Reading the Chunksters discussion

I think some of you may be ready to tackle the next chunk by now - this thread covers chapters 9 to 12 of Book 1, up to including The Sweat of an Honest Man's Brow.

My chapter summaries:
(view spoiler)[
9. Boffin talks with his wife, who has her own ideas what they should do with the money – firstly to help the unfortunate Bella, and secondly to find an orphan and bring him up as a new John Harmon. They go to see their vicar, Rev. Milvey and his wife, who they ask if they know any suitable orphans, and then visit the Wilfers, but are made to wait – Bella is with George Sampson. They talk about what the Boffins want to do for Bella. Rokesmith appears, Boffin calls him “our mutual friend” though he has only met him once.

10. At the Veneerings, who are arranging a wedding between Alfred Lammle and Sophronia Akershem, the mature young people mentioned in chapter 2. This wedding is an elaborate charade. On their honeymoon on the Isle of Wight, the couple argue and discover that both have been deceived by the Veneerings about each other’s non-existent riches. Alfred recognises what they have in common and proposes a “mutual understanding”.

11. At the Podsnaps. The narrator expounds on Podsnap and “Podsnappery”, an upper middle-class lifestyle in which everything is regimented. We meet the Podsnaps' daughter Georgiana at a party they are holding to mark her 18th birthday, an event she despises along with her parents’ lifestyles. She is befriended by Mrs Lammle.

12. Lightwood and Wrayburn have decided to set up a shared bachelor household near Hampton, They have a conversation in which Wrayburn talks about his father and his strict plans for his sons’ futures, which will involve his arranged marriage. They are approached by Riderhood, who asks Lightwood to take an “Alfred David” (affidavit) in which he accuses Hexam of the murder of John Harmon. Riderhood takes them to the river, where he sees that Hexam is out, they then go to the police station with the statement. The Inspector invites the two gentlemen to join him in the pub
(hide spoiler)]

Strange. After listening to Boffin describe old man Harmon in the first half of chapter 9, I'm finding it difficult to believe the old man named them in his will as second beneficiaries to young Harmon.

We know the old man was heartless to his daughter, throwing her out, leaving her destitute, and then sending young Harmon off to be educated on distant shores, to never see him again. Yet this same man names these two servants in his will? Two servants who, to hear Boffin tell it, disagreed with the old man to his face, and, who the old man always treated as servants and nothing more.

Oh, well, it's early. But it's fun to speculate.

Chapter 9 continued

The meeting between the Boffins, Bella, and Mrs. Wilfer was crazy and nutty and funny. There's Bella trying to listen to what the Boffins are telling her, while Samson is sucking on his cane like it's a pacifier and talking like he's an imbecile, and Bella's young, incorrigible sister, Lavinia, is crashing the party and acting like an undisciplined daughter. But it's those ominous last words uttered by Mrs Wilfer about Mrs. Boffin after the Boffins leave that I think need to remembered.

I am sure I have never seen dimpled shoulders, so I looked them up. This is what it said, Review of the literature suggests that, these dimples arise due to the entrapment of skin between the shoulder bones and wall of the uterus. I guess I don't know a woman's anatomy as well as I thought, because those words produce a strange image in my mind.

Lavinia/Lavvy is a wonderful comic character

Chapter 10

And they both live happily ever after.

PS: Who's paying for the cottage?

PPS: I'm really interested in Veneering's motives. I haven't a clue.

Chapter 11

I like how the beginning or this chapter stands in apposition and in contrast to the previous chapter. Right out of the box Podsnap inherited property and married more, while Lammle and wife had neither and did neither, but thought they had.

Chapter 11 Continued

Dickens' narrative voice is on fire in this chapter -- description, parody, satire, exaggeration, good humor, yet devastating in its focus and to its target.

A couple of examples:

There was a Miss Podsnap. And this young rocking-horse was being trained in her mother's art of prancing in a stately manner without ever getting on.

The description goes on. Indeed, I suppose it goes on for the entire chapter. Miss Podsnap crushed under the dead weight of Podsnapery.


But the Ogre advanced under the pilotage of Ma, and Ma said, Georgiana, Mr. Grumpus," and the Ogre clutched his victim and bore her off to his castle in the top couple.

I'm laughing because it is a scene replayed endlessly in books and movies. The pilotage of Ma.

Xan wrote: "Chapter 10

And they both live happily ever after.

PS: Who's paying for the cottage?

PPS: I'm really interested in Veneering's motives. I haven't a clue."

I wonder about the Veneering's motives too, it is all very strange. At first I thought they just wanted to host a big social event and be talked about in society but maybe there is more to it.

I think Charley may end up being the boy that the Boffins adopt.

I am still very confused in general but am enjoying the ride.

