric. Rigaud is a classic cloak and dagger villain. It made me laugh when John Baptist sneaked out on meeting him again and ran away, loath to renew his acquaintance with him at the end of chapter eleven.
I also enjoyed the description of the Circumlocution Office and the endless ineptitude and red tape, He wound and wound folds of white cravat round his neck, as he wound and wound folds of tape and paper round the neck of the country.

rc22 · 01/06/2021 09:24

Also trying to think back @Piggywaspushed to remember the relevance of the French subplot but can't recall it at the moment.

rc22 · 01/06/2021 09:22

I'm enjoying it. Little Dorrit was the first Dickens I read about 25 years ago when I was at university so it's nice to be rereading it. I think the Dickens I have read since is better and it's not surprising that books like Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield are better known.

I'm also finding the circumlocution office entertaining. At 18 I hadn't dealt with utility companies, councils or any of the organisations with a tendency to send you around in circles to resolve something fairly simple!

Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 01/06/2021 08:25

Morning All!

I accidentally read an extra chapter. Silly me! End Chapter 11 would have been a much better place to end it for this month too...

In common with those who recently read Our Mutual Friend, I have found this clearer and more followable. I have nothing much deep to say , however : not sure Dickens has hit his peak descriptive powers yet.

He did , however, hit his peak satirical powers in the circumlocution office chapter which was joyously silly yet menacing. Anyone who has worked in Whitehall or even the civil service generally will, I am sure, recognise the farcical how not to do it ness. It also reminds me of years working in the bureaucracies of education. If anyone has seen Gregory's Girl it reminded me of the penguins endlessly being dispatched around the corridors to mythical rooms to do goodness knows what!

Am currently a bit confused by the French subplot. Had to skim reread Chapter One when I got to Chapter 11. Am also not really very sure who Clennam actually is, other than an apparent good egg.

OP posts:
LadybirdDaphne · 31/05/2021 07:56

I’ve done all my chapters Star

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 30/05/2021 14:12

I'm ready to start Smile

ChessieFL · 29/05/2021 12:54

Same here Piggy!

Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 29/05/2021 11:09

Reactivating the thread to remind people it is June in a couple of days! I have just have three chapters to go.

OP posts:
yesbutnobut · 17/05/2021 22:18

I've read up to chapter 11 and am really enjoying it!

ChessieFL · 17/05/2021 14:02

I haven’t started yet, must get cracking!

LadybirdDaphne · 17/05/2021 08:21

And I’m off - read the first two chapters last night :) Happily a less baffling opening than OMF!

RavenclawesomeCrone · 16/05/2021 19:27

Oh me too Cludgie - I like Dickens, but I have to keep notes!

InTheCludgie · 15/05/2021 15:54

Started reading today but am going to be more prepared than with previous readalongs and keep a note on the characters and the main goings-on as my memory is too dodgy to be able to remember it all, especially if there is a couple of weeks between reading sessions.

nowanearlyNicemum · 30/04/2021 14:16

I'm one chapter in - and so far so good Grin

Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 28/04/2021 16:08

Oh dear! I shall persevere!! I think reading in instalments does help a little bit with guarding against long windeness fatigue.

OP posts:
garlictwist · 28/04/2021 12:37

I just came on here to say good luck! I tried to get through Little Dorrit last year but just gave up, it was very long-winded and I got annoyed with Dickens' descriptions of her.

yesbutnobut · 27/04/2021 22:06

I would also like to join please! I have the book ready and am raring to go.

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 27/04/2021 13:51

Place-marking in case you start without me!

Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 23/04/2021 18:37

Come on in!

OP posts:
Ecci · 23/04/2021 18:27

Hi, may I join? Haven't read any Dickens for many many years and never read Little Dorrit. I like the idea of reading it a bit at a time.

Chrysanthemum5 · 20/04/2021 20:48
Grin
Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 20/04/2021 20:32

Me too! Done two chapters!

OP posts:
Chrysanthemum5 · 20/04/2021 20:26

Excellent I could wait until May so I've started it