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?

@ChessieFL yes, I'm concerned I'm going to forget all my insightful thoughts on it by 1st Feb, especially as I'm now reading something else too! I think next month I'll start round about 15th.

I have a similar problem: I've read the first eight chapters and enjoyed them, so it will take a lot of willpower to stop after the ninth.

I’m going to read chapter 1 this weekend and see how long it takes, and judge from that when to read the rest so I finish chapter 9 just before 1 Feb! I may be overthinking this....

I've started but been making notes. I might also be overthinking this...

Am enjoying reading at a leisurely pace though, it's making me stop and look up phrases I don't understand, like the reference to the pins. Usually, I'd just hope they weren't a key part / would be explained better later and plough on! In modern books it's easy to know when you aren't supposed to know the full picture, but less so with older literature.

I’ve read the 9 chapters and I’m really enjoying it! I didn’t think I liked Dickens but I’m finding that I do. Trying to resist the temptation to keep going.

I've read the nine chapters and might just see what happens next.....just for a few pages....

Ooh I'll join Piggy! Read it donkeys years ago but it will do me good to re read.

Disclaimer: I'm a Dickens hater. Great stories but dislike his style. Let's see if this can convert me.

Welcome! I was agnostic on Dickens until Bleak House. My students love Christmas Carol this year, too, which ahs been an eye opener. They really like its warmth and humanity. It's adorable.

Still haven't got my copy but am delighted to see how much you're all enjoying it. I've read very little Dickens to be honest so am a little nervous :)

I've just remembered I decided to quit reading Dickens because he's so misogynist. The men in his books tend to be well-developed characters, with complex backgrounds. Women are virgins, whores or matrons.
Aah well, we can but hope!

I'd like to join too. I've read a few classics but nothing by Dickens.

@MaJoady happy to chip in with an explanation about the pins but I suppose we ought to wait until Feb. Not long now, though!

Thanks @Terpsichore, but I do understand the pins reference now I've done some background reading. I was saying that it's nice to read at a pace that allows the background reading too

👍

Women are virgins, whores or matrons.

I've only read the first chapter, but I'm finding Betsey Trotter to be rather than more interesting and complex than that.

I don't actually think this a very fair accusation to level at Dickens compared to many other writers ( genuinely don't find his work misogynist, even if them any himself may not have been all that unVictorian in terms of his own marriage!). Katie Lumsden on YouTube does often say really helpful stuff about the angel by the hearth paradigm, though.

That should say the man himself!

Can I join? Copy ordered from the library and in transit..

Well, maybe it is a bit of a generalisation, but I think it applies to well over half the female characters in his books. Interestingly, I think it tends to be older women who have more developed characters, like the widowed mother in little dorrit (and Betsey Trotter, Miss Havisham....)

A good example of the angel at the hearth trope is Lorna Doone.

Finally, I've started David Copperfield. Am only on the second chapter but really liking it so far.

I started it today too!

I started last night too! Only read a couple of chapters so far.

I'm on chapter 5 - I think. OMG, this is so good! I want to go to bed early to keep reading.

Tried to read some at school today while the class were 'silent reading'. Got to the end of the chapter and had no idea who a character was ! So much so, I have forgotten his name, except that it begins with an M or has an M in it