Watching Dickens

 In June I was able to watch two movies adapted from Dickens' novels.

The first movie I watched was Pickwick Papers. I watched the BBC miniseries done in 1985. It stars Nigel Stock as Mr. Pickwick, Clive Swift as Mr. Tupman, Alan Parnaby as Mr. Snodgrass, Jeremy Nicholas as Mr. Winkle, Phil Daniels as Sam Weller, and Patrick Malahide as Mr. Jingle. To name a few. What can I say about this one? Well, the watching experience matches the reading experience. In other words, I was equally bored and amused. For example, some of the adventures of the Pickwick Club bored me in the book, and they likewise bored me in the dramatization. Not all of the adventures are boring, mind you, some are quite funny--very funny. But don't expect each episode of the miniseries to be oh-so-thrilling or laugh out loud funny. What I found was that the miniseries could be just as charming and delightful as the book. A great example would be the characterization of Sam Weller and Mr. Pickwick. Sam Weller is one of the BEST characters in Pickwick Papers. Once he's introduced into the narrative, it's like a brand new book, a much better book! Same with the drama!!! I don't think it would be an easy role to play either! But Phil Daniels does a WONDERFUL job with it!!! I also think Patrick Malahide made an excellent Mr. Jingle. Here is a character that made me want to boo, hiss every time he made an appearance; he was a true villain. Yet. By the end when he's had a transformation thanks to the mercy of Mr. Pickwick, I am able to believe it. Which really, really surprised me. Any actor that can pull off villainy and repentance must be good, right?

I definitely am glad I made time to watch The Pickwick Papers. There were things that I noticed for the first time in the drama. For example, when I was reading the book, I was so caught up in loving Sam Weller that I neglected the characterization of Mr. Pickwick, I didn't realize how much he changes throughout the novel (and the drama). I was so busy laughing with Sam Weller that I missed the heart and soul of a great man, Mr. Pickwick. It is something that I probably would have caught if I had revisited the novel too--but I'm glad I don't have to wait that long. (While I do plan on rereading Dickens, I hope to read every novel at least once before I start indulging in rereads.)

The second adaptation I watched was Our Mutual Friend (1998). Our Mutual Friend is my favorite, favorite, favorite Dickens. I just LOVE the book so much. In fact, if I was tempted to reread Dickens, Our Mutual Friend would be the one I'd most want to indulge in. I just love, love, love Lizzie and Bella and John and Eugene and Mr. and Mrs. Boffin. So I was very, very happy to watch this film. It stars Keeley Hawes as Lizzie Hexam, Paul McGann as Eugene Wrayburn, Anna Friel as Bella Wilfer, and Steven Mackintosh as John Rokesmith. (I recognized "Bella" from A Midsummer's Night Dream and Pushing Daisies. I recognized "Lizzie" from Wives and Daughters and Under the Greenwood Tree. I recognized "John" from The Muppet Christmas Carol.) So was this film giddy-making? Yes and no. It was giddy making except for when it wasn't. The romantic stories following the two couples could be pure giddy-making at times. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE both couples (Lizzie and Eugene; Bella and John). But there were many dark elements in this one. Some very dark, very creepy, very unpleasant elements in this one. For example, Silas Wegg (played by Kenneth Cranham) and Mr. Venus (played by Timothy Spall, whom I recognized from Oliver Twist and Enchanted) were faithful to the book (as far as I can recall) but not exactly thrilling. I do think David Morrissey did a fantastic job of being Bradley Headstone!!! Generally speaking, I think this was a wonderful, wonderful production. Thought it was really well done, thought the portrayals were just about perfect. And I loved so many scenes in this movie!!!

Watch Pickwick Papers

• If you're a fan of Charles Dickens
• If you are a fan of his first novel, The Pickwick Papers
• If you're curious to see how Mr. Pickwick, Sam Weller, etc. are portrayed on film
• If you enjoy Dickens' humor and are patient

Watch Our Mutual Friend

• If you're a fan of Charles Dickens
• If you are a fan of the novel, Our Mutual Friend
• If you enjoy romance, drama, and suspense (this one has quite a few dead bodies)
• If you enjoy period dramas

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Dombey and Son

Dombey and Son. Charles Dickens. 1846-1848. 880 pages.


