I have to confess that Quilp is one of my favourite Dickens villains! I have always seen him as a spiteful controlling piece of work who just happens to be a dwarf, and if anything, his size makes the power he has over people even more striking. Like you, it is at least ten years since I last read it so I am looking forward to doing so (before reading your novel at the end of the month!)
The Dickens mega readalong has been great for me and I’m glad you decided to do it. I have a Victorian novel on the go all the time but haven’t read many by Dickens. I read Nicholas N and am a quarter of the way through Oliver T. I’m reading other things but this readalong gives me structure and I’m slowly following your schedule. This year will be the most Dickens I’ve read ever and I appreciate your support.
I hope you love it more than you’re expecting to, and as much, or nearly as much, as you did as a teenager! It was the last Dickens I came to; I’d read all of his other novels and had kind of put this one off because I wasn’t expecting to love it. I thought it would be sentimental and maudlin. But I adored it - mainly because of Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness (is she the daughter of Quilp and Sally Brass?!) Dick is ever cheerful, funny, unfailingly amiable, surprising in his magnanimity and fair-mindedness, and one of my absolute favourite Dickens characters. G.K. Chesterton said, in his critique of the novel, that Dick’s relationship with the Marchioness was “perhaps the one true romance in the whole of Dickens”! It’s interesting that Peter Ackroyd, in his Dickens biography, suggests that Quilp is Dickens’ self-portrait with all the good bits removed - sort of Dickens’ Mr Hyde. Quilp makes no attempt to hide his villainy and even delights in it, but I thought that nothing he does can match the skin-crawling scene in which Nell’s doddering old grandfather creeps into her room at night to steal her money. The London scenes were my favourite but I was also fascinated by Nell’s journey through Birmingham and the terrible filth and poverty of the ’Black Country’ during the industrial revolution. And I loved meeting lots of memorable characters on the way - such as the ghastly Miss Monflathers. Oops, sorry for the essay, but I love thinking about/discussing this book!
Thanks, both! I'm so looking forward to rereading it (just read chapter one today!) and chiefly for Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness. I agree that it's a very good love story within Dickens. But I'm also excited to reread Nell's journey and discover all the things I've forgotten.
@@BooksAtMidnight I’m so glad you enjoyed my thoughts on this wonderful book. I love talking about books but I’m way too camera-shy to ever do it on UA-cam!
I completely adore this story too. It became so vivid and real in my imagination. Quilp is hands down the most irredeemably bad character I think Dickens created, both in appearance and behaviour he's a total monster. As ever the cast of characters you meet along the way are superb.
I read The Old Curiosity in my early teens and was deeply affected by it. About twenty years later I came across this quote by Oscar Wilde " “One must have a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without laughing.”
First off, I’m enjoying the mega-read-along! This will be my second time reading The Old Curiosity Shop, and I agree many of the sub-plots are as good or more engaging than the main. I received your book yesterday, and dived right in with chapter 2 and loving it-you have a very beautiful, flowing, and appealing writing style, Katie, and I’m sure to love this book!
Another classic book 📚 to read love it 🥰 love you and your amazing channel prayers and thoughts for you and your family love your Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤
Hello, I discovered your mega read along only last week and decided to join, as I’ve been meaning to read all Dickens for a long time. I’m going for the whole thing, which means I’m going to try and catch up on the way!!! 😂 🤞 My trick is to read and listen simultaneously which allows me to increase the reading speed to a more natural speed while following on my kindle.
I'm loving this readalong so much! So far I've only read The Pickwyck Papers and I'm about 65% into Nicholas Nickleby and after that I'm going to wait until Dombey and Son, since I'm doing the light version of it. But I'm watching every one of your videos anyways! I can't wait to read the "big" ones!
I'm joining along, but will take a break when The Secrets of Hartwood Hall arrives! 😁 Have you picked out a lovely shade of blue for your office/library walls yet? 😉
Hi!!Best of luck for your first book. I m from India and it has been released here on 28th Feb.I love Victorian novels.And the title if your book sounds very Victorian.Eager to read. All the best again.
I've struggled with the read-along so far. I think the books got progressively better, but I skimmed about 25% of Nicholas Nickleby. It was just too long, and for a while in the middle just went on and on. But I've still started the Old Curiosity Shop, and I like it for the most part so far. I'm more excited for the books that are coming later.
I'll be skipping this month with the readalong unfortunately. I was roped into reading East of Eden with a friend so I draw the limit at 1 very big classic audiobook a month. Curiosity Shop is one of the Dickens that I've been the most intrigued by and hope to get to it after the MegaDickens readalong is complete.
The new Dickens covers on Penguin Classics are atrocious. The previous one for this book was exquisite and they ruined it with these three hideous characters.
I have to confess that Quilp is one of my favourite Dickens villains! I have always seen him as a spiteful controlling piece of work who just happens to be a dwarf, and if anything, his size makes the power he has over people even more striking. Like you, it is at least ten years since I last read it so I am looking forward to doing so (before reading your novel at the end of the month!)
The Dickens mega readalong has been great for me and I’m glad you decided to do it. I have a Victorian novel on the go all the time but haven’t read many by Dickens. I read Nicholas N and am a quarter of the way through Oliver T. I’m reading other things but this readalong gives me structure and I’m slowly following your schedule. This year will be the most Dickens I’ve read ever and I appreciate your support.
I hope you love it more than you’re expecting to, and as much, or nearly as much, as you did as a teenager!
