I love reading Charles Dickens. Not just because I have a Ph.D. in literature. I’m actually an Americanist. When I was earning my doctorate at Emory University, my focus was on 19th-century American and African-American literature with a sub-speciality in West African literature.
A compelling novelist
I love reading Charles Dickens because his novels are so compelling. In my mind, Charles Dickens is one of the greatest, biggest hearted writers who ever lived.
So I’ve given myself the goal this year of reading every novel that Charles Dickens has ever written.
I’ve just finished A Tale of Two Cities (for the second time though I remembered so little about it I’m not convinced I actually read it. A Tale of Two Cities may be my least favorite Dickens novel; I wish high school teachers would not assign it to their students since there are so many better Dickens books to read.) As soon as I finished it, I started Dombey and Son.
I’ve also recently read Oliver Twist and David Copperfield.
Reading Charles Dickens: his novels require many hours to finish
Dickens’ novels are a commitment.
They take a long time to read.
Compared to Dickens, everything is short so I read other works (Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence for a book club that’s just forming, George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London to learn about how writers depict poverty and privation, which I finished last night) as interludes.
“There’s a great BBC series on Dickens,” a fellow customer exclaimed as I bought Great Expectations at Bloomsbury Books on Sunday because our local library didn’t have a copy of it. “I just finished the first part and it was excellent.”
I think he was talking about this. I’m looking forward to watching it. But not any time soon. I’ve got too much reading to do!
Postscript: Economic hard times as portrayed by Dickens was the subject of a program on NPR. You can listen to it here.
Published: November 3, 2008
Updated: January 29, 2024
Jody says
I’ll be interested in hearing your take on the books. I haven’t read them since high school. I remember that at that time I really enjoyed David Copperfield, but I’m not sure if it was because it was great or because it was one of the few books assigned for English class that I could understand!
Meagan Francis says
Great goal. I have been meaning to read more Dickens forever, but I find the library very overwhelming (especially when visiting with a bunch of kids) and usually get distracted by the shiny new releases up front and forget to search the stacks for the classics. I’ll make a point of checking out A Tale Of Two Cities this week–the only one I’ve read all the way through is A Christmas Carol (but I loved it).
Cindy La Ferle says
That’s a worthy and ambitious goal, Jennifer! (I wish I had an ounce of your amazing energy…) As an English lit major, I was required to take a class devoted entirely to Dickens — I loved it. He was, as you know, “a social campaigner,” so this is a particularly interesting time to read him. You might want to watch the Bleak House mini series too — it was very good.
Wendee Holtcamp says
I am reading A Tale of Two Cities to my 12 year old son, because although he’s a straight A student and very bright, I want to work on his redaing comprehension. So we read and then discuss what the heck it’s talking about. It’s a good book for that, but to to be honest I think he’s bored. I think it’s interesting but it’s slow to develop. We’re about 1/3 way through. Does it get better? 🙂 I bought this whole big book with like 5 Dickens novels and I probably should have picked Oliver Twist or David Copperfield first… But hey. I tell ya – Dickens has some loooooooooong sentences!!!!!
Susan Buscaglia says
Do not like the feeling of not having a book that I’m excited about at my fingertips, which is the case today. I read “Great Expections” in sixth grade and while I recall a profound effect, I would not be sure, to look at the first few pages, that I have read it. So, off to the library for some Dickens.
admin says
Wendee– I found a Tale of Two Cities really slow at first too. It’s a novel that takes a LONG time to get started. But stay with it and you’ll be glad you did — the latter half of the book is much more compelling than the former!
Zach says
What is the funniest anecdote that Dickens ever wrote? An what about “The Dickensian Aspect”? Does anyone know that reference? (hint: gritty, unforgettable HBO show)
Holly says
I’ve really started to love Dickens in the past few years, after HATING him in high school (reading “Great Expectations” felt like being forced to drink poison). The key for me was to stop fighting the language — and stop trying to parse every word/sentence until it made sense. Instead, I’d dive in and just keep reading, and pretty soon, I was completely immersed in the richness of Victorian England. It was awesome. I’ve read “Bleak House” and “The Old Curiosity Shop” in the past couple years, and “David Copperfield” is waiting for me on my bookshelf. I’m also making an effort to read *old* copies of these books (from our fabulous local used bookstore), complete with brittle pages and small print. Put me next to the fireplace with a glass of wine and one of these editions, and it almost feels like Oliver Twist himself could come ambling in from the next room!