DOMBEY sat in the corner of the darkened room in the great arm-chair by the bedside, and Son lay tucked up warm in a little basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new. Dombey was about eight-and-forty years of age. Son about eight-and-forty minutes. Dombey was rather bald, rather red, and though a handsome well-made man, too stern and pompous in appearance, to be prepossessing. Son was very bald, and very red, and though (of course) an undeniably fine infant, somewhat crushed and spotty in his general effect, as yet. On the brow of Dombey, Time and his brother Care had set some marks, as on a tree that was to come down in good time--remorseless twins they are for striding through their human forests, notching as they go--while the countenance of Son was crossed and recrossed with a thousand little creases, which the same deceitful Time would take delight in smoothing out and wearing away with the flat part of his scythe, as a preparation of the surface for his deeper operations.

I definitely enjoyed reading Charles Dickens' Dombey and Son. While I can't say that it's my new favorite Dickens novel, we had a lovely time together. Reading Dickens requires a time commitment, for the most part. While it's true that Oliver Twist is a quick and relatively easy read, the same can't exactly be said for Dickens' other novels. (Of course, excusing The Christmas Carol which is so easy to read it almost doesn't feel like a proper Dickens novel.) I don't mind committing my time, energy, effort to Dickens because I know that in the end it will prove worth it. He may take a couple of hundred pages to get going strong, but by the end, every little detail will come together and magic will happen. Such was the case with Dombey and Son.

How do I feel about Paul Dombey? If I had to choose just one word it would be infuriating. He's so proud, arrogant, narrow-minded, egotistical, pompous, cold-hearted, and cruel. He should not be allowed anywhere near women or children. It's no surprise that his first wife didn't "try" very hard to live. True, I'm speaking in jest for the most part, but Mrs. Chick, Dombey's sister, is not. The opening chapters provide ample opportunities for her to chastise her sister-in-law for dying. And Mrs. Chick does feel it was a weakness in her character that she allowed herself to die.

Dombey has a newborn son, named Paul, of course, what did you expect? He also has a daughter, Florence. It is in his relationship with Florence that the man's true weakness is revealed. For he is a horribly neglectful, sometimes cruel Father who takes great pride in the fact that his daughter is a nobody. That is in his eyes he has no daughter, a girl-child is of no conceivable use to him, so she just doesn't exist to him. He doesn't want anyone around him to act as if she exists either. She's not to be mentioned certainly, and not to be loved either, at least not in a way that's visible to him. For if he sees that someone else is loving and kind to her, it makes him who has no feelings (supposedly) feel guilty for not being a decent human being.

Florence is the heroine of this novel. She may be a little too good to be true--she's practically flawless. But she's good at providing contrast for every other character in the novel. Because without a doubt almost everyone else who plays a role in this thick novel is very flawed and very human. If Florence has a fault it is in being too kind, too forgiving, too selfless. She makes excuses for her father's defects for almost all of the novel. No matter how he treats her, no matter how heartless he is, no matter what he decrees or sets in place, she's in the background trying to make it work out. She's almost blinded by hope that one day surely she'll be loved and accepted by her father.

Florence is beloved by so many people! Her younger brother, Paul, loves and adores her until the very end. Her brother's friend, Mr. Toot, loves and adores her too. And then there's Walter Gay. He may be of a different class than Florence, but, he's THE HERO. And it's so very easy to fall in love with Walter. Walter first meets Florence when they're children. He saves her when she's lost--she'd been kidnapped--and restores her to her family. She remains ever-thankful and full of kindness for him, and not only for him but for his uncle and his friend too. (Uncle Sol, Captain Cuttle). Walter works as a lowly clerk for Mr. Dombey; he's completely beneath the notice of Mr. Dombey.

I won't go into the details of this one--it covers at least a decade if not two--but it was such a treat of a novel! It was a nice blend of light and dark; at times very serious and emotionally compelling but at other times quite comedic. The style is rambling. Readers get plenty of descriptions, details, asides, etc. I always enjoy Dickens' creative names and characterizations. He can be so very quirky!!! In other words, typical Dickens.

Read Dombey and Son

• If you're a fan of Charles Dickens
• If you love literature and classics
• If you're a fan of the Victorian period
• If you enjoy long novels

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

David Copperfield

David Copperfield. Charles Dickens. 1850. 877 pages.

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.

I wasn't always a fan of Charles Dickens. I wasn't always fond of his writing style--his descriptions, his quirky characters. (Then again, the first few experiences were with the same book--Great Expectations.)  But that began to change last fall when I read Bleak House. And since my re-introduction to him--as an adult--I've since come to LOVE him, really, really love him.

