tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post6173766774111260440..comments2024-02-29T02:54:19.767-05:00Comments on Babbling Books: The Pickwick Papers by Charles DickensBrian Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-39050070257776491852018-08-01T06:34:56.138-04:002018-08-01T06:34:56.138-04:00Hi WP - I found this to be the most humorous of Di...Hi WP - I found this to be the most humorous of Dickens novels. <br /><br />Bleak House along with David Copperfield are my favorite Dickens books. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-19511769325223779742018-07-31T11:07:19.673-04:002018-07-31T11:07:19.673-04:00Another classic I haven't read. I've read ...Another classic I haven't read. I've read several Dickens and plan to read more. Pickwick Papers is one of my Mum's favourites - I think she liked the humour in it.<br /><br />If I had to name a favourite of the ones I've read (which is only 5 or 6), it would be Bleak House. Whispering Gumshttp://whisperinggums.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-87128558752562139562018-07-21T22:04:55.983-04:002018-07-21T22:04:55.983-04:00Thanks Lainy - Dickens is certainly an author wort...Thanks Lainy - Dickens is certainly an author worth trying. This novel is very accessible as long as the anecdotal nature of it does not put you off. Otherwise David Cooperfield and \Bleak House are my favorites that I highly recommend. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-45353289756150028852018-07-21T11:07:02.733-04:002018-07-21T11:07:02.733-04:00I either read one book of his years ago or it has ...I either read one book of his years ago or it has been an author I keep meaning to read, as always in depth and thoughtful commentary Brian! xxx<br /><br />Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.netSo many books, so little timehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07564778178609301461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-47233148473891205692018-07-19T17:21:14.362-04:002018-07-19T17:21:14.362-04:00Thanks Maria.
What you say is true, Dickens’s ch...Thanks Maria. <br /><br />What you say is true, Dickens’s characters have become a part of our culture. <br /><br />I also love Dickens’s prose. Not everyone I talk to does though. He does use a lot of words. However, I find that he creates such a powerful atmosphere by doing so. It is also very creative. <br /><br />I am slowly reading my way through all of Dickens. I seem to be getting through about two books per year.<br /><br />The cover picture is definitely Mr. Pickwick! He is such a jolly character!<br /><br />Cheers!<br />Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-77158361064648023122018-07-19T02:15:29.643-04:002018-07-19T02:15:29.643-04:00P.S. I should have mentioned the cover. Is that Mr...P.S. I should have mentioned the cover. Is that Mr. Pickwick? He certainly looks like a paunchy, jolly, very British, middle-aged soul! Lol. :) :) :) Maria Beharhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13635809880830316283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-75875983701773838892018-07-19T02:07:51.096-04:002018-07-19T02:07:51.096-04:00EXCELLENT review as usual, Brian!
I LOVE the begi...EXCELLENT review as usual, Brian!<br /><br />I LOVE the beginning of Mudpuddle's comment! "Splendid post", he wrote. How very British, by Jove! Lol.<br /><br />Dickens has long been a dearly treasured writer of mine; I have him listed as one of my favorite authors on Goodreads. I have read three of his novels: "Oliver Twist", "A Christmas Carol", and "A Tale of Two Cities". I really must revisit these books!<br /><br />I didn't know that "The Pickwick Papers" was more of a humorous tale. I know I'll enjoy it! It's great that reading it made you laugh out loud. But then, of course, Dickens is known for his sharp wit, and that is very evident even in his most serious works.<br /><br />What I love most about Dickens is his attention to detail in characterizations, as well as his majestic prose. <br /><br />His characters really do become real people, and the reader easily and immediately becomes part of their world. The ones in the books I've read are vividly drawn, so much so that they have become an intrinsic part of British and American culture. <br /><br />This vividness of characterization is also due to, as you put it Dickens's "signature prose". Oh, how I LOVE his prose!! "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....." When I first read this, I felt chills down my spine. If I happen to come upon these words from time to time, I still feel those chills. It is sonorous, majestic prose. It stirs the intellect just as much as the emotions.<br /><br />There's just something mighty and wonderful about Dickensian prose. It's the pure flow of well-used words, and this flow draws one into the story, while weaving a mesmerizing spell, as well.<br /><br />I think I need to make a mid-year resolution, if there's such a thing: read EVERYTHING written by this great author, and that, of course, includes "The Pickwick Papers". <br /><br />I know I'll be in for many good laughs, and will delight in the "colorful characters", as you call them!<br /><br />Cheers for The Pickwick Club, and thanks for another greatly enjoyable, interesting review!! <br /><br />Hope your week is winding down well!! <3 :) <br />Maria Beharhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13635809880830316283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-15583101352371406902018-07-17T17:43:17.199-04:002018-07-17T17:43:17.199-04:00Hi Caroline - I did not know that this was his fir...Hi Caroline - I did not know that this was his first until I read it. Early forays Into familiar themes are often interesting when one likes a writer. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-89312969835431051832018-07-17T09:33:09.898-04:002018-07-17T09:33:09.898-04:00How strange, I actually thought this was a later b...How strange, I actually thought this was a later book. Not sure why. It sounds like it's a lot of fun. For someone who loves Dickens, I'm sure it's fantastic to see the early manifestations of his themes here. Carolinehttp://beautyisasleepingcat.