If I were to read Charles Dickens, which book should I start with?

[UnderRated]

I have tried and failed to read a Tale of Two Cities.

So, what should I tackle next. Or should I just not bother?

OOo, lots of suggestions, thank you. It would have been helpful if there were a general consensus though .

I may try A Tale again, seeing as it is sitting on the table but will also look at some of the others you mentioned. There must be one that I can read (and understand).

Message withdrawn

I'm currently reading Dombey and Son and I'm enjoying it. I loved Hard Times and Bleak House.

So many books... so little time!

I agree that Hard Times is a good one to begin with: it is quite short and very powerful. I also like the fact that it doesn't have a happy ending ( oops, soory for spoiler!). It has some really wonderful characters in it ( Mr Sleary is my all time fave!)

I agree that Dickens is sentimental but this is more characteristic of the earlier novels and Oliver Twist is a prime example, great yarn though it is. I have read all the novels apart from the last, unfinished Mystery of Edwin Drood. My favourites are David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Hard Times and Bleak house. I also really liked Brnaby Rudge when I read it but I don't know how it would stand up to a second reading.

i studied great expectations for a level

somehow it passed my form teacher who was also my english teacger by that the reason i had been off school for two days was that my dad had been put in a coma by a car accident and then died when she asked me to read a graveyard passage from it to the class when i went back

i like nicholas nickleby great expectations is atotal blur to me

i got an a in my a level i dont know how i hope it was me and not my mum writing in

David Copperfield is my absolute fave and one I get into again and again.

A tale of two cities, I HATE!!!!! Argh, the worst one, and (IMO) not really representative of Dickens' work.

i like

little dorrit

bleak house

dombey and son

nicholas nickleby

dont know martin chuzzlewit at all

A Tale of Two Cities is one of my favourite Dickens books...perhaps hes not your style. I know bits are pretty dated and theres a lot of sociopolitical stuff in there. I struggle with some of the longer ones myself.

Definitely Great Expectations. Absolutely loved this bood

Drat. Like policywonk, I saw the thread title and thought "OBVIOUSLY, Tale of Two Cities, as enny fule kno"...

I don't like Dickens, so I am a very bad person to accept recommendations from (even more so because I loved Tale of Two Cities). But I'd say Oliver Twist was a good bet. Actually I quite enjoyed Edwin Drood too, although read in bizarre "illustrated" edition from my granny's book club (one summer when desperate for reading material and not quite able to face old Readers Digests).

Message withdrawn

Another vote for Bleak House.

I'm struggling with Little Dorrit at the moment. It helps me fall asleep at night and not much else!

Bleak House much easier to get into and the narrative gets going a bit quicker.

David Copperfield is on my all time fav list. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are fab too!

Great expectations definately...one of his more accessible novels.