How did I feel about David Copperfield? Well....I definitely liked the novel. I did. There were times I loved it. There were times I didn't love it quite so much. I must admit that there were times I felt David Copperfield (the character) was just STUPID. I mean, completely oblivious and not in touch with reality. Like he was incapable of processing the whole truth even when it was right in front of him. But then there were other times when I actually began to like him. And even when I wasn't exactly "liking" him, the novel was still an interesting read. I wasn't bored. I wasn't tempted to give it up. There were too many characters that I cared about, too many stories that had me hooked.

I know I've said this before. But. I just ADORE the way Dickens writes his characters. I love seeing such a wide, wide, wide variety of characters. I love their oddness, their quirkiness. I love the fact that there's always a few to love, a few to like, a few to hate. Dickens was truly great at writing despicable characters. Like Uriah Heep. Like Edward Murdstone and his sister. Dicken's characters--even his heroes and heroines--have weaknesses.

The (human) character I liked least, and I'm not sure if this was Dicken's intent, was probably Dora. And the chapters where David was smitten (to put it nicely) with her and courting her were probably the most painful to read. Simply because Dora seemed so very, very silly and ridiculous. Should I have more sympathy for her than I do? Should I see past her silly vainness, her selfishness, her childishness?

One thing troubled me much, after we had fallen into this quiet train. It was, that Dora seemed by one consent to be regarded like a pretty toy or plaything. My aunt, with whom she gradually became familiar, always called her Little Blossom; and the pleasure of Miss Lavinia's life was to wait upon her, curl her hair, make ornaments for her, and treat her like a pet child. It was very odd to me; but they all seemed to treat Dora, in her degree, much as Dora treated Jip in his.
I made up my mind to speak to Dora about this; and one day whereon we were out walking (for we were licensed by Miss Lavinia, after a while, to go out walking by ourselves), I said to her that I wished she could get them to behave towards her differently.
'Because, you know, my darling,' I remonstrated, 'you are not a child.'
'There!' said Dora. 'Now you're going to be cross!'
'Cross, my love?'
'I am sure they're very kind to me,' said Dora, 'and I am very happy.'
'Well! But, my dearest life' said I, 'You might be very happy, and yet treated rationally.' (604)

I did NOT care for Jip, by the way.

There was another thing I could have wished; namely, that Jip had never been encouraged to walk about the table-cloth during dinner. I began to think there was something disorderly in his being there at all, even if he had not been in the habit of putting his foot in the salt or the melted butter. (641)

Anyway, David Copperfield is a long novel, but it is a deliciously long novel. I happen to like it more than Little Dorrit but less than Our Mutual Friend. I'm definitely glad I read it. I definitely enjoyed meeting some of these characters.

More of my favorite quotes:

'Gentlemen,' returned Mr. Micawber, 'do with me as you will! I am a straw upon the surface of the deep, and am tossed in all directions by the elephants--I beg your pardon; I should have said elements.' (708)

'Things are changed in this office, Miss Trotwood, since I was an umble clerk, and held your pony; ain't they?' said Uriah, with his sickliest smile. 'But I am not changed, Miss Trotwood.' "Well, sir,' returned my aunt, 'to tell you the truth, I think you are pretty constant to the promise of your youth if that's any satisfaction to you.' (746)

I have often remarked--I suppose everyone has--that one's going away from a familiar place, would seem to be the signal for change in it. (820)

Read David Copperfield

• If you are a fan of Charles Dickens
• If you are a fan of other bearded Victorians--Anthony Trollope, Wilkie Collins, etc.
• If you like detailed stories, rich in description and dialogue
• If you like keeping up with tons of characters: some quite fun and quirky, some that make you want to boo and hiss, some that you just love and adore.
• If you like reading long books with substance
• If you enjoyed the movie adaptation of David Copperfield and are looking for more to enjoy...

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist. Charles Dickens.  1838. 425 pages.

Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictional name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born; on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events; the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter.

While Oliver Twist isn't my new favorite Dickens's novel, I must say that I really really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the characters; I enjoyed the storytelling. The recent movie adaptation may have been slightly more compelling, but for me there was something just right about the book.

Oliver Twist is the hero of this one. This young orphan boy has a few misadventures before finding his happily ever after. But those misadventures make for quite a read, I must admit! He meets a lot of interesting characters, some more villainous than others. There are quite a few sympathetic characters, however.

I found Oliver Twist a great read, a surprisingly quick one! Perhaps because I just did not want to put it down! Generally, Dickens is one of those authors whose books I savor over two to three weeks, but that wasn't the case with Oliver Twist!


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews