Dickensalong 2023 : The Old Curiosity Shop

[Piggywaspushed]

Come along and join me in this year's Dickens readalong.

We have chosen The Old Curiosity Shop which was originally published by Dickens across 88 weeks in his won periodical.

Obviously 88 weeks is a bit much for our modern concentration spans and multitasking minds , so I propose an 8 month read. There are 73 chapters in total, not split into volumes or books (thanks for this Dickens!!) but I found little stars every few chapters so think these indicate breaks:

January - Chapters 1- 8
February - Chapters 9- 16
March - Chapters 17 - 26
April - Chapters 27 - 36
May - Chapters 37 - 45
June - Chapters 46-53
July - Chapters 54 - 63
August - 64 - end

I hope that's all OK. It's not as long as some of the others we have done so 8 instalments seems to work.

All welcome - old curiosities, and new!

Exactly Terpsichore! A false start. Very odd. The narrator leads us to the shop and there you go, toodle-pip, I'm off!

I didn't sign up this time just in case I didn't manage to read (as with the Woman in White).
I read this many years ago, and find that I'd forgotten the finer details, so this has been a nice read so far.

I agree @Piggywaspushed with the uncomfortable reading about Quilp, the physical descriptions particularly. Though the scenes where he terrorises his wife and mother in law is so well done, if awful.

Our narrator from the first chapter, and those scenes, reminded me of Arthur Clennam and Little Dorrit.

Sorry, rushed typing!

Behind again

Absolutely agree with everything already said, but I do find the villains rather pantomime villain so I can’t take them seriously. I think I’m possibly just a hard nosed cow, because I just find Nell really simpering and annoying and I’ve read a good portion of this before and she got on my nerves then as well. Currently, I’m finding it hard to see shades of grey - people seem either bad or good, with perhaps the exception of the grandfather who we don’t quite know enough about yet.

Sorry, late to the party with my comments! I don’t really have anything to add as everyone’s already said everything I was going to. Lots of horrible characters who hopefully will get their comeuppance. I’m enjoying this so far though, I’ve found it an easy read and I’m looking forward to the next instalment.

The narration change kind of confused me too, felt a bit thrown by the change a couple of chapters later.

Agreed Quilp is pretty awful, no redeeming features whatsoever. No wonder that woman at the tea party felt the urge to want to stab him.

Just to confirm next section is Chapters 9 -16 !

Thanks Piggy. I'll hold off reading it until later in the month.

Happy Dickens Day everyone!

Happy Dickens Day!

I'm going to start reading the second installment today :)

Happy Dickens Day. I had no idea!

I have a few pages to read to finish the last chapter. Can I add a small observation (non spoiler) about the meaning of the word 'snob'? Interesting to see the definition has altered now. It used to mean low or vulgar person, apparently.

Jut reminding everyone, snobs and toffs, to check in tomorrow.

I have thoughts on Pilgrim's Progress, driving as I do through the Slough of Despond and up Hill Difficulty to work every day (narrowly avoiding The Valley of the Shadow of Death)

I'm ready :)

Ooh! My old name is back again.

Test

A multitude of fuzzies!

😂oh dear. Fuzzy is as Fuzzy does.

Morning all!

I found this instalment (literally!) a bit plodding but there were some things that drew my attention.

Firstly, as has often been said about the novel , it is very sentimental. It's also quite convoluted in tis prose. Having now read lots of Dickens , it's quite noticeable how is style did modernise and become more experimental and interesting in his later works- understandably so, he was writing for such a long time and such a rapidly progressing time in history.

Secondly, the Pilgrim's Progress references seem to be indicating an allegorical tale ahead. We have already seen distinct shades of good and evil, the innocence of childhood (according to some theorists childhood is a Victorian invention after all). Am I up for a heavy handed allegory. Yes, sure, so long as things do actually happen! I've always admired Dickens' strong plots.

I do like Kit - what a sweetie!

Still wincing at all the dwarf stuff.

Morning!

oh I quite enjoyed this section! I found the bit where they were trying to leave the shop quite thrilling and in general a bit pacey.

I have the penguin classic version on my kindle and it includes illustrations - does everyone’s? All the characters are so hideously over drawn except our fair maiden.

am I right in thinking she dropped her grandfather’s gambling habit in it? I really dislike him and his puppet obsession. Just takes so much from her.

The ‘pilgrims’ are quite sappy aren’t they?

I have read 2/3 Dickens’ over the last few years and do enjoy his writing of people so much. A few gems;

‘servant girls, looking in all directions but their brooms, scattered brown clouds of dust into the eyes of shrinking passengers’

And of the inscriptions on the graves in the churchyard they ‘told in pompous terms of virtues meekly hidden for many a year, and only revealed at last to the executors and morning legatees’ 🤣

Yes, I have the pictures too!

Good morning!

I liked this installment. I found it very dark, however, almost relentlessly bleak. I know Dickens is dark, but I was wondering if there was any joy to be had at all. The description of Kit's cosy household and the little acts of kindness shown to Nell and her grandfather as they went on their journey cast a glow of kindness where faith in human nature was restored.

I'm enjoying the writing. One passage was very moving, where it described Nell's loneliness as she sat at the window in the dark. I'm also enjoying the illustrations. They are very entertaining.

Hello all!

As Piggy said this wasn’t the most exciting instalment but it clearly sets up several strands.

Do we know who the Garlands are? They popped up for one chapter then disappeared again. I couldn’t recall if they had been mentioned before. I assume they will appear again.

I liked the bit with the Punch and Judy bit in the churchyard! I was hoping for a mention of the dog with the sausages but maybe that appeared later than Dickens’ time!

Oh, I don't even remember the Garlands!

I’m much more conscious with this book that Dickens was at something of a loss and spinning his wheels, as it were, while he found a plot to fasten onto. I didn’t feel he had much sense of purpose in this section and it felt quite repetitive - also, he falls into his worst habits of being high-flown and sentimental, which is where he’s weakest. Comparing this to The Woman in White - another serialised novel which kept us gripped on the previous thread - is instructive, and not to Dickens’s credit, I’m afraid!