It was the last Dickens I came to; I’d read all of his other novels and had kind of put this one off because I wasn’t expecting to love it. I thought it would be sentimental and maudlin. But I adored it - mainly because of Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness (is she the daughter of Quilp and Sally Brass?!) Dick is ever cheerful, funny, unfailingly amiable, surprising in his magnanimity and fair-mindedness, and one of my absolute favourite Dickens characters. G.K. Chesterton said, in his critique of the novel, that Dick’s relationship with the Marchioness was “perhaps the one true romance in the whole of Dickens”!
It’s interesting that Peter Ackroyd, in his Dickens biography, suggests that Quilp is Dickens’ self-portrait with all the good bits removed - sort of Dickens’ Mr Hyde. Quilp makes no attempt to hide his villainy and even delights in it, but I thought that nothing he does can match the skin-crawling scene in which Nell’s doddering old grandfather creeps into her room at night to steal her money.
The London scenes were my favourite but I was also fascinated by Nell’s journey through Birmingham and the terrible filth and poverty of the ’Black Country’ during the industrial revolution. And I loved meeting lots of memorable characters on the way - such as the ghastly Miss Monflathers.
Oops, sorry for the essay, but I love thinking about/discussing this book!
Thanks, both! I'm so looking forward to rereading it (just read chapter one today!) and chiefly for Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness. I agree that it's a very good love story within Dickens. But I'm also excited to reread Nell's journey and discover all the things I've forgotten.
@@BooksAtMidnight I’m so glad you enjoyed my thoughts on this wonderful book. I love talking about books but I’m way too camera-shy to ever do it on UA-cam!
I completely adore this story too. It became so vivid and real in my imagination. Quilp is hands down the most irredeemably bad character I think Dickens created, both in appearance and behaviour he's a total monster. As ever the cast of characters you meet along the way are superb.
I loved reading this Dickens. I’m always surprised when I hear people don’t like it.
Quilp is one of the most memorable characters in all of Dickens novel
Thanks, Katie!🌷I’m going to join your read along with the audiobook for all the excellent reasons you mentioned 😊📚
I read The Old Curiosity in my early teens and was deeply affected by it. About twenty years later I came across this quote by Oscar Wilde " “One must have a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without laughing.”
Haha, I judge Oscar Wilde so much for this.
It's time for my first read of this book, Katie.
Just finished The Secrets of Hartwell Hall. Couldn’t put it down! Great book, Katie!
Thanks so much :)
First off, I’m enjoying the mega-read-along! This will be my second time reading The Old Curiosity Shop, and I agree many of the sub-plots are as good or more engaging than the main. I received your book yesterday, and dived right in with chapter 2 and loving it-you have a very beautiful, flowing, and appealing writing style, Katie, and I’m sure to love this book!
Thanks so much, Larry!
Hey Kate: enjoying your novel, and am especially impressed with the reader they chose for the Audible narration. Thx
Thanks very much!
Another classic book 📚 to read love it 🥰 love you and your amazing channel prayers and thoughts for you and your family love your Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤
Hello, I discovered your mega read along only last week and decided to join, as I’ve been meaning to read all Dickens for a long time. I’m going for the whole thing, which means I’m going to try and catch up on the way!!! 😂 🤞 My trick is to read and listen simultaneously which allows me to increase the reading speed to a more natural speed while following on my kindle.
I hope you enjoy your Dickens reads :)
Sally Brass, Miss Murdstone (David Copperfield) and Miss Wade (Little Dorrit) feel like variations of the same character.
Interesting! I feel like I've found Miss Wade more sympathetic than the others, but I'll look out for these three as I go through my rereads.
@@katiejlumsden Miss Wade isn't as "metallic" as the other two, that's true.
I'm loving this readalong so much! So far I've only read The Pickwyck Papers and I'm about 65% into Nicholas Nickleby and after that I'm going to wait until Dombey and Son, since I'm doing the light version of it. But I'm watching every one of your videos anyways! I can't wait to read the "big" ones!
Thanks very much :) I'm so looking forward to rereading Dombey and Son. One of the best!
(Melanie here) I am listening to The Old Curiousity Shop on Audible. The narrator is very good. It is enjoyable, but wish there were more happy parts!
I'm really excited for this one, especially the female narrator!! I'll have to watch the BBC adaptation afterwards too.
I'm joining along, but will take a break when The Secrets of Hartwood Hall arrives! 😁 Have you picked out a lovely shade of blue for your office/library walls yet? 😉
Whoops, not yet . . .
Hi!!Best of luck for your first book.
I m from India and it has been released here on 28th Feb.I love Victorian novels.And the title if your book sounds very Victorian.Eager to read.
All the best again.
It's coming on 30th March.... that is what showing in Amazon.
You're very cute, Katie Lums ❤️
I've struggled with the read-along so far. I think the books got progressively better, but I skimmed about 25% of Nicholas Nickleby. It was just too long, and for a while in the middle just went on and on.
But I've still started the Old Curiosity Shop, and I like it for the most part so far. I'm more excited for the books that are coming later.
Yeah, the issue with reading Dickens in order is definitely that it takes a little while to get to the best ones!
I'll be skipping this month with the readalong unfortunately. I was roped into reading East of Eden with a friend so I draw the limit at 1 very big classic audiobook a month. Curiosity Shop is one of the Dickens that I've been the most intrigued by and hope to get to it after the MegaDickens readalong is complete.
Wasn't really looking forward to this even though it's one of the few Dickens I haven't read yet. 50 pages in..........loving it.
Is she talking about The Old Curiosity Shop? 🤔😂
The new Dickens covers on Penguin Classics are atrocious. The previous one for this book was exquisite and they ruined it with these three hideous characters.
Yeah, I do like the old ones a lot more!