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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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Thread gallery
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nowanearlyNicemum · 16/06/2020 10:37

Very cute kitty pic!

Are we on for 11 chapters this month? Must get started!

Am currently reading Toni Morrison's Beloved and am somewhat engrossed!!

Piggywaspushed · 16/06/2020 12:13

Beloved is amazing!

I will check chapters .

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Piggywaspushed · 16/06/2020 12:15

yes, 11 chapters to the end of 57... I have done 3.

Cat now has Mantel as an even more sturdy headrest!

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KeithLeMonde · 16/06/2020 12:24

Sharing some of the illustrations from my old edition

David Copperfield Dickensalong
David Copperfield Dickensalong
David Copperfield Dickensalong
KeithLeMonde · 16/06/2020 12:25

One more

David Copperfield Dickensalong
Piggywaspushed · 16/06/2020 12:26

Wonderful stuff :)

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BookWitch · 17/06/2020 06:40

Those illustrations are in my kindle edition. I'm thinking of buying a nice edition for the bookshelf, do all the editions have those in? Any edition to recommend?

(I'm in Wales and no shops open yet or I'd be in Waterstones)

ChessieFL · 17/06/2020 10:38

I’ve got the same illustrations (I think - mine are by Phiz) in my copy which is published by Vintage. The only problem is that the illustrations aren’t quite in the right places to match up with the text - they seem to be a few pages too early so in some cases give away what happens in the next chapter!

Piggywaspushed · 17/06/2020 10:39

My cheapo Wordsworth classic has pictures!

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KeithLeMonde · 17/06/2020 12:20

It looks like these were the original illustrations, created in close collaboration with Dickens

www.darvillsrareprints.com/Browne%20Phiz%20David%20Copperfield.htm

Terpsichore · 19/06/2020 12:58

Yes, the plates for each volume as it was released are all at the beginning of my facsimile edition (I posted a few pics right at the start of the thread). People would have had them all bound up into volumes once they'd collected the finished set, I assume (?) with the Hablot K. Browne illustrations placed at the right point in the text.

KeithLeMonde · 23/06/2020 11:45

I've just had Girl, Woman, Other AND The Dutch House come through on our library ebook reservation system. Going to be a scramble to read both of them and get my chapters done this month!

Piggywaspushed · 23/06/2020 11:52

Oh wow.. heavy stuff!

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KeithLeMonde · 23/06/2020 11:59

I managed to read my DC chapters in a day last time but it was half term and we were at the beach :) Not sure I will have the gift of such an empty day this time around.

KeithLeMonde · 30/06/2020 07:46

Wow. Looking forward to 1st to discuss all of that!

Piggywaspushed · 30/06/2020 07:47

Two chapters to go! Must remember!

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BookWitch · 30/06/2020 09:28

@KeithLeMonde I loved The Dutch House , it is one of my stand out books this year. I rattled through it pretty quickly.

KeithLeMonde · 30/06/2020 09:33

BookWitch I loved it too - absolutely whizzed through it :) I'm about to post a review on the 50 Books thread if I get time today.

Piggywaspushed · 01/07/2020 06:58

Well, we have a somewhat shorter dramatis personae after this month, don’t we! Goodness : Steerforth , Dora, Mrs Steerforth lying moaning, Emily found and then gone again. The Micawbers off to pastures new, Heep’s comeuppance and endless failed attempts to imprison Micawber… I fear I am being terribly thick, though, so please help! Did Peggoty go to the New World? I got all in a muddle. Did Martha?
I did like the Explosion chapter. To see the decline of the awful Heep and his mother was most satisfying.
I also liked the drama of Em’ly’s two menfolk at sea : poor neglected Ham trying so hard to rescue the curly haired cad, Steerforth. And I was genuinely sad when Dora died. I know it’s your classic Victorian deathbed stuff but I found it quite affecting. What on earth was wrong with her?

I have more to say, including my favourite quotation! Anyone got any thoughts on anything? A lot went on! We still have a few unresolved enigmas…

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BookWitch · 01/07/2020 08:52

I think Dora had a miscarriage and didn't really recover. I nearly missed the miscarriage (it is given about half a line of nuanced Victorian innuedo), I only picked it up because I was reading a chapter summary. It is certainly never mentioned again, but Dora declines after that.

It's all a bit vague- it talks about David was hoping for a "Baby smile upon her breast, but it was not to be"

KeithLeMonde · 01/07/2020 10:06

Firstly I hope this discussion isn't upsetting to anyone here. It's interesting in the context of the book but I would hate to cause any distress.

This is what we hear about Dora

I had hoped that lighter hands than mine would help to mould her character, and that a baby-smile upon her breast might change my child-wife to a woman. It was not to be. The spirit fluttered for a moment on the threshold of its little prison, and, unconscious of captivity, took wing.

I'm still not quite sure but yes, it seems that she was pregnant and suffered either a miscarriage or a stillbirth.

I felt very sad although Dora had annoyed the hell out of me throughout the book. There's a real tenderness to those last chapters.

Piggywaspushed · 01/07/2020 10:35

Totally missed that. Poor Dora Sad

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Piggywaspushed · 01/07/2020 10:42

These are the lines I enjoyed, especially since Dickens then ( in a fit of, I guess deliberate , irony) bangs on for a whole paragraph about it!

We talk about the tyranny of words, but we like to tyrannise over them too; we are fond of having a large superfluous establishment of words to wait upon us in great occasions; we think it looks important, and sounds well.

Looking hard at you, Rees Mogg and Johnson!!

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FortunaMajor · 01/07/2020 10:53

I'd forgotten it was Dickens Day.

These were fabulous chapters, so much going on (and why I couldn't wait to finish the book - sorry ).

Piggy Mr Peggoty and Emily go to Australia, Mrs. Grummidge decides to go with them and the Micawbers also go.

Incredibly sad for Ham to die at sea as his father also did.

Very touching about Dora, although it was Jip that brought a tear to my eye. I felt bad about being so annoyed at her for everything preceding.

Delighted at the comeuppance of the Heaps.

KeithLeMonde · 01/07/2020 10:53

I loved that too, Piggy, especially where he accuses people of waffling and using too many words after we've read 56 chapters of him doing just that Grin. I have to admit I skip over the vast majority of what both Micawbers say as it's usually pointless and not very funny.

Yes, I believe Peggoty went to Australia with Mrs G, Emily AND Martha. It was quite confusing as David visited them on board then saw the ship off twice from different locations, but I think they're all dispatched.

My absolute favourite part this month was the description of the rundown old house where Martha is living. It was so vivid.