Katie, your enthusiasm for Dickens is truly inspiring. I finally, at age 54, made my first foray into Dickens, having always felt rather intimidated by him. Took your advice and started off with Great Expectations. Absolutely loved it!! He’s truly a league of his own. Am going to devote the next 11 months to reading all the rest of his novels, so that by the time I turn 55, I can celebrate the accomplishment of a long-standing reading goal! Moving on to David Copperfield next. Terribly excited about this journey. I think it’s going to be a very enjoyable year of reading.
I love your enthusiasm for Charles Dickens. I feel it too. He is my favorite author by far. It is amazing that over 150 years after his death he still has such a large following. Thank you for your insights!
I'm on a bit of a Dickens spree at the moment, and the more I read the more I love his work! I recently finished Bleak House which was wonderful, and I'm now embarking on Our Mutual Friend. Being a linguist, I like authors who use language in a clever way, and Dickens is a real master of the English language. His imagery is wonderful, his observations of human idiosycrasies are spot on, and as you mentioned, his writing lends itself well to being read aloud. Dickens was a real entertainer and knew how to keep his audience hooked!
Pickwick is hysterical and I’ve just a few chapters in. Your video today was so informative, and I must say that I’m not sure that I would have attempted Dickens without your insights over the last couple of years. Thank you Katie!
@@DressyCrooner yes, I found Nicholas Nickleby really quite funny but the PickWick Papers is the best. The court trial farce, the obscene corruption at the by-election, the way Mr PickWick accidentally is always getting into some kind of mishap. The only change is near the end when he finds himself in a debtors prison and meets all kinds of misery and suffering there. You wonder of the sudden death of his sister in law was the cause of that.
This was sooo helpful. Thank you! I first read A TALE OF TWO CITIES in 9th grade (around age 15 in the U.S.) It immediately became my favorite book, but at the time, I did not pick up on the fact that it was abridged! As an adult I went back to listen to the full version on audiotape. I really struggled because I wanted to know every last cultural reference, as I believed not doing so would greatly impede my enjoying what I considered to be the depth of all Mr Dickens had to offer in writing this masterpiece. (By then, I had read some of his "easier" books, his essays & short stories, & he stood out as my favorite author.) This was before the internet, so you can imagine my frustration at not know who Mrs Southcott was at the outset! I tried to enjoy the audiobook as best I could, but what resulted was my experiencing a 1990s bout of FOMO that left me hesitant to move on to other "difficult" Dickens novels. I'm ready to dive into them now, & I'll definitely take your advice! Thanks again!
I read Great Expectations a while ago and liked it but recently started reading Our Mutual Friend and didn't understand the beginning at all so DNFed it. With your helpful tips in mind, I'm going to try it again, but first - Pickwick Papers. Thank you for this valuable video!
Oh my; you’re absolutely right about reading Dickens when young. Just plunging in and going with the tide is a fantastic experience and led me to a life-long love of this author.
All great advice, above all "enjoy the ride" and not overthink him. I am looking forward to finally watching this 2020 David Copperfield adaptation later this month.
I love how much you love Dickens. This channel is my go-to for any Dickens content 😁 Especially because omg the reason why I love Dickens is because he's FUNNY but nobody I know seems to know that. No other author has made me laugh so much. But exactly as you said, the perception that he's a high brow author to be analysed and studied is what people think. Dickens' novels are basically written soap operas. I read them like episodes hahaha
Great recommendations. The length is daunting but for me any book over 700 pages I normally give myself 2 - 3 months to read it. I think I will try David Copperfield next.
I’m reassured that my view of Dickens is not as odd as I thought. I love A Christmas carol and Bleak House, but I started with The Old Curiosity Shop and I don’t remember the humour in it at all. The title sounded fun, but I guess you don’t judge a book by its title! I an on the #dickensalong but have been slow to get started. Thank you for making classics more accessible and relatable Katie! 💖
So helpful, thank you! I started the audible of The Pickwick Papers today, so the bit about not really understanding what's going on at the beginning was very reassuring 😊
Excellent video! I shared it on my Facebook. My father read the classics aloud to us with lots of different voices during my childhood. I got used to encountering words I didn't understand and just enjoying the story. I hope teachers take the time to read aloud in class so that students get that experience if they don't benefit from that at home.
Looking forward to this two-year Dickens-Reading-Journey! Thanks for the list/links of adaptions. I like watching and reading Dickens through the autumn/winter season....and the spring and autumn season as well. =)
Always appreciate your insights on Dickens. He is my favorite classic author. I like your point on not worrying about understanding every line, paragraph, or reference. Sometimes I am too fastidious and feel I have to re-read until I understand. I am currently listening to Dombey and Son on audio book and reading Edwin Drood for the first time ever.
Okay, first...is your shirt pages from a book? Now, thank you for this video! I've put off Dickens until now because I would try a few pages and not like his writing style and give up. I'm two-thirds through Great Expectations. It was slow going in the beginning but now I'm really enjoying it. The Hamlet scene and Wemmick's castle are two of the most delightful things I've ever read. It's so helpful to know he's weird!! Can't wait to join you with some of the books.
Thank you Katie. These are very helpful tips. I’m listening to The Pickwick papers and enjoying it. It is quite silly. I am hoping to follow along with you on your Mega Dickens Adventure.
Lots of great tips Katie! My first Dickens was Bleak House, possibly not a good place to start but I loved it and read it twice in one year! Still have 6 of his novels to read and am taking part in the readalong currently reading The Pickwick Papers for the first time and loving it. I rarely read editions with notes and couldn’t agree more that they aren’t necessary and often distracting when reading classics of any kind.
I love Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol. I need to reread Great Expectations to give my opinion of it. I read it a long time ago in high school. I read A Christmas Carol every Christmas.
This was so interesting! I love Dickens but you brought up many points I hadn't thought about before, like the novels being read aloud. Just finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall for Victober so excited to get onto Pickwick next after getting a couple of library holds out of the way.