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-15605224297028350232018-07-12T17:34:18.370-04:002018-07-12T17:34:18.370-04:00Hi Stefanie - This was definitely the funniest Dic...Hi Stefanie - This was definitely the funniest Dickens novel that I have read so far. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-89251322053351992752018-07-12T10:15:15.190-04:002018-07-12T10:15:15.190-04:00Laugh out loud funny? sign me up! I have not read ...Laugh out loud funny? sign me up! I have not read this one yet and had no idea it was Dickens' first publication. Stefaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14943596258182968212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-8481391081019656632018-07-10T05:41:31.616-04:002018-07-10T05:41:31.616-04:00Hi Susan - I have come to see what a wonder Dicken...Hi Susan - I have come to see what a wonder Dickens novels are. This one is lighter then many of his other books but the characters are fantastic. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-5546499991832460552018-07-09T19:04:35.289-04:002018-07-09T19:04:35.289-04:00I have not read the Pickwick Papers but I'm a ...I have not read the Pickwick Papers but I'm a big fan of Dickens -- I especially like his characters ... such as those in Oliver Twist and Great Expectations. But I need to read more of his novels. I can see where he employs the same themes and prose over & over in each of his books. Still he is a wonder.thecuecardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08870323589682197091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-16958600459406332862018-07-09T05:04:05.685-04:002018-07-09T05:04:05.685-04:00Hi Hila - In this one the humor is more pronounced...Hi Hila - In this one the humor is more pronounced then in other Dickens. I have been wanting to read North and South for awhile. These Victorian writers were so good at social commentary. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-72830239438615041612018-07-09T00:37:42.246-04:002018-07-09T00:37:42.246-04:00One of the interesting qualities in Dickens is the...One of the interesting qualities in Dickens is the humor found in ghastly circumstances. The more you read about what London was like back then... there's so much that's appalling. (Currently I'm reading North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, set in the mid-1800s, and while the novel isn't bleak as a whole, there are character deaths, including a suicide, that can't be avoided in a novel that's a social commentary of the times.) HKatzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17653570160517335758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-76263485193797513032018-07-07T10:01:23.312-04:002018-07-07T10:01:23.312-04:00Hi Rachel - It was such a pleasant book. Hi Rachel - It was such a pleasant book. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-91108256414366760992018-07-07T10:00:44.520-04:002018-07-07T10:00:44.520-04:00Hi Richard- I thought that Our Mutual Friend was a...Hi Richard- I thought that Our Mutual Friend was also a really good one. This was more fun and entertaining and that the be more serious. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-7293103132918937992018-07-07T09:59:00.794-04:002018-07-07T09:59:00.794-04:00Hi RT - I am so glad to hear that you are reading ...Hi RT - I am so glad to hear that you are reading this. I would love to know what you think when you are done. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-61127784019246143312018-07-07T09:48:18.656-04:002018-07-07T09:48:18.656-04:00I loved this book. Glad you enjoyed it too.I loved this book. Glad you enjoyed it too.Rachelhttp://hibernatorslibrary.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-63580470704135599652018-07-06T20:37:31.798-04:002018-07-06T20:37:31.798-04:00Surely any book that reminds one of "Don Quix...Surely any book that reminds one of "Don Quixote" can't be all bad! Glad to hear you liked this, Brian, and that you were able to confirm its amusing status. This and "Our Mutual Friend," for different reasons, are likely to be my own next choices for Dickens reads when the time comes.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-58573176607849008002018-07-06T18:12:02.453-04:002018-07-06T18:12:02.453-04:00Brian, I’ve just begun reading PP and appreciate y...Brian, I’ve just begun reading PP and appreciate your fine posting and the comments, all serving as prologue to my PP reading experience. Perhaps I will post my own reader response in a week or so. Best wishes from a Gulf coast blogger ....RTDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17113953356514605424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-17825477009340624802018-07-06T04:31:52.586-04:002018-07-06T04:31:52.586-04:00Hi Violet- Though I loved Bleak House, your commen...Hi Violet- Though I loved Bleak House, your comment was hilarious. I used to have similar feelings about Dickens but he has grown on me. Because of its lightheartedness and perhaps because it was the first, some of Dickens excesses were a bit toned down here. With that, this book was also wordy.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-33514322654430938222018-07-06T04:26:33.468-04:002018-07-06T04:26:33.468-04:00Hi Suko - First novels are interesting for a lot o...Hi Suko - First novels are interesting for a lot of reasons. This one is very good and with looking at in light of what came after. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-12372328102839475112018-07-06T04:23:47.177-04:002018-07-06T04:23:47.177-04:00Hi CyberKitten - I agree that Dickens is all of th...Hi CyberKitten - I agree that Dickens is all of those things. This book tilts more to the funny. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-10836321576419252482018-07-06T04:21:56.268-04:002018-07-06T04:21:56.268-04:00Hi Sharon - Mr. Pickwick is loveable and it is a l...Hi Sharon - Mr. Pickwick is loveable and it is a loveable book. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.com