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?

Richard and Charles are with me on the daily trudge through the mud on the dog walk. They make it better.

Scribbly I listened to it and loved Richard A's narration. Particularly loved his take on Rosa Dartle when you get to that point.

Looking forward to it Desdemona

Can I join? I've just bought a copy of the book on the way to the cinema to see the film. I had no idea it was so thick a book, I'm a bit intimidated.
I have never read a book by Dickens in my life but I'm hoping that if I've seen the film I might find it a bit easier going, if i roughly know the story.
I'd better get reading this evening to catch up with you all

Yes, join in! Slow reading is the best way to break yourself in, I find!

Enjoyed the film this weekend. I have been hemming and hawing about the colour-blind casting - not due to Dev Patel, who brought a lovely sense of buoyancy to the lead, but more with the crowd scenes. I know everyone wasn't white back in The Past (a film like Belle is a good corrective) but the overall effect felt a bit anachronistic. But call me a hypocrite, because two minor characters became Irish, and I really liked it and felt cheered at the inclusive vision. So on balance, I feel I should applaud the diversity.

Sorry for derail - I know this thread is for the book and not the film....

I have missed the boat on the film now which is a shame but I am sure I will see it another time.

I'm a bit at Dev Patel as DC, I'm sure he's excellent in the role, but surely being black in Dicken's era would have completely changed his journey.
Or have I missed the point? Does colour blind casting assuming that we are in a parallel (preferable) universe were there is no racial prejudice and people can be any colour irrespective of their parents colour of skin? Maybe this is the case. Actually maybe that makes more sense, I'm pretty old so not being goady just trying to understand the reasoning.

I won't have any proper comment until I have seen the film. In the Christmas Carol Mrs Cratchit was black. I think (most) people can get round it/past it pretty quickly, tbh.

I'd like to see a Wuthering Heights with a Heathcliff properly cast one day!

There is a black Heathcliff in a recentish Wuthering Heights I'm sure. It was a very nitty gritty version, I went to see it at a local arty cinema a few years ago.

Make that 9 years ago!

Great casting imo. But sorry I've further derailed... As you were!

I feel like Heathcliff should be Roma Gypsy myself. Possibly Indian/ of Asian heritage.

Yes, Heathcliff works as a BAME character - it's plausible given his origins, and it adds an extra dimension to the theme's of belonging and alienation, possession and dispossession.

My discomfort with the colour-blind version of David Copperfield is that it effectively denies that people were ever treated differently due to their ethnicity - it completely erases those experiences. Ironically enough, it's a way of whitewashing the past.

stray comma above, oh the shame.

I watched the film without having read the book and I was confused by the casting. I kept waiting for the big reveal that Mr Copperfield was not the boys dad or something. There was one scene where she was all pale and dressed in white standing beside the young David and I thought they were setting up a deliberate contrast between them to reveal a big secret but it didn't happen. It distracted me throughout the whole film. I wish I'd known in advance.

Going only on the trailer but I love the idea of colour blind casting for a Dickens novel. I think it will help with accessibility to great stories. Granted it’s not what was intended by the author but I tend to prefer adaptations that go there own way and experiment.

I love The Death of Stalin for its story and didn’t find the strange mixture of accents representing the Central Committee distracting so hoping this will be similar.

I am sort of with you pale : otherwise, until more BAME people are allowed into the great closed shop of filmmaking and making films about their own experiences (cf #oscarssowhite) the opportunities will never be there for great actors to showcase talents.

I am also fine with all female productions, say, of Shakespeare! And plenty of stage productions now do colour blind casting for Shakespeare.

I think for lots of people it might jar for a short while and then they forget it.

It's not that long ago since we had blacked up Othellos...

... should have added,especially with the British filmmaking industry's obsession with 'heritage film'

I was late to the thread, I've only just finished January's chapters.

This is the most I have ever read of a Dickens novel. I have started before and given up. I do think reading slowly is the best way because there is so much in every single chapter. A few paragraphs seems to contain as much detail as entire modern books in some way. And so many characters, all interesting. Will Mr Mell make a re-appearance? I so felt for him, being bullied by those boys.

I am surprised by how much I am enjoying reading. Will get started on February's chapters this afternoon.

I agree about the slow reading and the detail. I need to start Feb's chaps soon, though, before I forget Jan's!

I agree too- I think I am on chapter 12 now!

I haven’t read any of February’s chapters yet, but have a week off for half term now so planning to get stuck in towards the end of the week! Looking forward to it as I’m enjoying it so far.

Finished Feb's chapters today. It's ok. Still not overly enamoured of it though there were def some good moments I'm looking forward to discussing. #teamthackery

I am reading Emma at the same time and the difference is stark : does Austen no favours in my opinion. yes, it's all quite amusing but Austen has no depth and it's all talk talk talk chat gossip gossip talk. The minute I picked up DC , I was grateful for his descriptions, especially the awful woman with her face like the pickle jar! I am a newfound Dickens fan. It's amazing how much novel writing and prose moved on in a matter of twenty years.

Not a Thackeray lover - sorry! Too much like Austen for my tastes!