Wonderful way to approach Dickens!He is an incredible author and never fails to entertain or make you laugh with his true to life observations of how silly yet endearing the human race can be.💝
Thank you for these 10 succinct tips that are spot-on for enjoying Dickens! Your thoughts and encyclopedic knowledge of this quirky author make this video superb and a must watch for anyone thinking about reading Charles Dickens. I am working my way through Sketches of Boz, and just about everything you said applies to this collection of ditties from the pen of this great author. I appreciate you, Katie.
I am looking forward to the Dickens readathon...l recently listened to the Pickwick Papers while I was cross-stitching...there are so many laugh-out-loud moments. l totally agree with you; enjoy his stories, and don't get bogged down. I purchased a physical copy, and it arrived today...l am so excited to reread it 😊
Just finished Dombey & Son, right after David C, preceded by your fave, Our Mutual Friend. So far, I've logged 51 hours of Audible Dickens-driven reading/listening and am delighted to stumble onto your channel. Next stop: your recent works! ✍🏻
One thing I think Dickens did so well was coming up with names for his characters, when you say them out loud each one just feels so right. Mr Pickwick - quite a fun word to say. Florence - smooth and kind of elegant, implies quite a feminine person Mr Murdsone - the word murd is quite harsh and the word stone implies a rigid and hard personality Estelle - sounds quite posh Uriah Heep - oh dear.... Steerforth - a little aristocratic Peggotty - the word peg makes you think of a washerwoman or something, someone humble but probably nice. Tiny Tim - a small vulnerable person Scourge- quite a harsh sounding name Mr Jingles- probably quite a funny lively character Arrabella - probably quite pretty, the word Bella being Italian for beautiful. Mr Winkle - sounds quite comical and pleasant, reminds us too of the word twinkle Pip - probably, perhaps agricultural Wackford Squeers - horrible, the word wack implies a beating and Squeers is really unpleasant, sounds slimy and wrong Mr Gradgrind - a hard grinding character Stephen Blackpool - solid name.
@@katiejlumsden Fabulous! It is a wonderful story: From precious Paul, Walter, so sweet Florence, devious Mr. Carker. Combination audio and follow with my book. Been an enjoyable time! ♥️ Wish I had appreciated and known what an amazing author CD was years ago. This is only my second story by him. Trying to make up for lost time now. :)
Such excellent advice, Katie. I'm an old Dickens hand and a highly critical one, but it's only fair to say that the really good bits always substantially outweigh the toe-curling ones. Also with you on Jane Austen.
Not only am I a confirmed anglophile but I cannot seem to get enough of the writings of Charles Dickens as well, for my own part! Subsequently, my style of writing seems to manifest in itself not a few desultory tokens of his somewhat antiquated manner of prose, not according to my own opinion, I assure you but to that of all too many others of younger peers, whose own attempts at securing a literary education had largely been sadly neglected; thereby of it's consisting solely of a superfluity of anonymous gaps and gulfs, consistent with the unhappy result of a misspent or misdirected youth, albeit not necessarily an impeccunious one. But, by all means, go on! I find your voice of a remarkably soothing quality and genuinely wish to hear more! When your superb presentations appear in volume form, I promise to order a copy!
I'm so excited to see you doing this 🙌 I'm currently reading his works in publication order too (I'm reading Martin Chuzzlewit right now) so I’ll follow along as I can 😄🖤🙌
I’m currently listening to Great Expectations, my first Dickens book to read/listen to. I’m loving it! Fell in love from the start, such great story telling. And listening to the audiobook I think really enhances that experience for me. I mark favourite quotes on a hard copy book as I go along. My next Dickens will probably be David Copperfield.
Such great tips. I remember attempting The Pickwick Papers when I was younger and probably wasn’t the best choice. I like that your first tip is to have fun - I think that is something we forget when reading classics in general! I will be taking part in the mega Dickens read along but just for some select books. I read Great Expectations and I have read (and taught) A Christmas Carol many times but that is about it. I am hoping he’ll become a favourite author! Look forward to more videos like these if you do them.
Try The Pickwick Papers again. It's my favourite Dickens so far and is absolutely hilarious. However it's unlikely someone too young would get the humour so you are probably right that you attempted it too early.
This was really helpful Katie. I am currently reading Great Expectations, I have started in January part of a read along but put it aside. I have restarted it and I am really enjoying it.
I just recently ordered Penguin Popular Classics versions of his novels and they don't have annotations, so I was worried about not understanding some aspects of the texts. Glad I stumbled on your video. Thank you so much!
Really great thank you, that was very helpful advice. My friend and I read books together, like our own mini book club, and we have just decided to read A Christmas Carol. We are just finishing The Idiot so it looks like Dickens will bring us a bit of light relief.
I wouldn’t say Sickens is weird; eccentric is how I see him. I spent a year with Dickens a few years back, and I fell in love. Thanks for this review, you’ve made a new subscriber.
December 2023 & going to start Bleak House soon and thought this bid would be helpful and not was it ever !! 😅thanks Katie. Great sage advice and insightful delivered with fun 😊
Thanks for this! I did Hard Times in school and while I enjoyed it, it didn't inspire me to read any more Dickens, which I think was a shame. I enjoyed A Tale of Two Cities and A Christmas Carol. I've also heard a radio adaptation of Our Mutual Friend with Michael Kitchen, which was excellent and the TV adaptation of The Old Curiosity Shop with Gina McKee, again excellent. You have definitely inspired me to read more Dickens!
Great video as always. I’m currently reading The Pickwick Papers & your advice about not getting too bogged down with all the characters & plot twists was really helpful 😀
Terrific video! I also love Dickens very much. My favorite is Bleak House and I would like to recommend the Audible version recently narrated by Miriam Margolyes, she is superb!!! I am currently reading your favorite novel OMF for the first time! I prefer Dickens in physical book form before listening and/or watching an adaptation. But I agree, that is not for everyone. (i do make a list of characters for each novel😉) and thank you for the links above!
