Dickens - where to start?

[noneshallsleep2]

Shameful confession - I never enjoyed Dickens when I read him at school - and I really think I should give him another go. What should I start with? I'm researching a lot of Victorians in my family history at the moment, so one with a good social history element from that time would be good (although maybe that's all of them? my ignorance is being exposed!)

David Copperfield is cracking!

Tale of two cities is the one I usually recommend to people, A Christmas Carol is awesome too. Ooh, I love Dickens, I studied him at Uni! Takes me back, sitting up until three o clock in the morning trying to finish David Copperfield!

My favourite is Great Expectations, I've read it lots of times.

David Copperfield is also great, Oliver Twist isn't too long, but have never managed to finish A Tale of Two Cities

Pickwick Papers! I love that book so much, it was painful to finish it. It's very funny indeed.

I like Bleak House but I think I am biased as I had to study property law at uni and it just makes me think of that.

Reading Dickens as an adult is fab! They really are totally unputdownable!

Would recommend David Copperfield/Great Expectations to start with. Oliver Twist is excellent in terms of social commentary. Bleak House my absolute favourite though.

Anything but Hard Times which is very much an odd one out, as far as I'm concerned. I've read about half his output and out of those I've read Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend come out at the very top with Great Expectations and Nickleby somewhere just behind.

Note to self: add Dombey & Son and Little Dorrit to reading list.

Why don't you start off with A Christmas Carol? It's short and you probably know the story, plus it's a cracking read.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I've ordered David Copperfield, but I think I should have gone for Bleak House!

Bleak House is my favourite followed by Great Expectations. I always think "I don't like Dickens" then read something and think "well I like that one but not Dickens generally.". I think it is just Oliver Twist I don't like....