Reflections on Little Dorrit | Mega Dickens Readalong
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- Опубліковано 11 тра 2024
- #Dickensalong
In which I discuss my thoughts on Little Dorrit . . .
Spoilers from 25m 03s
Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens: / 31250.little_dorrit
The audiobook I listened to, narrated by Juliet Stevenson: www.audible.co.uk/pd/Little-D...
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The Pickwick Papers, 1837: October and November 2022
Oliver Twist, 1838: December 2022
Nicholas Nickleby, 1839: January and February 2023
The Old Curiosity Shop, 1841: March 2023
Barnaby Rudge, 1841: April and May 2023
Martin Chuzzlewit, 1844: June and July 2023
Dombey and Son, 1848: August and September 2023
David Copperfield, 1850: October and November 2023
Bleak House, 1853: December 2023 and January 2024
Hard Times, 1854: February 2024
Little Dorrit, 1855: March and April 2024
A Tale of Two Cities, 1859: May 2024
Great Expectations, 1861: June 2024
Our Mutual Friend, 1865: July and August 2024
The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 1870: September 2024
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OMG, this was the best! I listened to Little Dorrit in March (maybe my 5th reading?) and now you make me want to listen to it all over again! This time, like you, I was very uncomfortable with Tattycoram's ending. But you are so right that all the characters are so complex and the love story is the best. This reading I really enjoyed the Dorrit family, too. My favorite "character" scene is when Mr Dorrit returns from Italy and Young John comes to his hotel room to give him cigars. The way Dickens shows the range of emotions of Mr Dorrit in that scene, from outrage to gentle kindness, is just amazing, and makes me cry every time. After I read this, I read The Way We Live Now for the first time, and although Melmotte is done well, there is something about the way Dickens does Mr Merdle that is utterly superb. One more thing--I find Dora (David Copperfield) and Flora both irritating and frustrating at first, but gradually Dickens gives both inner strength, a bit of wisdom and much kindness that tempers their characters. What a book!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, too. I love that scene with John and Mr Dorrit, too.
I find it so interesting to compare Mr Merdle and Melmotte!
Wonderful review, Katie, and so complete! Little Dorrit is a superb novel that touches every sensitive human fiber. Amy and Arthur’s relationship was emotionally stirring and precious. The novel was excellently adapted in the 2008 mini-series featuring Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen. I enjoyed your synopsis of this fine book very much!
I love that adaptation very much, too.
I read the book and loved it so much after reading Hard Times, as if we were back to a more human world. This being my first read in the original version, I spent a lot of time wondering when and if Amy and Arthur would finally admit to their mutual love. I do agree that yes, Arthur sounds like a lovely man.
(Melanie here) Listening to the audiobook with Juliet Stephenson now. Very much enjoying the novel. Loved your video.
Had to stop listening as have got the spoiler section. Will come back to finish your video soon. Am loving reading this novel and also listening to Juliet Stephenson reading the novel. What a story. Just wonderful.
btw - respecting Dorrit's reversal of fortunes and its effect on his family's class you might enjoy (as I did) John Cheever's "The Swimmer", a short story about a man who decides to swim home through each of his neighbor's pools, accepting drinks from most along the way. I've no idea if you're still reading a short story, play, and collection of poetry each month but if you are then "The Swimmer" is a good choice.
Thank you for such a wonderful in depth review. Little Dorrit is my second favourite Dickens book after Great Expectations. Arthur is also my favourite male protagonist and Mr Pancks is up there with Sam Weller as one of the best comic characters. A big surprise for me was how much I loved Fanny Dorrit by the end. I know she was a very flawed character but I just found her hilarious. She was extremely selfish but would own up to it and apologise. I think her relationship with Amy was interesting and quite complex. SPOILER....... I was quite shocked when Mrs Clenham's house came down. I did not see that coming! ☺
Totally agree!
Yet another wonderful wrap-up of a large cast of characters and the ups and downs of the story lines. ❤
I read LD as part of the MDR. Loved it! I think I would rank it 2nd so far, behind Bleak House. It was a bit confusing with the place changes and complex plot, but I listened to the audiobook and that really helped to keep the characters seperated. 😎
Great review! As always, your insights help me to think about the book more deeply.
My enjoyment of this book suffered from some of the things you said at the beginning, plus I just couldn't give this attention it deserved for the reading period. So it took me entirely too long to read it and I was forgetting things.
My biggest gripe or annoyance (sort of like the Harriet plot line for you) was Arthur's former love now being an older lady of expanded girth and portrayed just absolutely ridiculously. Yes, like Mrs. Nickelby. Meanwhile, Arthur, the same age as her, is pining for a young lady young enough to be his daughter because she's oh so pretty. Yeah, annoying.
Anyway the themes and execution were so interesting. I also enjoyed the whole Nobody bit. I may be the only one, but I just loved Mr. F's Aunt. 😂
All in all, the plot felt scattered, but it was filled with beautiful writing and scenes and unforgettable characters. I intend to revisit it someday. ❤
Yes, I do struggle with Flora - very much suffers from the Victorian shock-horror-oh-my-goodness-a-woman-who-isn't-in-her-20s problem.
I recently found your videos and I'm really enjoying them.
Oh golly I really struggled with this book. I have loved all of the books so far and literally whizzed through them - but this - it was just so hard to keep my mind on it. At one stage I had to go away and read another book! Maybe I should have given up and gone over to the audiobook version! I’m so far behind on the readathon now lol. But I read Great Expectations and Our Mutual Friend before the readathon started so that gives me a bit more leeway!
I wonder….. when you mentioned near the beginning about how the chronological order feels a bit off (I can’t remember how you worded it) made me think that publication order might not necessarily be writing order. Is it possible that Dickens’ shorter books were almost like quicker side projects because he was working on Little Dorrit for so long? (I remember you saying that you started working on your second novel a long time before your first published novel). This may all be nonsense, but it was what passed through my brain while I was watching….
So, I think we know that he wrote some bits of Barnaby Rudge long before it was published, but otherwise, I haven't read anything about this. I do wonder!
Excellent review although you might have given Merdle's butler a mention!
I think Fanny wouldn't have been out of place in the Spice Girls.😂
Very true - how could I forget Merdle's amazing butler?
Possibly programmers are a passive aggressive people. It was several minutes before I could fight through all the trivial blocks keeping me apart from Mrs. Montgomery. Well, I suppose it's relative to modern one-click shopping. Actually - compared to old fashioned shopping for a harder-to-find item - it was pretty easy. I'm looking forward to it, and not merely because it has a cool map - thanks.
I have finished Oliver Twist on Audio Book and at some time I am going to Read the Book
Hello, Can you tell us what publisher you prefer in the classics? Thank you
I like Penguin Classics black spine editions best.
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