I finished the 2nd part of "Little Dorrit" (2 books) few weeks ago by audiobook after having read the 1st book early this year. Many (great) characters in this very good novel but despite the difficulty to remember all the plots I think it's true you Can read Dickens Taking your time....🙏🤩🤗
Fantastic video and recommendations! I kept nodding my head and laughing and you are SPOT ON about how to read Dickens. My first two reads were Great Expectations and Tale of Two Cities. I loved them both. Then later A Christmas Carol, which is perfect year round, imo. Last year I read Our Mutual Friend and it was my favorite of the year. I think so far the only book I haven't liked of his is Oliver Twist.
I love this video... I have never read a Dickens but I would very much like to... I've decided I'm going to give a Christmas Carol a whirl this December 😊 I'll let you know how I get on
Two of my favorite BookTubers are also reading Dickens (along with Tolstoy) as a long-term project. They're a bit bogged down with one of them currently tho likely they'll be back in two months or so with another. It is in my opinion a terrific opportunity for the rest of us since otherwise just picking up a Victorian classic and reading for enjoyment remains a bit eccentric without background. I, personally, am unlikely to join either group, regrettably, because of other big projects to which I'm committed. Thx Kate: enjoyed and think it helpful.
Thank you, that was very helpful, I have read The Christmas Carol and The Tale of Two Cities, and I did the musical Oliver in school years ago. That is my full experience. I have decided to try Great Expectations, I was really happy that you thought it was a great book to start with and I had decided to do it as an audio, I was relieved you thought it was good idea. I have been a bit nervous about it. Crossed fingers.
That was very helpful! I have read Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol but his other books are so intimidating. I started Little Dorrit and quit after p. 65 approx. but I will try again after what you have suggested. Thanks!
I enjoyed your video and found it helpful and insightful. I am a Dickens fan but have not read everything yet. I never thought of him as a weird writer, because Im used to him. But now you say it, he is odd and quirky for his own time. I guess that's why I like him too. This year I'm going to read Bleak house for the first time... looking forward to it. Keep up your nice videos...😉
Copperfield and Expectations are my two favorites. I know the novels are long but I suggest rereading over time. You will get so much more out of his very rich writing upon a second reading. Copperfield is so much fun. Mr Micawber, Peggoty, Uriah Heep, Aunt Betsy, Barkis, Mr. Dick, and Steerforth, are some very amusing and unforgettable characters in Copperfield. I think Dickens loved David Copperfield best because David was the man that Dickens aspired to be. Of course, we all come up a little short when compared to David Copperfield.
That’s great! I read Great Expectations last year and it has fundamentally changed me as a reader. It’s in my top all time favorites I think! I will be beginning David Coperfield this month. I attempted A Tale of Two Cities but I Fowler so confused I’m the language somehow felt more challenging. I sadly gave up.
Thanks for these tips! Until recently, the only Dickens I had read was A Christmas Carol. I remember loving (and being a bit surprised by) Dickens' sense of humor and really enjoying the experience, but then I just never picked up any others. Finally, on a whim, I decided to listen to David Copperfield (read by the wonderful Simon Vance) and now I'm in love! I'm so looking forward to more, and to sharing Dickens with some of the students I read with. When I do introduce them to him, I will certainly bring them to this video first.
Right. In my opinion, it's best to be in the proper frame of mind before picking up a Dickens novel. I like to be ready for some whimsy before reading a Dickens novel. I might pick up a Dickens novel after an (over) serious book like an Ernest Hemingway novel, to break the spell. But if I want to seriously examine some characters in depth I might look for something other than Dickens novel.
Here are my tips. 1. Just read, even if it is difficult to read just one. Once you finish a book, you get a sense of Dicken's style, and you will get better. 2. You may not understand all, but try to get as much out of it as possible. 3. The strength of Dickens is in imagery. 4. Be open minded and accepting of the idiosyncrasies of the characters. You will empathise better.
A real great and informative video, thanks Katie! Can you do a similar video about Thomas Hardy? I've tried multiple times to read his books and haven't been able to continue reading them.
What a great video! I have a strange relationship with Dickens. I’ve loved some of his short stories and was really enjoying Hard Times but unfortunately never finished it. I think I’ve probably started about three others and just never finished them. I feel like I haven’t found my perfect Dickens yet. I’m hoping to soon. I enjoy his plots and characters but for some reason just never finish. I am going to keep trying until I find the right book for me. Thanks for all the lovely Victorian videos! So far I’m loving some Yonge and Wilkie Collins this year! ❤
Interested to hear you mention The Posthumous Memories of Bras Cubas as it is on my TBR pile/shelf/wall. Loved Piranesi and the Ruth Ozeki book but a weird book I didn't like at all was Ice by Anna Kavan: weird and dodgy with it.
So glad to have stumbled upon your channel and am loving your content and all your genuine reviews, recommendations. Keep up the great work and looking forward for more such videos. Take love, Dona.
I think David Copperfield is maybe the Dickens book I have re-read most often. I'm thinking about finding out where you've got up to in your Dickens mega-read and catching up with you from there.
Thanks for this video. I’m reading Dombey and Son for Victober and I’m struggling a little. Since I've read all but 3 of his major novels I have experience with him so I was puzzled why. Your video made me realize that I was rushing and that was the problem. I’m still not sure if I'll be joining in the readalong but I'll definitely use it to push me to read Hard Times and Barnaby Rudge.
Same here with Dombey and Son! I tried twice to read the book and it just did not speak to me and, like you, I have read all his novels except The Old Curiosity Shop, Martin Chuzzlewitt, and Barnaby Rudge.
@@kimhoot2044 I did not make half way either time, sorry to say, and at age 75, I am more inclined to reading Martin Chuizzlewitt than attempt a third pass at Dombey.
I am almost done with my 10 year project of reading every Dickens. Bleak House was the peak and Pickwick was probably my least favorite. Dombey so far has been the biggest pleasant surprise. All I have left is Mutual Friend and Barnaby Rudge and Drood. Is it worth it to read Drood or are people frustrated by the lack of an ending?
Dombey and Son is fantastic and really underrated. I highly recommend reading Edwin Drood. It's fantastic. It's sad and frustrating that it isn't finished but what exists is Dickens at his best and it's absolutely worth reading.
