Sue’s Comments (group member since Jan 21, 2020)

Sue’s comments from the The Obscure Reading Group group.

I hope this forum arises again at some point. I’ve enjoyed several books I’ve read here, most recently The Sea, The Sea. Now I want to tackle more from Murdoch. And maybe George Gissing too.

I’m in for Stone Raft unless something unexpected gets in the way.

I definitely want to read both books but won’t be able to begin probably until the summer. Not sure which one I will read first. The Old Curiosity Shop is a title that really appeals to me but I really know nothing about Barnaby Rudge. If anyone else plans to read one of these in , perhaps, July, and would like to try a buddy read, let me know.

It’s always been on my list. Now even more so.

I hadn’t even thought about his age, Kathleen. He certainly could create realistic older characters, including their innermost thoughts about their future, losses, friendships, etc.

I’m glad I mentioned Dickens’ letters. Had a feeling it is probably only included in collections.

Kathleen, since I haven’t read either novel, I’m not experiencing the same issues as you but I did notice, and think it strange, to see Barnaby Rudge spelled out in one of the illustrations. I imagine that I just chalked up any lack of flow to the type of work I was reading, a collection of stories.

I’m one who hasn’t read the Old Curiosity Shop so I’m glad that those sections aren’t included in our reading.

I just finished the reading and feel happy and sad both. I enjoyed so much and also recognized what seemed like Dickens’ thoughts and feelings about England and its people in so many of Master Humphrey’s thoughts, especially when they refer to caring for the downtrodden. It was nice that the deaf gentleman was given the final chapter.

On a somewhat unrelated topic, I think I may remember now one problem I had when reading Pickwick in the past: Weller’s accent as written. I constantly find myself tripping over his words as I read them.

I also enjoyed the letters from Dickens that appear after the Deaf Gentleman in my story collection. I didn’t realize (though it may very well have been stated in the group), that this collection of Master Humphrey marked the end of Dickens’s weekly serials and resulted in a virtual pledge that he would move to a monthly publication schedule and never again publish weekly. He also announced his upcoming trip to America. What a nice bonus in my book.

Ginny and Kathleen, I love your answers to my thoughts about Master Humphrey and Dickens. Perhaps Humphrey is something like who Dickens would become later in life when presenting his stories on the stage. He was certainly highly regarded. And perhaps a part of him already longed for a place apart from his family where he could relax with only select, male company. I haven’t read Forster’s biography yet, but did Dickens go to Forster’s house to consult on writing? That might have been a “release” of sorts.

I agree about the episodic nature of the reading but it didn’t bother me at all. I found it seemed to fit into what I was expecting of Master Humphrey’s group.

I’m also considering reading Pickwick Papers again at some point too. If it’s episodic like this, I may do better this time. I read it in college and remembered it as enjoyable but an attempted reread got nowhere.

I’m enjoying reading Master Humphrey. There’s something peaceful about the narrative, almost relaxing at times, in ways that the novels aren’t from my perspective. Does anyone see Master H as Dickens himself or is he as much a creation as all the characters in all the other stories and novels?

I have begun and I’m enjoying this. The narrative voice is really nice and seems different from other Dickens’ creations though I can’t say why at this point. I have more to read before Thursday but this is a pleasant read so far.

I just checked and my collection of Charles Dickens stories does have all that you listed, Kathleen, as well as a preface of intention which I haven’t read yet. So I am all set.

Well surprise for me. My kindle collection of Dickens short stories has well over 100 pages of Master Humphrey tales!

I just checked out various editions of the book here at GR and am somewhat amazed to find that they vary from around 100 pages to over 500. Perhaps I’ll look for a shorter edition!

As I was reading this I was reminded of the hay day of the night time soap shows of Dallas etc which lasted for years and so many watched for years. Everyone had to know who killed Bobby, etc. (Yes I did watch some with a very obsessed friend.) Though I’m sure Murdoch would despise the comparison, she somehow has created a similar catnip in this book with her writing. I just had to keep going. I have just a wee bit of the Postscript left but had to check in with this conversation.

I’ll be back later since I’m only at the beginning of the last section and want to avoid spoilers.

I’m just about finished with chapter four and then will move on to the last section. I still find myself talking to Charles, wanting to shake him, telling him to wake up and listen to what Hartley is saying. Love when she said Charles really was like her brother.

I’m not finished with this section yet so I probably should be careful looking at the comments tomorrow. But I still can’t believe what Charles keeps doing. I’m still engrossed in seeing what is going to happen—just haven’t had as much reading time this week and too many books to squeeze into it. I’m very glad to be reading this.

Craig, yes. It’s like watching for the inevitable crash to come. What does Murdoch have in mind. After all that’s already happened, what is she going to do with Charles and all these others that he appears, at least on some level, to hate. If this were a Twilight Zone movie, I would expect him to awaken at the end in his bed in the sanitarium under lock and key. Or to find out his life has been a dream. I’m wondering what happens next.

By the end of this section-well, everyone and everything is crazy.

Ken I agree with you that there is something amiss with Charles, beyond being an “idiot” as I have labeled him. He seems to be living in his own world and to have been there for much of his life. A very odd world too. He’s too old for onset of schizophrenia but I wonder if he has had these “visual “ episodes throughout his life. And we know his relationships have pretty much all ended badly and his career has been erratic.

One thing that struck me after that kitchen conversation between Charles and Hartley (after he sent that letter) was that the two of them probably would have killed each other if they had married (I’m not sure which one would have attacked first .). But obviously, to me, she never wanted to marry him, though she was unable to verbalize why well enough to satisfy Charles. If his searches for the young Hartley had happened today, he might have been arrested for stalking.

I’m still perversely interested in this weirdo. After the Hartley/Mary and hubby episode I declared our “narrator” totally delusional, an idiot, a loser. I thought it might be a fitting end for him (but too soon for Murdock) if he slid off that rocky sleeping perch into the sea when he was escaping Rosina’s talons. Also, since we are seeing hubby through decidedly prejudiced eyes, I didn’t interpret his behavior as quite so malignant toward Hartley. My impression was that neither of them wants “idiot” Chas around.