tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post2219608804335147664..comments2024-03-28T09:00:59.909+11:00Comments on The Vince Review: 'The Pickwick Papers' by Charles DickensPaula Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-64878532542606202432018-10-12T13:17:33.265+11:002018-10-12T13:17:33.265+11:00Yes, they used to have such a lot of fun, despite ...Yes, they used to have such a lot of fun, despite the times being so hard. I really admire the early Victorians after reading the PP. Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-18659032814472261212018-10-12T09:22:15.747+11:002018-10-12T09:22:15.747+11:00'...the very best of Victorian fun...'
Th...'...the very best of Victorian fun...'<br /><br />The book was completed the year before Queen Victoria came to the throne and the action is set in 1828 - nine years before. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02794492938652023665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-90581548501568195982018-02-05T16:56:13.334+11:002018-02-05T16:56:13.334+11:00I don't consider it as great and polished as G...I don't consider it as great and polished as Great Expectations, that's for sure. You're right, the serialisation does show, and also Dickens' tender age at the time of writing. I do prefer the 2nd half to the 1st, if you persevere. That's probably mostly owing to the presence of Sam Weller. The most satisfaction is probably saying we've read Charles Dickens' very first 😊Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-45585626947591175732018-02-04T10:38:47.175+11:002018-02-04T10:38:47.175+11:00Half way through it and not sure I get the rave re...Half way through it and not sure I get the rave review about this one, I have read a fair few Dickens; Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, Nic Nic and Great Expectations but find this one a bit lame. The serialisation is most self evident and I agree with another reviewer that he was clearly honing his style in this bookAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18409840026978055024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-46981276548065717962017-01-24T12:46:56.203+11:002017-01-24T12:46:56.203+11:00I've reserved the book from my local library. ...I've reserved the book from my local library. Looking forward to reading it.Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-39925061245634205192017-01-20T19:33:46.166+11:002017-01-20T19:33:46.166+11:00Hi Paula - Thanks for that. Regarding the 21st cen...Hi Paula - Thanks for that. Regarding the 21st century audience - I should also say that Death and Mr Pickwick is partly set in the 21st century, with two 'literary detectives' investigating the origins of The Pickwick Papers, though mainly the novel is set in the nineteenth century of course. Here, incidentally, is the UK Sunday Times review, which I posted on the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/deathandmrpickwick/posts/675813069219215 and more general information about the novel can be found at www.deathandmrpickwick.com Best wishes StephenStephen Jarvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06131684050764917199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-3689218425500529042017-01-20T17:56:33.242+11:002017-01-20T17:56:33.242+11:00And when we're talking about books that long, ...And when we're talking about books that long, we expect them to be good reads if we're to last the difference. 😊Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-63022756728892370062017-01-20T16:06:17.376+11:002017-01-20T16:06:17.376+11:00I read 'Winter' by Marissa Meyer on my Kin...I read 'Winter' by Marissa Meyer on my Kindle - it's the 4th in her Lunar Chronicles series and was over 800 pages. Took a long time for those little percentages at the bottom of the screen to click over. But I knew it was long before i started. Started Jane Eyre in December, not knowing it was around 500. That was a long ride :)Nola Passmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08425394685430146759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-52764194790975691252017-01-20T16:04:12.765+11:002017-01-20T16:04:12.765+11:00LOL - Don't think I've had a classics stag...LOL - Don't think I've had a classics stage yet, though I have read Jane Eyre and The Time Machine in the last 5 weeks, so maybe I'm in for a change :)Nola Passmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08425394685430146759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-7778127528725858972017-01-20T14:11:44.101+11:002017-01-20T14:11:44.101+11:00Oliver Twist is always a sentimental favourite of ...Oliver Twist is always a sentimental favourite of mine, because my Primary School put on a musical production in Year 7. I loved the black and white movie too, with Oliver Reed as a really nasty Bill Sykes.<br />My classics stage was in my late teens/early 20s too :) I wonder if it's a coincidence that several of us choose that age.Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-36299442047948261732017-01-20T13:55:41.090+11:002017-01-20T13:55:41.090+11:00I had an Austen stage, Bronte stage and Dickson st...I had an Austen stage, Bronte stage and Dickson stage in my late teens, early twenties. Tried Thackerey - didn't get to far, but quiet enjoyed Tolstoy. Little Dorrit is one of my favourites of Dickens, or Bleak House. Great Expectations might be a good start Nola - though a Christmas Carol, as you mentioned. The BBC TV series are great value. Jeanette O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11057798704247611224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-74981660220889395242017-01-20T13:45:58.379+11:002017-01-20T13:45:58.379+11:00I had a Bronte stage, but never a Dickensian stage...I had a Bronte stage, but never a Dickensian stage, unless you count an enforced one back in Uni days, when we had to read Bleak House, Little Dorrit and Tale of Two Cities in the one course.Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-26530599702991924822017-01-20T13:44:49.209+11:002017-01-20T13:44:49.209+11:00Hi Nola, yeah, I wouldn't recommend a book thi...Hi Nola, yeah, I wouldn't recommend a book this length for a kindle at all. At least when you know they're the size of bricks, you know what you're dealing with. I've had a couple of kindle books which seemed to take forever to get through, and then I saw hard copies at the library or shop and realised only then they were the size of bricks :)Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-72996188396875078762017-01-20T12:49:42.062+11:002017-01-20T12:49:42.062+11:00LOL Jenny - I've never had a Dickension stage....LOL Jenny - I've never had a Dickension stage. Maybe I should start with something shorter like 'A Christmas Carol' :)Nola Passmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08425394685430146759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-72115119840105412632017-01-20T12:48:17.696+11:002017-01-20T12:48:17.696+11:00Wow Paula, I applaud you for getting through almos...Wow Paula, I applaud you for getting through almost 900 pages. Sounds like fun. Your comment about the three bookmarks, also reminded me of one of the problems of Kindles. You can jump to different sections, but it's a lot harder to go to specific pages. I think this book would be a never-ending journey on a Kindle. Might keep it in mind if I get up to the advanced section of the reading challenge :) Thanks for your thoughts.Nola Passmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08425394685430146759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-13387421897308705212017-01-20T10:09:00.046+11:002017-01-20T10:09:00.046+11:00Hi Jenny, I have to admit, I never saw it. I might...Hi Jenny, I have to admit, I never saw it. I might try to get hold of from somewhere. Maybe too old to be on Netflix, but will look around. I imagine it was a very entertaining series :)Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-17658293091628495392017-01-20T10:01:48.942+11:002017-01-20T10:01:48.942+11:00I love Sam Weller as a character - a perfect foil ...I love Sam Weller as a character - a perfect foil for Pickwick. I'm not sure if I read the Pickwick Paper in my Dicksonian stage, but I really enjoyed the BBC TV series (even though it's a bit old now). Maybe, if I don't use Wool in the category, I could make this my more-than-800-pages book for the Popsugar challenge. Thanks for an entertaining review. Jeanette O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11057798704247611224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-21322119436086777992017-01-20T08:16:30.999+11:002017-01-20T08:16:30.999+11:00Hi Stephen, I will look up your novel for sure. Th...Hi Stephen, I will look up your novel for sure. Thanks for letting me know about it. I'd love to have a bit more knowledge about the back story of this classic, and agree that there's so much a 21st century audience can take out of it. I'll also find the Facebook fan page. As there's no way you can ignore all the eating and drinking, I'm not surprised you've more of a focus on that. Thanks for the visit and heads up. Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8533677737021490096.post-91945892267950100142017-01-20T07:16:19.008+11:002017-01-20T07:16:19.008+11:00Hi - I am delighted that you have posted about The...Hi - I am delighted that you have posted about The Pickwick Papers - a book which used to be proclaimed as Dickens's masterpiece, but sadly isn't read that much these days. <br /><br />I am actually the author of the novel 'Death and Mr Pickwick', which tells the story behind the creation of The Pickwick Papers. In my view, The Pickwick Papers has the greatest backstory of any work of fiction - it cried out to be turned into a novel itself...so that's what I did! My novel also parallels aspects of The Pickwick Papers that you mention - including lots of eating and drinking! I note too that you live in Australia - well there is actually a section of Death and Mr Pickwick which is set in nineteenth-century Melbourne. Anyway, I do hope you will take a look at my novel. It was published by Random House in 2015, and has received quite a lot of critical acclaim - for instance, it made the Oprah Winfrey Best of Summer Fiction List and the UK Sunday Times Book of the Year list. There is also a very active facebook page for the novel at www.facebook.com/deathandmrpickwick where there is a real sense of a 'fan community' for the novel.<br /><br />BTW I like your idea of reading Pickwick with three bookmarks! <br /><br />Best wishes Stephen JarvisStephen Jarvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06131684050764917199noreply@blogger.com