Ty for the excellent info. I'm reading a Christmas carol for the 4th time. I plan to read it 10 times by Christmas..I really am getting more out of the story as I press on. By the perchancity, are you wearing a shirt with a Dickens story on it?
@@katiejlumsden that is so cool. I really enjoy your vids. There are other Dickens people out there but they don't have what you have... And I mean this.... You're a natural in front of the camera... You're vibrant, energetic, well spoken, and you know your passion exceedingly well. It's a pleasure. 👍
I enjoyed your Dickens video! Earlier this year, I read “Martin Chuzzlewit”. Although this novel is not his best and not as widely read as others, I thought Mrs. Gamp Is one of his funniest characters. As an American, I was also amused by Dickens’s satire of the United States in the first half of the 19th century. What do you think of “Barnaby Rudge”, another one of Dickens’s less well-known novels? I have not read this one yet, but I would like to read all of his novels.
I recommend that people who enjoy reading Dickens novels should watch the most-recent BBC video productions of his novels. Little Dorrit for example comes as a 7-disc set which I borrowed from our local public library. It's a long haul, but well worth it. I also watched Great Expectations in the BBC production DVD form, and watched the TV series of the book in the 1960s. The BBC productions of Dickens' novels give you a different perspective of the book, and of Dickens's writing, the plots, the characters, and what kind of world Dickens actually lived in and wrote in, as the BBC productions spare no expense to ensure their props and dress are totally accurate to that time. Read the books AND watch the BBC movies, for a more-thorough appreciation of Dickens' genius.
People! I am Russian. My native tongue is Russian. I am 37. I do not have a deep knowledge of English. I am out of spoken practice completely. BUT! I have read several novels by Dickens in order to improve my poor English. I have read David Coper, Great Expectation. It was not easy for me. But I finished these two novels. Now I am reading Dombey and Son. My goal is a simple one. I want to learn many words so as to understand other texts. I realized that if I could understand Dickens I would be able to understand everything written in English. Because Dickens is very difficult. I even dare say that he is the most difficult man in world’s history. But Great Exception is a prodigious thing. The plot is overwhelming. The style is tolerable. Maybe, it is the easiest one among his big bricks.
I've just started reading my first ever book written by Dickens and my oh my what a discovery! Like you said, I expected him to be serious, gloomy, depressive and he's everything but. I'm reading Hard times and just love it. On the other note, for the life of me I cannot find anything interesting in Jane Austen's novels. There, I've said it. I tried, I really did :))
Not getting bogged down in details or looking things up on your first read is good advice for any book where you expect not to understand everything, whether it be archaic, experimental, jargonistic or in a foreign language. There’s a lot to be said for immersion and enjoying the ride. Then you can go back and unpick it afterwards.
I'm so glad that I took your advice and read the David Copperfield and Great Expectations first before starting on his others works. I started Our Mutual Friend back in like April, got to about 30% and put it down and have just now picked it back up and it took a bit to relearn all the characters/plots. Also with the audiobooks, because they are classics a lot of famous actors and actresses read them which makes them more fun!
These are great tips and it occurred to me while watching that many of these tips - Dickens is weird, It’s supposed to be fun, Accept that you aren’t going to understand everything - could be applied to reading Joyce’s _Ulysses_. I live Dickens in audiobook form.
@@katiejlumsden I find that Ulysses and The Pickwick Papers are superficially quite similar, but Ulysses is of course a lot more difficult - but so much fun! I'm reading it right now and I'm on the last episode :)
I've loved Dickens since I was a teenager, but like any book, any genre, reading is so subjective. I love him, you might not and thats OK! There's no need to tell people not to read him because you didn't like him. I cant stand Tolstoy but I'd always encourage people to give him a try! 😀
Katie, your enthusiasm for Dickens is truly inspiring. I finally, at age 54, made my first foray into Dickens, having always felt rather intimidated by him. Took your advice and started off with Great Expectations. Absolutely loved it!! He’s truly a league of his own. Am going to devote the next 11 months to reading all the rest of his novels, so that by the time I turn 55, I can celebrate the accomplishment of a long-standing reading goal! Moving on to David Copperfield next. Terribly excited about this journey. I think it’s going to be a very enjoyable year of reading.
Did you achieve your reading goal?
I love your enthusiasm for Charles Dickens. I feel it too. He is my favorite author by far. It is amazing that over 150 years after his death he still has such a large following. Thank you for your insights!
How to read it in amounts is very helpful as you are so right reading it in small chunks is better than reading a few pages at a time
I'm on a bit of a Dickens spree at the moment, and the more I read the more I love his work! I recently finished Bleak House which was wonderful, and I'm now embarking on Our Mutual Friend. Being a linguist, I like authors who use language in a clever way, and Dickens is a real master of the English language. His imagery is wonderful, his observations of human idiosycrasies are spot on, and as you mentioned, his writing lends itself well to being read aloud. Dickens was a real entertainer and knew how to keep his audience hooked!
I love your teapot earrings
Pickwick is hysterical and I’ve just a few chapters in.
Your video today was so informative, and I must say that I’m not sure that I would have attempted Dickens without your insights over the last couple of years. Thank you Katie!
It's the funniest book I've read in my entire life, with the possible exception of Ulysses by James Joyce.
Thanks :)
@@DressyCrooner yes, I found Nicholas Nickleby really quite funny but the PickWick Papers is the best. The court trial farce, the obscene corruption at the by-election, the way Mr PickWick accidentally is always getting into some kind of mishap. The only change is near the end when he finds himself in a debtors prison and meets all kinds of misery and suffering there. You wonder of the sudden death of his sister in law was the cause of that.
This was sooo helpful. Thank you! I first read A TALE OF TWO CITIES in 9th grade (around age 15 in the U.S.) It immediately became my favorite book, but at the time, I did not pick up on the fact that it was abridged! As an adult I went back to listen to the full version on audiotape. I really struggled because I wanted to know every last cultural reference, as I believed not doing so would greatly impede my enjoying what I considered to be the depth of all Mr Dickens had to offer in writing this masterpiece. (By then, I had read some of his "easier" books, his essays & short stories, & he stood out as my favorite author.) This was before the internet, so you can imagine my frustration at not know who Mrs Southcott was at the outset! I tried to enjoy the audiobook as best I could, but what resulted was my experiencing a 1990s bout of FOMO that left me hesitant to move on to other "difficult" Dickens novels. I'm ready to dive into them now, & I'll definitely take your advice! Thanks again!
I read Great Expectations a while ago and liked it but recently started reading Our Mutual Friend and didn't understand the beginning at all so DNFed it. With your helpful tips in mind, I'm going to try it again, but first - Pickwick Papers. Thank you for this valuable video!
Oh my; you’re absolutely right about reading Dickens when young. Just plunging in and going with the tide is a fantastic experience and led me to a life-long love of this author.
That's just it :)
All great advice, above all "enjoy the ride" and not overthink him. I am looking forward to finally watching this 2020 David Copperfield adaptation later this month.
I loved the adaptation - I don't think everyone did because it does really play havoc with the plot, but it was so thoroughly fun and Dickensian.
I love how much you love Dickens. This channel is my go-to for any Dickens content 😁
Especially because omg the reason why I love Dickens is because he's FUNNY but nobody I know seems to know that. No other author has made me laugh so much. But exactly as you said, the perception that he's a high brow author to be analysed and studied is what people think. Dickens' novels are basically written soap operas. I read them like episodes hahaha
Great recommendations. The length is daunting but for me any book over 700 pages I normally give myself 2 - 3 months to read it. I think I will try David Copperfield next.
Fantastic tips .I now feel more relaxed about reading Dickens . Thanks so much, and yes please, more videos like this.
I’m reassured that my view of Dickens is not as odd as I thought. I love A Christmas carol and Bleak House, but I started with The Old Curiosity Shop and I don’t remember the humour in it at all. The title sounded fun, but I guess you don’t judge a book by its title! I an on the #dickensalong but have been slow to get started. Thank you for making classics more accessible and relatable Katie! 💖
Great tips for the Dickensalong! Thank you for helping us get started on the right foot.🧡
So helpful, thank you! I started the audible of The Pickwick Papers today, so the bit about not really understanding what's going on at the beginning was very reassuring 😊
Excellent video! I shared it on my Facebook. My father read the classics aloud to us with lots of different voices during my childhood. I got used to encountering words I didn't understand and just enjoying the story. I hope teachers take the time to read aloud in class so that students get that experience if they don't benefit from that at home.
Looking forward to this two-year Dickens-Reading-Journey!
Thanks for the list/links of adaptions. I like watching and reading Dickens through the autumn/winter season....and the spring and autumn season as well. =)
Thanks :)
Great tips, I love your enthusiasm for Dickens, it has made me want to read all of his books. I will be starting The Pickwick Papers very soon.
Always appreciate your insights on Dickens. He is my favorite classic author. I like your point on not worrying about understanding every line, paragraph, or reference. Sometimes I am too fastidious and feel I have to re-read until I understand. I am currently listening to Dombey and Son on audio book and reading Edwin Drood for the first time ever.
I love that you said he’s weird and loves a list!! I appreciate BOTH those things 😂This was very useful, thank you Katie 🥰❤️
I appreciate these things very much, too XD
Okay, first...is your shirt pages from a book? Now, thank you for this video! I've put off Dickens until now because I would try a few pages and not like his writing style and give up. I'm two-thirds through Great Expectations. It was slow going in the beginning but now I'm really enjoying it. The Hamlet scene and Wemmick's castle are two of the most delightful things I've ever read. It's so helpful to know he's weird!! Can't wait to join you with some of the books.
Yes, it is the first few chapters of Oliver Twist 😆 And totally. Wemmick is my favourite.
Thank you!! I'll start a Dickens books today on audio!
Thank you Katie. These are very helpful tips. I’m listening to The Pickwick papers and enjoying it. It is quite silly. I am hoping to follow along with you on your Mega Dickens Adventure.
Lots of great tips Katie! My first Dickens was Bleak House, possibly not a good place to start but I loved it and read it twice in one year! Still have 6 of his novels to read and am taking part in the readalong currently reading The Pickwick Papers for the first time and loving it. I rarely read editions with notes and couldn’t agree more that they aren’t necessary and often distracting when reading classics of any kind.
Bleak House is such a wonderful read :)
I love Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol. I need to reread Great Expectations to give my opinion of it. I read it a long time ago in high school. I read A Christmas Carol every Christmas.
This was so interesting! I love Dickens but you brought up many points I hadn't thought about before, like the novels being read aloud. Just finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall for Victober so excited to get onto Pickwick next after getting a couple of library holds out of the way.
Wonderful way to approach Dickens!He is an incredible author and never fails to entertain or make you laugh with his true to life observations of how silly yet endearing the human race can be.💝
I guess I am weird I absolutely love Charles Dickens books.
Thank you for these 10 succinct tips that are spot-on for enjoying Dickens! Your thoughts and encyclopedic knowledge of this quirky author make this video superb and a must watch for anyone thinking about reading Charles Dickens. I am working my way through Sketches of Boz, and just about everything you said applies to this collection of ditties from the pen of this great author. I appreciate you, Katie.
My sentiments exactly :)
Thanks very much :)
I am looking forward to the Dickens readathon...l recently listened to the Pickwick Papers while I was cross-stitching...there are so many laugh-out-loud moments. l totally agree with you; enjoy his stories, and don't get bogged down. I purchased a physical copy, and it arrived today...l am so excited to reread it 😊
Just finished Dombey & Son, right after David C, preceded by your fave, Our Mutual Friend. So far, I've logged 51 hours of Audible Dickens-driven reading/listening and am delighted to stumble onto your channel. Next stop: your recent works! ✍🏻
One thing I think Dickens did so well was coming up with names for his characters, when you say them out loud each one just feels so right.
Mr Pickwick - quite a fun word to say.
