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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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Terpsichore · 02/04/2020 13:07

I'm continuing to marvel at how fresh and timeless the writing seems, to me anyway. I think this is the secret of Dickens's appeal - we all know teens who put gunk on their hair and fall violently in love, we've all been drunk and had terrible hangovers, we've all had that weird, creepy feeling of deja-vu.....he describes all this with such vivid immediacy, and we realise much of life was really just the same for people in 1850 as it is today.

bibliomania · 02/04/2020 13:33

Agree Terp. He's also very good at describing that painful feeling of knowing that you're young and gauche and longing to be grown up and sophisticated.

Noworrieshere · 03/04/2020 07:50

I did read all the chapters but I have to say that with all that's gone on in the whole world, and in my immediate world, recently I can't remember much of what I read.
Some chapters stick with me, lots seem to pass me right by. Lots of the chapters this month didn't make much of an impression on me, I don't know why. There seemed to be lots of people appearing and disappearing, I couldn't really keep up.

I found the passage with Miss Mowcher quite uncomfortable for some reason, although I guess she is someone in a difficult situation who has made the best of it, and good for her. Miss Dartle is another odd one, I didn't much like her either. He doesn't portray a lot of these people in a very favourable light.

I also do not like the Micawbers. I suspect they are up to no good. I don't think they have taken any money or anything from David so far, but I keep thinking they will. Or they will somehow get money from Traddles who is obviously working so hard to earn enough to be married. Whenever I hear that the Micawbers have made a re-appearance my heart sinks.

Piggywaspushed · 03/04/2020 07:58

I know what you mean about these chapters : really , only the drunken episodes registered with me!

Despair not: your memory and retention is far superior to mine!! I can only remember the most major characters : David ; David's aunt ; Steerforth ; little Em'ly ; Mr Dick ; the Murdstones; the Micawbers. I like Agnes, but don't really know who she is!!

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Noworrieshere · 03/04/2020 08:57

Miss Mowcher is the short woman who climbed onto the table and did Steerforth's hair. I only remembered her because I was looking back through the chapters and there was a drawing of her. I can't explain why the description of her made me uncomfortable, because she had to play up to her disability, because she had to act in a certain way to get work and to try to ingratiate herself with unpleasant people like Steerforth just to survive in life. And there were plenty like her I'm sure.

Miss Dartle is the one who lives with Steerforth's mother. There don't seem to be many likeable women in this book. Is that deliberate? To make the good ones like Agnes (and I agree, I can never quite remember why she is in the story, she's the daughter of his old school teacher?) stand out against the not so likeable ones?

Piggywaspushed · 03/04/2020 09:46

Oh yes, her! That was all really weird....

To be fair to Dickens, I don't think there are many likeable people of either gender in the book!

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Terpsichore · 03/04/2020 09:51

The clues (or 'clews', as Dickens would have spelt it) are steadily building up against Steerforth. He had the poor schoolteacher sacked....Rosa Dartle clearly has some dark mystery attached to her (that scar, inflicted by Steerforth throwing a hammer at her Shock)....Littimer the servant is definitely up to no good, and and Miss Mowcher is a very unsettling character at this point too. Steerforth may be charming and have David in thrall but it's pretty obvious he's a bad' un.

NB.....not-quite-a-spoiler-alert!! I read that Miss Mowcher was based on an actual person, Mrs Seymour Hill, who was one of Dickens's neighbours. He was originally going to make her a much more sinister character but Mrs Hill recognised herself when the instalment came out (she was of restricted growth) and threatened him with legal action, so he had to re-think the role he was planning for Miss Mowcher quite significantly.

Piggywaspushed · 03/04/2020 11:42

That's a fun story!!

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BookWitch · 06/04/2020 17:30

Are we reading to end of CH37 for 1st May?

Piggywaspushed · 06/04/2020 18:28

Yes we are bookwitch Smile

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BookWitch · 07/04/2020 07:06

Thank you ISmile

KeithLeMonde · 07/04/2020 12:02

Sorry I am only (checks watch) 7 days late to the party :)

I don't feel I have much to add to the discussion though! I absolutely agree with Terpsichore above about the relatability, the description of common human emotions or experiences and the joy of feeling that you KNOW this person despite there being almost 200 years between you.

How do people feel about speculative comments about things that we think might happen? I know my DH hates me doing this after I inadvertently guessed correctly a plot twist in something we were watching which he said spoiled the whole thing.

Piggywaspushed · 07/04/2020 12:10

I don't mind them so long as they aren't disingenuously from posters who actually do know what will happen!

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ChessieFL · 07/04/2020 13:04

Yes, no actual spoilers please!

Noworrieshere · 20/04/2020 13:05

I haven't read a single word this month, I just can't settle to reading at all. But I'm going to start right now, sitting in the sunshine with a cup of tea.

nowanearlyNicemum · 22/04/2020 08:39

Ooooh, reading DC in the sunshine with a decent cuppa sounds like heaven noworrieshere. It's raining here and I have to work all day. Might treat myself to a spot of reading at lunchtime if I can find somewhere to hide away and get comfy!! I think I only have 3 chapters left of this month's reading :)

Piggywaspushed · 23/04/2020 15:49

Fell off my own thread! Hoping people will be ready in just over a week. I just read tow chapters and STUFF definitely HAPPENED and we have gender politics and depiction of disability to discuss hopefully.

Cn I anyone remind me who Rosa actually is? I get Dora and Rsa (and Agnes) confused. I sort of know what they do but not who they are!!

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nowanearlyNicemum · 23/04/2020 22:08

If I've understood correctly Rosa is the young lass who lives with Steerforth's mother, one of those dreadfully dull companions. Sounds like she was tortured by Steerforth as a child but seems to remain quite loyal to him in spite of it. Yuk yuk yuk!
I have two more chapters left to read. Have struggled to concentrate during some of them so am bound to have missed some important info!!

Piggywaspushed · 23/04/2020 22:37

I wasn't sure if we were supposed to know more about Rosa but perhaps not : think I get Rosa and Dora confused!

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Terpsichore · 23/04/2020 22:46

Oh Lord, I haven't read any of it - must get a move-on!

Piggywaspushed · 24/04/2020 18:46

Haha ! Chop Chop! 10 chapters this month!!

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FortunaMajor · 24/04/2020 19:24

Snap Terpsichore.

I've not even read the book for my IRL book club on Tuesday yet.

Knitwit99 · 25/04/2020 13:07

I've enjoyed this month much more than last month. Looking forward to chatting about it soon

nowanearlyNicemum · 25/04/2020 18:35

Looking forward to the chat also. I've got one more chapter to go.
Intrigued to know what the story is between Jack Malton and Annie Strong. Should we know more at this stage? No answers until 1st of May obviously Wink

Piggywaspushed · 28/04/2020 23:07

Lots of bad eggs in this book!!!

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