tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post3331881190368559267..comments2024-03-02T20:13:07.434+00:00Comments on Tiny Library: Giving Dickens a ChanceSam (Tiny Library)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-88467473038308000562012-08-20T13:08:34.359+01:002012-08-20T13:08:34.359+01:00I haven't read much Dickens, but remember real...I haven't read much Dickens, but remember really enjoying Great Expectations as well - most memorably and most enjoyably Miss Havisham. So glad you are enjoying it. His books always look so daunting until you get started.bookspersonallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05776600422633283514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-8680179549667509302012-08-19T18:40:08.093+01:002012-08-19T18:40:08.093+01:00I'm glad you're enjoying Dickens! David C...I'm glad you're enjoying Dickens! David Copperfield is one of my favorites. I fear James Joyce and have never even tried Faulkner. I tackled Tolstoy this year and was glad I did! Not nearly as intimidating as I expected. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-81120240489590005652012-08-19T17:03:45.810+01:002012-08-19T17:03:45.810+01:00I do love Dickens, but I will admit that each nove...I do love Dickens, but I will admit that each novel requires about 100 pages for me to really hear his voice and be able to read it smoothly. Dickens can be angry in each book about social conditions, but he really never proposes any solutions to the workhouse or debtors' prison, or the school system, etc. <br /><br />I have "read" (in the sense that my eyes looked at every word) Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, but I'm afraid of every other Joyce book. I had a bad English 101 experience with William Faulkner and have refused to read any more of his stuff. I love the Russians, but have no interest in the "non-Western" classics--India, China, Japan, etc.Donnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01140033967048452572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-29459000839715769052012-08-19T15:03:33.931+01:002012-08-19T15:03:33.931+01:00Great Expectations is my favorite!Great Expectations is my favorite!Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07998996750944114185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-14937367269944448612012-08-18T23:45:09.513+01:002012-08-18T23:45:09.513+01:00I loved David Copperfield but there were so many c...I loved David Copperfield but there were so many characters I had to keep a list!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00633712081197318104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-8678906006534011362012-08-18T14:16:51.983+01:002012-08-18T14:16:51.983+01:00and I am not sure who I am scared of...I'm eas...and I am not sure who I am scared of...I'm easily intimidated by classic literature in general :)missyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14866072925145042561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-29901672574756849032012-08-18T14:15:19.329+01:002012-08-18T14:15:19.329+01:00I read Oliver Twist in high school for a book repo...I read Oliver Twist in high school for a book report and remember being surprised how much I actually enjoyed it. I do want to read something of Dickens again!missyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14866072925145042561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-12166819887282835762012-08-18T12:32:41.794+01:002012-08-18T12:32:41.794+01:00I'm told Tess is one of his better books, I wo...I'm told Tess is one of his better books, I wouldn't know, its good in parts but just not to my taste. I'm done with Dubliners and I liked it, but Ulysses still seems pretty daunting. CHEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04634088152624853449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-28898271429600379202012-08-18T01:38:32.674+01:002012-08-18T01:38:32.674+01:00I have not read Great Expectations, but I am so gl...I have not read Great Expectations, but I am so glad I was brave enough to try Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities a couple of years ago. His sentences are quite long (would hate to read them aloud, would run out of breath) but once you get used to the writing style his stories are very entertaining. As you say, there is a wit in his prose that still translates well today.Jo @ Booklover Book Reviewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10324710659137068868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-12292876102203452262012-08-17T23:50:16.751+01:002012-08-17T23:50:16.751+01:00I had the same feelings you did about Dickens unti...I had the same feelings you did about Dickens until I read 'Great Expectations' back in February. I absolutely loved it! I hope to read more Dickens soon now that I am not afraid of him any longer. <br />An author I am afraid of is William Faulkner - I just can't see myself enjoying his novels at all.Anbolynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10080054175904900094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-52289499925578627862012-08-17T21:04:53.141+01:002012-08-17T21:04:53.141+01:00Glad your enjoying Great Expectations, I have a co...Glad your enjoying Great Expectations, I have a copy on my bed side bookcase just waiting for me to find time to start. The one book I have always put off reading is Ulysses, maybe I should tackle it in short bursts and from the comments it seems Ulysses is a book that daunts many of us.Sharonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17824748902803492123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-65890317594188326232012-08-17T19:52:52.577+01:002012-08-17T19:52:52.577+01:00I think we tend to forget that Dickens was the pop...I think we tend to forget that Dickens was the popular entertainment of the time. He wasn't writing for literature's sake at all. I do sort of prefer BBC adaptations (bad me) but I wouldn't avoid the books now. Elliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377404526123600035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-19089241889695815692012-08-17T19:42:16.054+01:002012-08-17T19:42:16.054+01:00Marie, I can't say that I think it's one o...Marie, I can't say that I think it's one of the best books written in English so far, I wish I loved it as much as you do!Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-88664185996192980722012-08-17T19:41:43.380+01:002012-08-17T19:41:43.380+01:00I have to admit the wordiness is getting to me a b...I have to admit the wordiness is getting to me a bit. And why oh why is Pip obsessed with Estella when she is nothing but mean to him! I've heard a lot of people say Bleak House is their favourite Dickens, it's one I will try in the future.Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-82781991729348861682012-08-17T19:40:54.414+01:002012-08-17T19:40:54.414+01:00I hope you have a good experience when you try one...I hope you have a good experience when you try one of his books Diane. I'm still on the fence but a lot of my prejudices were wrong.Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-30379533241989755372012-08-17T19:35:51.798+01:002012-08-17T19:35:51.798+01:00Proust, yes! He is scary. I don't find Zola ...Proust, yes! He is scary. I don't find Zola scary but there are so many books that I wouldn't have a clue where to start....Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-64656323416852413932012-08-17T19:35:18.934+01:002012-08-17T19:35:18.934+01:00Alex, at the moment I am liking Great Expectations...Alex, at the moment I am liking Great Expectations but not loads and still finding it hard work. I will reserve full judgement until I have completed the book. At least you've read a few of his titles before giving up!Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-45717021436277489932012-08-17T19:34:32.756+01:002012-08-17T19:34:32.756+01:00Ah no, Tess is on my classics club list, I was hop...Ah no, Tess is on my classics club list, I was hoping it would be the book to turn me into a Hardy fan! Are you reading Dubliners?Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-12538083703253785182012-08-17T19:33:56.771+01:002012-08-17T19:33:56.771+01:0014 is surely too young for Great Expectations, I w...14 is surely too young for Great Expectations, I would have not appreciated the book at that age, even with an excellent teacher. I've heard so many good things about Bleak House and know I need to try a few of his books before I judge Dickens completely.<br /><br />I love the Russians! They can have long page counts but the books are epic and full of drama - I would recommend Anna Karenina. <br /><br />I will never read Ulysses, I don't like that Joyce deliberately made his book accessible to such a small minority of scholars.Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-51676937944790498502012-08-17T19:32:07.408+01:002012-08-17T19:32:07.408+01:00Annette, it's the fame of Great Expectations t...Annette, it's the fame of Great Expectations that made me try it, I was torn between that and Oliver Twist. At the moment I like it, but not as much as I've enjoyed other classic authors. So you might remain unconvinced ...Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-3768311118426253542012-08-17T19:30:41.278+01:002012-08-17T19:30:41.278+01:00Lindsey, you are right about having to spend time ...Lindsey, you are right about having to spend time with the classics. I am finding this with Dickens, it's taking me a long time to read compared to a modern book of the same length. I was thinking of David Copperfield but it's so long!<br /><br />I love Russian literature, it's my favourite. The books can be long but they are epic and over-dramatic and I love that. Anna K is very long but it's one of the 'easiest' classics I have read, I breezed through it in about a week and a half and it didn't feel strenuous. Love that book :)Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-16996603333615432182012-08-17T19:28:49.352+01:002012-08-17T19:28:49.352+01:00I tend to always finish books too and usually they...I tend to always finish books too and usually they do get better at the end. I am finding the middle section of Great Expectations slow, but I like it enough to continue.Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-88030395257059100862012-08-17T19:28:02.108+01:002012-08-17T19:28:02.108+01:00Maria, Ulysses is the one that scares me, all the ...Maria, Ulysses is the one that scares me, all the references you need to understand in order to be able to make sense of it. I don't like that he was that exclusive/snobby in those books, books should be accessible to as many people as possible. I would try Dubliners though.<br /><br />And I am enjoying the cliffhangers in Great Expectations although I don't think my experience of it is as positive as yours was.Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-1370235481688972672012-08-17T19:24:18.382+01:002012-08-17T19:24:18.382+01:00Kaz, I have all 16 Dickens novels as I got a reall...Kaz, I have all 16 Dickens novels as I got a really good deal on them in good editions. I imagine I'll be 100 before I've read them all!<br /><br />I actually read half of A Room of One's Own round a friend's house but didn't have time to end it. It wasn't too bad but I remember finding it waffly. It's strange how books suit us more at different times of our lives.Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637440206562155541.post-19797121354075644212012-08-17T19:22:41.638+01:002012-08-17T19:22:41.638+01:00Cat, I'm still not altogether convinced on Dic...Cat, I'm still not altogether convinced on Dickens but I am convinced enough to try some of his other books - maybe I should try Our Mutual Friend.<br /><br />I have Orlando on my classics club list, I like the sound of the plot but hope it isn't too experimental. Glad you are enjoying Mrs Dalloway :)Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.com