Florence - smooth and kind of elegant, implies quite a feminine person
Mr Murdsone - the word murd is quite harsh and the word stone implies a rigid and hard personality
Estelle - sounds quite posh
Uriah Heep - oh dear....
Steerforth - a little aristocratic
Peggotty - the word peg makes you think of a washerwoman or something, someone humble but probably nice.
Tiny Tim - a small vulnerable person
Scourge- quite a harsh sounding name
Mr Jingles- probably quite a funny lively character
Arrabella - probably quite pretty, the word Bella being Italian for beautiful.
Mr Winkle - sounds quite comical and pleasant, reminds us too of the word twinkle
Pip - probably, perhaps agricultural
Wackford Squeers - horrible, the word wack implies a beating and Squeers is really unpleasant, sounds slimy and wrong
Mr Gradgrind - a hard grinding character
Stephen Blackpool - solid name.
This is what I've been searching for! Thanks for sharing
Currently reading DOMBEY and SON. ♥️
My second favourite Dickens - enjoy :)
@@katiejlumsden Fabulous! It is a wonderful story: From precious Paul, Walter, so sweet Florence, devious Mr. Carker. Combination audio and follow with my book. Been an enjoyable time! ♥️ Wish I had appreciated and known what an amazing author CD was years ago. This is only my second story by him. Trying to make up for lost time now. :)
Loved Dombey and Son.
Me to
Love your videos and this one is too good for the beginners. Loving the read along.
Hi, thanks so much, I love your channel. I so love charles dickens and I'm so glad you are doing a charles dickens readalong
thanks very much :)
Such excellent advice, Katie. I'm an old Dickens hand and a highly critical one, but it's only fair to say that the really good bits always substantially outweigh the toe-curling ones. Also with you on Jane Austen.
Thanks very much :)
Not only am I a confirmed anglophile but I cannot seem to get enough of the writings of Charles Dickens as well, for my own part!
Subsequently, my style of writing seems to manifest in itself not a few desultory tokens of his somewhat antiquated manner of prose, not according to my own opinion, I assure you but to that of all too many others of younger peers, whose own attempts at securing a literary education had largely been sadly neglected; thereby of it's consisting solely of a superfluity of anonymous gaps and gulfs, consistent with the unhappy result of a misspent or misdirected youth, albeit not necessarily an impeccunious one.
But, by all means, go on! I find your voice of a remarkably soothing quality and genuinely wish to hear more!
When your superb presentations appear in volume form, I promise to order a copy!
I'm so excited to see you doing this 🙌 I'm currently reading his works in publication order too (I'm reading Martin Chuzzlewit right now) so I’ll follow along as I can 😄🖤🙌
This was fantastic. I read a Dickens each Victober, this one is Oliver Twist.
I’m currently listening to Great Expectations, my first Dickens book to read/listen to. I’m loving it! Fell in love from the start, such great story telling. And listening to the audiobook I think really enhances that experience for me. I mark favourite quotes on a hard copy book as I go along. My next Dickens will probably be David Copperfield.
I have always loved Dickens, especially GE, DC, and BH. You do a great job on this video. Your comments are fair.
Such great tips. I remember attempting The Pickwick Papers when I was younger and probably wasn’t the best choice. I like that your first tip is to have fun - I think that is something we forget when reading classics in general! I will be taking part in the mega Dickens read along but just for some select books. I read Great Expectations and I have read (and taught) A Christmas Carol many times but that is about it. I am hoping he’ll become a favourite author! Look forward to more videos like these if you do them.
Thanks, Jack :)
Try The Pickwick Papers again. It's my favourite Dickens so far and is absolutely hilarious. However it's unlikely someone too young would get the humour so you are probably right that you attempted it too early.
I second the part on reading by instalments; I did that myself and was able to finish a Dickens novel in ~a month.
Thank you for these great tips, has helped me a lot!
Great video, fantastic tips, thank you!!
This was really helpful Katie. I am currently reading Great Expectations, I have started in January part of a read along but put it aside. I have restarted it and I am really enjoying it.
I just recently ordered Penguin Popular Classics versions of his novels and they don't have annotations, so I was worried about not understanding some aspects of the texts. Glad I stumbled on your video. Thank you so much!
Excellent tips Katie! I especially love, "Don't take Dickens seriously." I know that has been my problem previously, so that is a relief!
Really great thank you, that was very helpful advice. My friend and I read books together, like our own mini book club, and we have just decided to read A Christmas Carol. We are just finishing The Idiot so it looks like Dickens will bring us a bit of light relief.
I wouldn’t say Sickens is weird; eccentric is how I see him.
I spent a year with Dickens a few years back, and I fell in love.
Thanks for this review,
you’ve made a new
subscriber.
December 2023 & going to start Bleak House soon and thought this bid would be helpful and not was it ever !! 😅thanks Katie. Great sage advice and insightful delivered with fun 😊
Thanks for this! I did Hard Times in school and while I enjoyed it, it didn't inspire me to read any more Dickens, which I think was a shame. I enjoyed A Tale of Two Cities and A Christmas Carol. I've also heard a radio adaptation of Our Mutual Friend with Michael Kitchen, which was excellent and the TV adaptation of The Old Curiosity Shop with Gina McKee, again excellent. You have definitely inspired me to read more Dickens!
Great video as always. I’m currently reading The Pickwick Papers & your advice about not getting too bogged down with all the characters & plot twists was really helpful 😀
Thanks :)
Terrific video! I also love Dickens very much. My favorite is Bleak House and I would like to recommend the Audible version recently narrated by Miriam Margolyes, she is superb!!! I am currently reading your favorite novel OMF for the first time! I prefer Dickens in physical book form before listening and/or watching an adaptation. But I agree, that is not for everyone. (i do make a list of characters for each novel😉) and thank you for the links above!
Miriam Margolyes does a gold standard reading of Bleak House. I love it very much.
@@sarawilson9155 Very true. Miriam Margolyes is outstandingly good. Her Bleak House characterisations are spine tingling and mesmerising.
