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Original poster

Charles Dickens - which book to read first

41 replies

IchBinEinCurrywurster · 30/01/2022 16:51

I'm ashamed to say I've never read any, but feel in the mood for diving in. Does anyone have any favourites?

OP posts:
Vampiremockumentary · 30/01/2022 16:52

David Copperfield.

purplesequins · 30/01/2022 16:52

david copperfield

WeeFae · 30/01/2022 16:53

Great Expectations

Vampiremockumentary · 30/01/2022 17:19

@WeeFae

Great Expectations
Another favourite.
JSL52 · 30/01/2022 17:20

Christmas Carol or Tale of Two Cities.

BenjiMcSchmenzie · 30/01/2022 17:22

Little Dorrit / Great Expectations / A Tale of Two Cities / David Copperfield. You must read all of them regardless of which order …. All wonderful!

Honourofgrayskull · 30/01/2022 17:24

Christmas Carol is my favourite book ever, maybe not best in January though!
I also really like Oliver Twist and Great Expectations

Idontlikeworms · 30/01/2022 17:25

David Copperfield

Original poster
IchBinEinCurrywurster · 30/01/2022 17:29

Fabulous. Thanks so much everyone. I think I'll start with David Copperfield then. But will try to plough through them all. Thanks for the encouragement

OP posts:
CatCup · 30/01/2022 17:31

A Christmas Carol

purplesequins · 30/01/2022 19:07

I found a christmas carol more of a slog than his other books to be honest.

DuggeeHugPlease · 30/01/2022 20:25

David Copperfield is my favourite but it's not short! I'd start with A Tale of Two Cities before tackling it! Also agree you have to read Little Dorritt and Oliver Twist. I personally didn't like Great Expectations.

Bunnybunny1 · 30/01/2022 20:38

Hard times is wonderful. The characters are brilliantly developed.
It’s also sad to see that some awful parts of life haven’t changed.

SirSamuelVimes · 30/01/2022 20:41

Oliver Twist. It's like a bonkers soap opera.

N4ish · 30/01/2022 20:43

I’d say Oliver Twist first but really all of them are great (except Barnaby Rudge!)

Imissmoominmama · 30/01/2022 20:45

Great Expectations is my favourite.

bumpyknuckles · 30/01/2022 21:27

Great Expectations is the one I'd start with. It's much shorter for a start! And it's funny, moving and very well written. It's got some great characters too - Magwitch, Miss Havisham, Joe Gargery (what larks, Pip!)

David Copperfield is my favourite, but you need to build up to it imo - it's long!

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 30/01/2022 21:53

There's a Hard Times read-a-long about to start soon!

StartupRepair · 30/01/2022 21:55

A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations. Once you're hooked, Bleak House.

Piggywaspushed · 30/01/2022 21:57

Yes indeed there is! Hard Times is short too!

AlexaShutUp · 30/01/2022 21:58

I would start with Hard Times as it isn't too long.

I have a special place in my heart for Bleak House, but that is quite long and probably not the best to get started on.

3peassuit · 30/01/2022 21:59

Great Expectations.

DoItAfraid · 30/01/2022 22:03

Following. Great threadzz zzz!

Original poster
IchBinEinCurrywurster · 30/01/2022 23:30

Ooh I will join the Hard Times read along then. Exciting. Thanks so much everyone- wasn't expecting so many replies. It's great to hear your views. And I still can't believe I've never read any of them. I'm a big Thomas Hardy fan but never read a single book by Dickens Blush

OP posts:
Stookeen · 30/01/2022 23:51

I would absolutely start with Great Expectations — it’s a practically perfect novel, and is lighter on some of the grotesque sentimentality and cartoonishness some people find hard to swallow in Dickens — that, as well as its length is why I’d choose it over David Copperfield.