Born on this date in 1812, Mr. Dickens has been delighting readers for over 150 years.
Dickens Novels I’ve Read: David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Pickwick Papers, Great Expectations, Our Mutual Friend
DIckens Novels I Have Yet to Enjoy: Hard Times, Dombey and Son, Bleak House, The Old Curiosity Shop, Barnaby Rudge, Martin Chuzzlewit, Little Dorrit, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Favorite Dickens Hero: Pip, Great Expectations
Favorite Dickens Villain(ess): Madame Defarge, Tale of Two Cities
Favorite Tragic Scene: Mr. Peggotty searching for Little Em’ly (Is that a scene or an episode?)
Favorite Comic Character: Mr. Micawber, David Copperfield
Favorite Comic Scene: Miss Betsy Trotter chasing the donkeys out of her yard, David Copperfield
Strangest Dickens Christmas Story We’ve Read: “The Poor Relation’s Storyâ€
Best Dickens Novel I’ve Read: A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield is a close second.
Dickens-related posts at Semicolon:
LOST Reading Project: Our Mutual Friend by Charles DIckens.
Dickens Pro and Con on his Birthday.
Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley
Advanced Reading Survey: Nicholas Nickleby.
Other DIckens-related links:
Mere Comments on Dickens’ Christianity.
A DIckens Filmography at Internet Film Database.
George Orwell: Essay on Charles DIckens.
Edgar Allan Poe Meets Charles Dickens.
Amy is reading A Tale of Two Cities at Hope Is the Word.
An entire blog devoted to Mr. Dickens and his work: DIckensblog by Gina Dalfonzo.
And I have a new Dickens quiz for all you Dickens lovers. (No one did so well on last year’s quiz, perhaps because I offered no prizes.)
Can you match the quotation with the book from which it is taken?
1. “If you could say, with truth, to your own solitary heart, to-night, ‘I have secured to myself the love and attachment, the gratitude or respect, of no human creature; I have won myself a tender place in no regard; I have done nothing good or serviceable to be remembered by!’ your seventy-eight years would be seventy-eight heavy curses; would they not?”
2. “How does the world go? I’ll tell you what,” he added, in a lower tone, “I shouldn’t wish it to be mentioned, but it’s a -” here he beckoned to me, and put his lips close to my ear – “it’s a mad world. Mad as Bedlam, boy!”
3. Persons don’t make their own faces, and it’s no more my fault if mine is a good one than it is other people’s fault if theirs is a bad one.
4. “Don’t ask any questions. It’s always best on these occasions to do what the mob do.”
“But suppose there are two mobs?” suggested Mr. S.
“Shout with the largest,” replied Mr. P.
Volumes could not have said more.
5. There are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts.
Anyone who leaves answers in the comments will receive a visit from yours truly to your blog, a thank you for participating, and a link in a future post. It’s a mad world, but we can always decide to shout with the largest mob.
Your two favorites are mine as well, in that order, and I agree on the favorite tragic and comic scenes.
Favorite villain — I think either Mr. Murdstone or Steerforth.
Favorite hero would be David Copperfield or Sydney Carton.
Favorite “supporting character” — Ham in David Copperfield.
I’ve read David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, and Great Expectations. Still need to read the others. GE was probably my least favorite.
I have no idea on the quotes except #4 sounds like perhaps the Pickwick Papers.
Thanks for the mention, Sherry! I’m still reading (and enjoying!) A Tale of Two Cities. Unfortunately, it and Great Expectations (and A Christmas Carol, I think) are the only Dickens I have under my belt so far. I’m afraid I haven’t a clue about the qutoes, but I’ll be really embarrassed if any of them are from A Tale of Two Cities (especially if I’ve already read taht part!).
Thank you for the link! I know the first two quotes (ATOTC and DC), but I’m ashamed to say I don’t know the last three! I think #4 might be “Pickwick,” though.