Love this! I started reading Dickens work in publication order earlier this year. I'm going slow. Looking forward to joining the Discord channel.
This was helpful. I've read and loved A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield. I guess Great Expectations is next on the list.
Katie, thanks for the great tips for reading Dickens! I'm having my class, who is just starting Great Expectations, take a look at some of your tips!
I finished the 2nd part of "Little Dorrit" (2 books) few weeks ago by audiobook after having read the 1st book early this year. Many (great) characters in this very good novel but despite the difficulty to remember all the plots I think it's true you Can read Dickens Taking your time....🙏🤩🤗
Fantastic video and recommendations! I kept nodding my head and laughing and you are SPOT ON about how to read Dickens. My first two reads were Great Expectations and Tale of Two Cities. I loved them both. Then later A Christmas Carol, which is perfect year round, imo. Last year I read Our Mutual Friend and it was my favorite of the year. I think so far the only book I haven't liked of his is Oliver Twist.
Thanks very much. Oliver Twist is very much my least favourite Dickens, too.
I've only read three novels and I'm reading the Pickwick Papers now. I also borrowed the audiobook from the library, but I prefer to read the Ebook.
I love this video... I have never read a Dickens but I would very much like to... I've decided I'm going to give a Christmas Carol a whirl this December 😊 I'll let you know how I get on
Enjoy :)
This is great thanks! I think I might listen to the audiobooks with my son who is 12 currently 🤔
Two of my favorite BookTubers are also reading Dickens (along with Tolstoy) as a long-term project. They're a bit bogged down with one of them currently tho likely they'll be back in two months or so with another. It is in my opinion a terrific opportunity for the rest of us since otherwise just picking up a Victorian classic and reading for enjoyment remains a bit eccentric without background. I, personally, am unlikely to join either group, regrettably, because of other big projects to which I'm committed. Thx Kate: enjoyed and think it helpful.
Thank you, that was very helpful, I have read The Christmas Carol and The Tale of Two Cities, and I did the musical Oliver in school years ago. That is my full experience. I have decided to try Great Expectations, I was really happy that you thought it was a great book to start with and I had decided to do it as an audio, I was relieved you thought it was good idea. I have been a bit nervous about it. Crossed fingers.
That was very helpful! I have read Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol but his other books are so intimidating. I started Little Dorrit and quit after p. 65 approx. but I will try again after what you have suggested. Thanks!
I enjoyed your video and found it helpful and insightful. I am a Dickens fan but have not read everything yet. I never thought of him as a weird writer, because Im used to him. But now you say it, he is odd and quirky for his own time. I guess that's why I like him too. This year I'm going to read Bleak house for the first time... looking forward to it. Keep up your nice videos...😉
Copperfield and Expectations are my two favorites. I know the novels are long but I suggest rereading over time. You will get so much more out of his very rich writing upon a second reading. Copperfield is so much fun. Mr Micawber, Peggoty, Uriah Heep, Aunt Betsy, Barkis, Mr. Dick, and Steerforth, are some very amusing and unforgettable characters in Copperfield. I think Dickens loved David Copperfield best because David was the man that Dickens aspired to be. Of course, we all come up a little short when compared to David Copperfield.
That was really helpful thank you 🙌❤ I'll enjoy reading it now! 😌
Thank you for your wonderful video
That’s great! I read Great Expectations last year and it has fundamentally changed me as a reader. It’s in my top all time favorites I think! I will be beginning David Coperfield this month. I attempted A Tale of Two Cities but I Fowler so confused I’m the language somehow felt more challenging. I sadly gave up.
Thanks for these tips! Until recently, the only Dickens I had read was A Christmas Carol. I remember loving (and being a bit surprised by) Dickens' sense of humor and really enjoying the experience, but then I just never picked up any others. Finally, on a whim, I decided to listen to David Copperfield (read by the wonderful Simon Vance) and now I'm in love! I'm so looking forward to more, and to sharing Dickens with some of the students I read with. When I do introduce them to him, I will certainly bring them to this video first.
So glad you've been enjoying Dickens :)
You are dead right, read them any way you like…But read all the Dickens and read ‘em often!
this was really helpful thanks
Right. In my opinion, it's best to be in the proper frame of mind before picking up a Dickens novel. I like to be ready for some whimsy before reading a Dickens novel. I might pick up a Dickens novel after an (over) serious book like an Ernest Hemingway novel, to break the spell. But if I want to seriously examine some characters in depth I might look for something other than Dickens novel.
Here are my tips.
1. Just read, even if it is difficult to read just one. Once you finish a book, you get a sense of Dicken's style, and you will get better.
2. You may not understand all, but try to get as much out of it as possible.
3. The strength of Dickens is in imagery.
4. Be open minded and accepting of the idiosyncrasies of the characters. You will empathise better.
A real great and informative video, thanks Katie!
Can you do a similar video about Thomas Hardy? I've tried multiple times to read his books and haven't been able to continue reading them.
Good thought - I'll have a think and add to my list for the future :)
@@katiejlumsden awesome! Thx!
What a great video! I have a strange relationship with Dickens. I’ve loved some of his short stories and was really enjoying Hard Times but unfortunately never finished it. I think I’ve probably started about three others and just never finished them. I feel like I haven’t found my perfect Dickens yet. I’m hoping to soon. I enjoy his plots and characters but for some reason just never finish. I am going to keep trying until I find the right book for me. Thanks for all the lovely Victorian videos! So far I’m loving some Yonge and Wilkie Collins this year! ❤
Have you tried Great Expectations yet? That's probably Dickens's novel that has the most in common with Wilkie Collins.
@@katiejlumsden Yes, I got to page 61 and put it down. I was enjoying it but I just got wrapped up in other things.
Interested to hear you mention The Posthumous Memories of Bras Cubas as it is on my TBR pile/shelf/wall. Loved Piranesi and the Ruth Ozeki book but a weird book I didn't like at all was Ice by Anna Kavan: weird and dodgy with it.
So glad to have stumbled upon your channel and am loving your content and all your genuine reviews, recommendations. Keep up the great work and looking forward for more such videos.
