Bleak House Readalong: March 2018 - Sept 2019

[ScribblyGum]

Some of us are doing this on the 50 books thread so I thought I would start a separate discussion thread.

Inspired by Books and Things on YouTube, aim is to read Bleak House in the time frame in which it was published, so reading 3-4 chapters per month starting in March this year and finishing in September of next.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=W-DYX4lyw1M

I’ve linked the original YouTube video (she is really really excited about Bleak House ), Katie also has chapter discussion threads on her good reads page, and a picture of the chapters and the months in which they are to be read.

Early morning question: we as readers aren’t meant to be charmed by child-man cock-lodger Skimpole too are we?

I don't think we are supposed to like him. The chapter is told from Esther's point of view and she is not critical of anyone, his actions show him to be work shy and avoiding responsibility and they are not endearing behaviours.

I read the April chapters at the beginning of the month and it feels like such a long time ago, I had forgotten some of the things that happened that Katie mentioned in this video.
I have not read this book before and I worry that I am going to miss or forget a lot reading it this way. I have been thinking about reading it through to the end this month and then rereading the set chapters each month after but that feels like cheating or giving up

Thanks for posting Katie's bit. I'll watch later. I enjoyed these chapters (although will need Katie to remind me what actually happened as I can't even remember who Skimpole is!!)

I also might need Shmoop or Cliff's Notes as I finished my chapters mid April...

It’s not easy is it. I had to look up who Mr Guppy was and then accidentally got a spoiler so that was annoying. Cliff's notes sound like a good idea Piggy, I think reviewing the previous month before staring on the next month might help. I am sort of enjoying doing it this way though. It certainly makes reading a book this size less daunting. I quite like making myself stop and putting it away.

I'm so glad we’re not meant to like him Fabian he just fleeced poor Esther out of all her life savings, and Mr Jarndyce was all “How terribly embarrassing and unfortunate”. She's going to grow a backbone during the course of this book isn’t she? God I hope so,
Do we assume that as Esther has been handed the keys she's the new housekeeper then? I can’t remember, was she told that this was going to be her new position? Seems all rather sudden.

Liked the ghost walk chapter. Very gothic and ominous.

Have now remembered who Mr Skimpole is! Oh dear, I liked him. He made me laugh.

Oh , and yes, the Ghost Walk chapter was good. It's a much more readable book than I thought it would be.

He made me cross He's a Dickensian Cheeky Fucker! All that slagging off of Mrs Jellaby in the previous chapters for being a neglectful mother and slattern to boot and then we move to Skimpole who is even worse and oh isn’t he charming and funny, because he's a child.

hahaha : yes; he's a brazen CF. We could write an AIBU and see how MN reacts....

Mrs J would be savaged by the MN worthies.

Just finished reading April's section and watched the video.
I'm thinking I will have forgotten any hints and clues etc reading it over such a long time. Very hard to keep it all in my mind.
Can anyone remind me who Mr Guppy is so I don't accidentally get a spoiler like scribbly

Hands up I am struggling with this method of reading. Haven't read April's yet and when I tried I had forgotten what happened in March. Think I am going to bow out and read the whole think when I have a school holiday.

She said we'd met him before and I thought 'did we?'. Am assuming at Chancery?

I think My Guppy is the works with Mr Kenge the lawyer. I think it was Mr Guppy who met Esther off the coach when she got to London and took her to Mrs Jellyby's house.
I am not sure that Esther will grow a backbone, she definitely would in a modern novel but I think she might already be the perfect woman in Dickens's mind and therefore not in need of any growth/improvement.

I've only just finished April chapters and watched the video. Completely forgot about Mr. Guppy, thanks for the reminder Fabian.

I don't like Mr. Skimpole at all, just wondering if he isn't a bit of a conman? Poor Esther.

Mrs. Jellyby reminds me a bit of my own mother, much more concerned about the ills of the world than her own family. My mother wasn't nearly that bad of course, and our house was much tidier, but the overall sentiment was similar.

I do love the names: Jarndyce, Dedlock, Rouncewell, Guppy, Krook, so many others.

I'm really enjoying this so far, but agree that memory is going to be a big issue. If I have time I will re-read the month's chapters.

