David Copperfield Dickensalong

[Piggywaspushed]

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?

I know I know I'm sorry. But as it concerns literally the very first few pages of the 9 chapters we are reading next I thought I might get away with a quick question.

My apologies. Consider my wrists suitably slapped!

Try the Spark Notes linked above. I can't help as I have not enthusiastically steamed ahead yet.

Anyway, at least the vile Murdstones are ousted. I cheered inwardly (and would have done so outwardly if I hadn't been on a train) when Miss Trotwood gave them their marching orders. Very satisfying indeed.

Another one who loved Trotwood v the Murdstones. And Dave being wrapped in a blanket and renamed, very much of a rebirth going on there.

I enjoyed chapter 18 and his fast-forward through adolescence, complete with hopeless crushes on various girls.

I'm behind, only on chapter 16. And a bit confused by Dr Strong and Jack Maldon and Dr Strong's wife, and keep getting Annie and Agnes mixed up. I can't keep up with all the characters. What is the point of Maldon? Is he going to become more significant, or can I just skip his part of the story? I need a few less characters to follow.

And also, Mr Dick makes me so sad and happy at the same time. Because he reminds me so much of my neighbour who is in his 30s and lives with his parents. They worry so much about where he will go when they can't look after him. I am so glad Betsey brought Mr Dick into her home. Imagine what would have happened to him if she hadn't. It's lovely that he has a place where he can just be his own self in his own way and he is safe.

And she asks his opinion and makes him feel valued. I just love them. And I love his opinions. They are so practical and concerned only with right now, no worrying about what might happen. What should we do with this boy and his entire future? Give him a bath and get him some clothes. Obvious really.

You made me well up there knit with your lovely reading of Mr Dick!

I got Annie and Agnes confused , too, but when you get to the 'intrigue' (they are so obviously in love...) all becomes clearer. I am not sure how much it will matter later on, though , I'm afraid.

Lots of really young women did marry much older men in Victorian times. It seems creepy to us but it's s central plot point in Bleak House and in Middlemarch.

I read yesterday that the average age to marry in Shakespeare's day was 25 , which I found interesting. He himself was married at 18, which was unusually young.

That’s older than I would have thought Piggy. Romeo and Juliet were famously about 13 weren’t they, and the royals always seemed to marry them off young (Margaret Beaufort (mother of Henry VII) was married and pregnant at 13) so I would have assumed it was lower than 25.

No, apparently not : and this is interesting because the pat context for R and J is always ' ah well, they all married young in them days'. It seems Shakespeare was aware wealthy Italians had done/did but we must never assume that reflects his own reality.

Illegitimacy and so on was very frowned upon and they seemed to be pretty good at keeping their legs crossed!

I'd heard that about the ages. Aristocratic families were the exception to the rule - you had to get them locked into a strategic alliance before they got old enough to make their own choice. For those who had to work for a living, best to get them out earning for a bit before marriage.

Discussion of Romeo and Juliet has reminded me of Germaine Greer coming to do a talk at my school when I was 13. It was an all girls school and she explained that Juliet was 13 and Rome was probably 16. I think it was one of my first introductions to feminist theory and I’d completely forgotten until now. We were such young 13 year olds really we were in fits of giggles that Juliette was our age.

Well done to your school for bringing in Germaine Greer to speak to you all, Pale - I can imagine it was eye-opening!

Well I've finally got to the end of chapter 18. I didn't enjoy that chapter particularly, I just sort of skipped over it.

And the Micawbers, I really don't like them. I keep thinking they are going to take any money David has managed to save up or somehow take advantage of him, they seem the sort of people who would take advantage of anyone. But they haven't so far, maybe they really care about him. God love him, he's so vulnerable without a family around him. I guess there were lots of kids in that situation back then. And my boys have the cheek to complain when I buy Aldi own brand Nutella.

Wrong name, I'm also Knitwit, I'm a bit of a regular namechanger. I've given all my secrets away now!

Aldi Nutella ! Whatever is the world coming to!?

Oh lor. I've gone down the rabbit-hole exploring historical docs about the coaching-inn David stays at in Charing Cross - the Golden Cross. It's absolutely fascinating but I, er, may be some time....

That's hilarious!

I'm basically a history geek, Piggy, that's the problem

Me too ; I went down the same hole (excuse pun) with Victorian municipal graveyards because of Bleak House and Christmas Carol , and sewers because .. well... you just do, really.

Au contraire, Piggy, I'm pleased to report that I have yet to get lost down a sewer.

Ah, well, you haven't stumbled into the excitement of Victorian sewerage, clearly

Ha, when I google Golden Cross I get spicy onion rings!

I won't derail the thread but if anyone else is interested, here's a link to info about the inn and the site, near what's now Trafalgar Square

No onion rings mentioned

Was a little behind but finished febs chapters. Dickins deciding to do a character dump in one chapter suddenly made things abit confusing

Loved the descriptions of mr Dick and his kite flying, it's passages like that that make me love Dickins.

Yes, the character dump was very much like a soap opera episode when new characters are suddenly introduced!
Dickens expects so much concentration of his reader : but that is, apparently , why he is so good for mental health and well being!

Agree, there were a lot of new characters very quickly! As you say Piggy lots of concentration needed. That’s one reason I’m enjoying the forced slower pace of the read along. If I was just reading it myself I would be tempted to rush through it more and would miss the detail. Knowing I have a month to read 9 chapters means I savour them more. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this way if others are up for it.