Take love,
Dona.
I think David Copperfield is maybe the Dickens book I have re-read most often. I'm thinking about finding out where you've got up to in your Dickens mega-read and catching up with you from there.
Dickens was an entertainer. He still is. I agree, he'd write for the Soaps, Hollyoaks because it's bonkers and a bit serious. Lol
I love so much about this video Katie! I'll chat about it in a voxer message soon I'm sure.
I love Dickens but not Austen near as much. I'm very much enjoying your videos!
Thanks for this video. I’m reading Dombey and Son for Victober and I’m struggling a little. Since I've read all but 3 of his major novels I have experience with him so I was puzzled why. Your video made me realize that I was rushing and that was the problem. I’m still not sure if I'll be joining in the readalong but I'll definitely use it to push me to read Hard Times and Barnaby Rudge.
Same here with Dombey and Son! I tried twice to read the book and it just did not speak to me and, like you, I have read all his novels except The Old Curiosity Shop, Martin Chuzzlewitt, and Barnaby Rudge.
@@mikesnyder1788 I did get to a point where I didn’t want to put the book down but I was passed halfway.
@@kimhoot2044 I did not make half way either time, sorry to say, and at age 75, I am more inclined to reading Martin Chuizzlewitt than attempt a third pass at Dombey.
I am almost done with my 10 year project of reading every Dickens. Bleak House was the peak and Pickwick was probably my least favorite. Dombey so far has been the biggest pleasant surprise. All I have left is Mutual Friend and Barnaby Rudge and Drood. Is it worth it to read Drood or are people frustrated by the lack of an ending?
Dombey and Son is fantastic and really underrated. I highly recommend reading Edwin Drood. It's fantastic. It's sad and frustrating that it isn't finished but what exists is Dickens at his best and it's absolutely worth reading.
The best Great Expectations adaptation was David Lean's 1946 film. By far!!
Thank you!! So many helpful tips!!
Ty for the excellent info. I'm reading a Christmas carol for the 4th time. I plan to read it 10 times by Christmas..I really am getting more out of the story as I press on. By the perchancity, are you wearing a shirt with a Dickens story on it?
I am! It's an Oliver Twist shirt, with the text of Oliver Twist printed on it.
@@katiejlumsden that is so cool. I really enjoy your vids. There are other Dickens people out there but they don't have what you have... And I mean this.... You're a natural in front of the camera... You're vibrant, energetic, well spoken, and you know your passion exceedingly well. It's a pleasure. 👍
I enjoyed your Dickens video! Earlier this year, I read “Martin Chuzzlewit”. Although this novel is not his best and not as widely read as others, I thought Mrs. Gamp Is one of his funniest characters. As an American, I was also amused by Dickens’s satire of the United States in the first half of the 19th century. What do you think of “Barnaby Rudge”, another one of Dickens’s less well-known novels? I have not read this one yet, but I would like to read all of his novels.
Dickens Dickens Dickens what more can I say about this great man love your family friend John ❤❤❤
I recommend that people who enjoy reading Dickens novels should watch the most-recent BBC video productions of his novels. Little Dorrit for example comes as a 7-disc set which I borrowed from our local public library. It's a long haul, but well worth it. I also watched Great Expectations in the BBC production DVD form, and watched the TV series of the book in the 1960s.
The BBC productions of Dickens' novels give you a different perspective of the book, and of Dickens's writing, the plots, the characters, and what kind of world Dickens actually lived in and wrote in, as the BBC productions spare no expense to ensure their props and dress are totally accurate to that time.
Read the books AND watch the BBC movies, for a more-thorough appreciation of Dickens' genius.
People!
I am Russian. My native tongue is Russian. I am 37. I do not have a deep knowledge of English. I am out of spoken practice completely. BUT! I have read several novels by Dickens in order to improve my poor English. I have read David Coper, Great Expectation. It was not easy for me. But I finished these two novels. Now I am reading Dombey and Son. My goal is a simple one. I want to learn many words so as to understand other texts. I realized that if I could understand Dickens I would be able to understand everything written in English. Because Dickens is very difficult. I even dare say that he is the most difficult man in world’s history.
But Great Exception is a prodigious thing. The plot is overwhelming. The style is tolerable. Maybe, it is the easiest one among his big bricks.
I've just started reading my first ever book written by Dickens and my oh my what a discovery! Like you said, I expected him to be serious, gloomy, depressive and he's everything but. I'm reading Hard times and just love it. On the other note, for the life of me I cannot find anything interesting in Jane Austen's novels. There, I've said it. I tried, I really did :))
Not getting bogged down in details or looking things up on your first read is good advice for any book where you expect not to understand everything, whether it be archaic, experimental, jargonistic or in a foreign language. There’s a lot to be said for immersion and enjoying the ride. Then you can go back and unpick it afterwards.
Exactly :)
I'm so glad that I took your advice and read the David Copperfield and Great Expectations first before starting on his others works. I started Our Mutual Friend back in like April, got to about 30% and put it down and have just now picked it back up and it took a bit to relearn all the characters/plots. Also with the audiobooks, because they are classics a lot of famous actors and actresses read them which makes them more fun!
Agreed - there are so many great audiobooks of Dickens out there. Hope you're enjoying Our Mutual Friend a little more on a second read :)
These are great tips and it occurred to me while watching that many of these tips - Dickens is weird, It’s supposed to be fun, Accept that you aren’t going to understand everything - could be applied to reading Joyce’s _Ulysses_.
I live Dickens in audiobook form.
Hmm maybe I should try Ulysses after all!
@@katiejlumsden I find that Ulysses and The Pickwick Papers are superficially quite similar, but Ulysses is of course a lot more difficult - but so much fun! I'm reading it right now and I'm on the last episode :)
Currently reading Bleak House ❤
A wonderful Dickens! One of my favourites.
I've loved Dickens since I was a teenager, but like any book, any genre, reading is so subjective. I love him, you might not and thats OK! There's no need to tell people not to read him because you didn't like him. I cant stand Tolstoy but I'd always encourage people to give him a try! 😀