Apologies if speculation is frowned on on this thread...

Does anyone else see any connection between Esther born in shame and unhappy Lady Dedlock, shocked by seeing the handwriting of a legal copy writer, who we later learn seems to be formerly handsome but come down in the world? I'm afraid I find myself skipping over the other portraits of kinds of people, wanting this mystery solved. Would love to know if I am making it all up.

Frist of June ! White Rabbits and all that! Checking in to say I've read the May instalments and have once more forgotten its contents, apart from the awkward marriage proposal which I rather enjoyed!

I'll be glad when there are more chapters in a month. I think that will help.

scribbly have you got link to this month's video?

Hellooooooo... where is everyone???

I can't even find the YouTube video... did I imagine May?

May ran out before I managed to read the May chapters so I am currently catching up on May and then will go on to June.
I have not seen any you-tube notification for may yet but I would like to watch it before I read the June chapters other wise I will get mixed up and confused (easily done) so hopefully she will post it this weekend

Here. Apologies for being a few days late, caused entirely by reading May's chapters this morning . No video yet from Katie, will post as soon as I spot it.

FinallyHere speculate away. I hadn’t thought of connecting Lady Dedlock with Esther. Interesting. I'm enjoying the beginnings of the mystery of Nemo, the fancy handwriting and Lady Dedlock. I wonder if it’s going to be at some point connected with the Ghost Walk chapter and the predicted doom to come upon the estate.

I'm really enjoying the humour in the book. I laughed at loud at several points in chapters eight and nine. loved the descriptions of Mrs Pardiggle's miserable sons and the causes to which their allowances are given away. The ‘Great National Smithers Testimonial’ and the ‘Superannuated Widows’ ? We don’t have charities called that anymore, more is the pity. I adore the description that they were “ferocious with discontent”. Am totally stealing that to on occasion describe my teenage daughters.
Anyone else immediately think, upon the description by Mr Bythorn of his boundary dispute with Sir Leicester; ‘We're going to need a diagram.’
I thought the ending of both chapters 8 and 9 somewhat discordant with the rest of the chapter. They were both pretty humerous chapters; outrageous Mrs Pardiggle lecturing the bricklayer and Mr Guppy's drunken proposal, and yet they finish with a dead baby and poor Esther sobbing. I felt drawn up short at the end of each of them.

One other little phrase which I loved was in the scene with Mr Snagsby and Mr Tulkinghorn (and yy *Ladydepp they are all brilliant names)

“The tail of Mr Snagsby's eye becomes conscious of the head of Mrs Snagsby looking in at the shop-door to know what he means by deserting his tea.”

The tail of an eye, don’t think I've ever heard it described thus. I love it. Also love how in that short sentence so much is shown without being told.

scribbly, as you know I am also on 50 Books Thread and am enjoying Bleak House so much more than any book I have read in the last month or so as a 'normal' read! I don't know whether that is actually because I am reading it more slowly, funnily enough.

Maybe Katie has forgotten to read her chapters too!!

I might read this month's chapters in one sitting towards the end of the month. Toying with this idea as one chapter a week means I forget the early week's chapter.

I also am enjoying Dickens' satire on good old MN virtue signalling. This forms a contrast with the very earnestly drawn charity ladies in A Christmas Carol.

I read them all in one block towards (or in this case just beyond) the end of each month Piggy. I'm getting used now to the abrupt change in tone between the Esther and the narrator chapters and quite enjoy my reaction to that as a reader. Dickens isn’t letting me settle down with his novel, he wants me to be concentrating on what he is writing and I like that.
I'm enjoying it very much too, much more than I thought I would. I'm definitely a Dickens fan now, and that’s only after reading ten chapters.

Yy to vitue signalling. I thought that too.
Is anyone else reading the Oxford World's Classics version? It’s interesting to see how Dickens is including little details about issues of the time that he feels strongly about but with a light touch. The mention of Guster and her workhouse beginnings at Tooting being a nod to the deaths of 150 children from cholera in a “baby farm” and the acquittal of manslaughter of the man who ran it. Dickens was apparently furious about the case, and wrote several articles about it.

I have Wordsworth Classics (cheapest!) but it does have some good notes at the back.