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?

Just reminding for tomorrow! Up for discussion?

Barkis is willin
Steerforth
Mowcher and her brolly
The best female character in Dickens ever!
Drippy Dora and Dave in love , bless him!
The Micawbers
The wise quotation I can't find again and knew I should have marked the page (I am aware no one can really help with this)

Lots and lots!

Oh!!!! I am a couple of chapters in and I BLINKING WELL KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN

No further comment until I reach chapter 37

Good news is I found my quotation. Only took three hours. Will report tomorrow.

It's the day!

I just want to start with this quote which I loved!

"I have my doubts, too, ... whether a sound enjoyment of animal food can develop itself freely in any human subject who is aways in torment from tight boots. I think the extremities require to be at peace before the stomach will conduct itself with vigour."

Classic!!!!

Pop back in a bit with my masterly Mr Dick epithet!

I am so in love with David when he is in love. Moping around Dora's house to breathe her air. I used to do that. Young people these days think it is sad...

But by the final chapter I had gone right off Dora.

We all knew Steerforth was a wrong in! Boo.

And Barkis. Wow, What brilliant writing.

Had to read the chapters all on go last night.

My favourite moment was Mr Dick earning a little bit of money, which he changed into sixpences so he could bring them to Aunt Betsey arranged in the form of a heart, "with tears of pride and joy in his eyes".

Dora was really well portrayed in the film earlier this year.

This was a great chunk of book

Dora's a simpering idiot. Why can DC not see what's right in front of him, i.e. Agnes? But it's wonderful comic writing, his infatuation with the silly girl.

biblio I loved that bit with Mr Dick too, so touching.

I also laughed at the bit about the aunt stomping round with her cap at an insane angle to annoy Mrs Crupp! The aunt really is a fabulous character.

Yes, Aunt Betsey's joyous battles with the landlady are great, as is her alliance with Peggoty. Dickens can write good women! Even Dora's friend, who sees herself as so bowed down by her tragic past - very funny and very adolescent!

Speaking of Mr Dick, my favourite but which I went back to find was:

'You know, Trotwood, I don't want to swing a cat. I never do swing a cat. Therefore, what does that signify to me?'

Bless him.

Sensible reasoning from Mr Dick!

Jack Maldon is a wrong un, isn't he?

There are some interesting social statements about choice in marriage and also divorce in these chapters. Has anyone done any homework as to the state of Dickens' marriage at this point in his life? Because he seems very sympathetic towards women , but by all accounts was a poor husband himself!

Also, the wondrous reappearance of Miss Mowcher : Dickens seems very kind towards the physical misfits of society. I loved how kind DC was to her.
'If I am a plaything for you giants, be gentle with me' made me well up. #bekind before its time!

Uriah Heep become creepier by the minute, doesn't he? It's a masterful description, especially 'kissing his great hand, and leering at us like a mask'. Shudder

as is her alliance with Peggoty.

Who she insists , in great Betsy Trotwood fashion , on calling 'Barkis'!

She actually reminds me of a few bull in a china shop, yet kind hearted types I have met over the years. You'd definitely want her on your side!

Yes, the 'plaything' line made me gulp!

Has anyone done any homework as to the state of Dickens' marriage at this point in his life?

He'd been married to his wife Catherine for about 13 years by this point, Piggy, and they'd had 9 (!) children - including a girl, Dora, named after Dora in the novel, who sadly died at a few months old. Catherine had also had a number of miscarriages.

His whole relationship with his wife is a very thorny subject. When he left her, a few years later, for an 18-year-old, he behaved appallingly and even tried to claim that Catherine had never loved their children and had suffered from mental illness. But when he was writing DC, they did seem to have been happy at the time, I think, as far as can be judged from letters etc. Although he always seemed somehow exasperated at the huge number of children they kept having - as though it was nothing to do with him

.....meant to add, it's hardly surprising if poor Catherine Dickens had post-natal depression given that she was almost constantly pregnant or post-partum, and also that she suffered losses. And had to look after a large brood of small children, probably trying to keep them quiet 'while Daddy works'. Although he shipped in her sister Georgina as housekeeper at quite an early stage, who later sided with Dickens when the break-up happened

It's sometimes best to ignore what a bad husband he was ,as it taints things... but certainly , divorce laws were shocking : the numbers of healthy women locked up in institutions in Victorian times is shameful.

I read a really good book called The Big Stink which detail lots about him and Thackeray and he does come off better in that spat. He loved his children by all accounts.

That is interesting about having a child called Dora : he has names he uses repeatedly for good characters : Charley (both male and female : I think he did have a Charley himself) and Agnes are two that spring to mind.

My DS is called Charlie, partly because of it meaning, partly because of Bonny Prince Charlie and partly because of redeemed and heroic Charley in Oliver Twist.

Should really get it title right :

One Hot Summer : Dickens, Darwin, Disraeli and the Great Stink of 1858 – Rosemary Ashton

Yes, I think as we’ve been saying on this thread, he was a human being like all of us and he had the frailties we all have. His ability to translate all those frailties so joyously into fiction was his genius but it doesn’t mean he was a saint. We all have things we’d rather not admit to!

I enjoyed this chunk so much, I could cheerfully have skipped much of last month's and I don't think I would have missed much. I'm not very good at reading long slow descriptive passages that don't add much plot, but I think that says more about me and my concentration span than about Dickens.

I liked Miss Mowcher this month, I did feel like the rich people were using her as a plaything in the last chapter and I'm glad that was recognised. There must have been a lot of people like her having to use their physical attributes in ways they wouldn't want to just to survive.

I can't bear the Micawbers. I know I should appreciate their resolute cheerfulness, his ability to never let life get him down, picking himself back up, her confidence and belief in him, but I just find them insanely annoying and am so glad David has never lent them money. Although poor old Traddles did.

And the scene when Em'ly left made me emotional, poor old Mr Peggoty was so heartbroken. And Mrs Gummidge, who we all dismissed as a sorry old soul sitting in the corner stepped up. "All times and seasons, you know Dan'l, I shall allus be here". And then when she was crying with David then went off to wash her face so she could be sitting by him when he woke up and he wouldn't know she had been crying.

I have to say I'm a bit confused by Uriah. How does he come to be where he is? I think I maybe skipped some pages last month when they were explaining him?

I am confused by most of them!

He's juts not nice and very 'umble but has a nasty streak and appears to be about to be married off to Agnes? Or have I got that wrong?? He is an opportunist and social climber... I think...

Yes, Knit, - good to see Mrs Gummidge rise to the occasion! I don't think you're meant to admire the Micawbers - I think you're meant to see their self-deception and their sponging, with the surprising fact they didn't sponge off Davey.

Agree with Uriah and I think the suggestion is that he may not be playing fair in relation to Agnes' father.