Oh, good thought. It would be interesting if it is Charley,

Veneering seems to be a useful character for the plot, rather than a key player in his own right, but he does embody a social type that existed then and probably still does. I havr a sneaking respect for the Lammles.

Chapter 12

Looks like Roger Riderhood (interesting name) is making good on his promise to get even with Gaffer for some (real or imagined) slight and 10,000 pounds. Three-quarters of London would accuse gaffer for 10,000 pounds.

Guess it's a good thing Eugene is a barrister, because Gaffer is going to need one.

PS: Loved Eugene retelling how his dad decided what each son would do for his career, including pitchforking one into the navy. I'm going to remember to use pitchfork as a verb.

Chapter 9
This chapter is hilarious as Dickens continues to poke fun at high"society'. The scene you mentioned Xan at the Wilfer's had me absolutely in tears I was laughing so hard. What a cluster!

We also get our first reference (I think it's the first) to "our mutual friend"

I also agree about that last comment by Mrs Wilfer. Def think we'll be coming back to that.

Chapter 10
This chapter felt like an abrupt interruption or something who are these people? Also the names Sophroniea and Lammle! It did show some more of Veneering and is busybody self telling lies and playing matchmaker, lol

Chapter 11
I need to figure out how to work the word podsnappery into my daily vocabulary!

Podsnap sounds like a complete pompous ass. The starving people brining it on themselves comment. UGH!

I kinda like Georgiana though her comment to Sophronia about wishing she were from a poorer backgound so she didn't have to worry about appearances was endearing.

The comment at the end of the chapter between Mr & Mrs L about Georgiana and using her to take Podsnap down a peg is concerning and one we should remember.

Chapter 12
This takes us back to the part of the story that I am the most interested in but we still don't really get much of it or many details about what really happened

Xan wrote: "Chapter 12

Looks like Roger Riderhood (interesting name) is making good on his promise to get even with Gaffer for some (real or imagined) slight and 10,000 pounds. Three-quarters of London would ..."

I am absolutely going to use pitchfork as a verb from now on ;)

Amanda,

With Dickens, phrases and descriptions are as memorable as his characters.

Xan wrote: "PS: Loved Eugene retelling how his dad decided what each son would do for his career, including pitchforking one into the navy...."

yes, the fitting of each to their vocation was so funny.

Amanda wrote: "Podsnap sounds like a complete pompous ass. The starving people brining it on themselves comment ...."

A terribly memorable and defining speech.
I kind of like Georgiana too, I hope the Lammies plans for some of Podsnap's wealth aren't too hard on her.

Hugh wrote: "Veneering seems to be a useful character for the plot, rather than a key player in his own right, but he does embody a social type that existed then and probably still does....."

I was wondering also what was Veneering's game but then I wondered, as Hugh points out, that his sole motive may to advance himself by appearing to be in the thick of things, so associated with everyone.
A clever device by Dickens.

This was such an entertaining section to read!

I loved the meeting of the Boffins with the Milveys in trying to find an orphan, and Mrs. Milvey's continued objections to each child suggested by Mr. Milvey.

Oh boy, the Lammles! I laughed at Mr. Lammle putting Mrs. Lammle in her place every time she brought up how he had deceived her, because she had done the exact same thing. I'm excited to see the hijinks they are going to inflict in their pact for revenge. And poor Georgiana appears she will be stuck in the middle of it all.

And finally, the action is just starting to take place in who murdered young Harmon. I don't know who to suspect - Hexam or Riderhood? Both seem shady at this point.

Xan wrote: "I'm finding it difficult to believe the old man named them in his will as second beneficiaries to young Harmon."

Hmm...good point. I guess I took it at face value, thinking that people sometimes do strange things when writing their will. But now you have me suspicious.

Xan wrote: "I am sure I have never seen dimpled shoulders, so I looked them up. This is what it said, Review of the literature suggests that, these dimples arise due to the entrapment of skin between the shoulder bones and wall of the uterus. I guess I don't know a woman's anatomy as well as I thought, because those words produce a strange image in my mind."

Lol. I must have missed the "dimpled shoulders" part. Anyway, I have both parts of this anatomy and I'm trying to imagine this as well.

Jess wrote: "I wonder about the Veneering's motives too, it is all very strange. At first I thought they just wanted to host a big social event and be talked about in society but maybe there is more to it.

I think Charley may end up being the boy that the Boffins adopt."

I assumed the Veneerings just wanted to be liked, and so used their money to host events in order to surround themselves by "friends", when really there must not be much substance to them and so if they had no money, they wouldn't have any friends.

I'm also speculating that Charley will become the Boffins' adoptee.

Amanda wrote: "We also get our first reference (I think it's the first) to "our mutual friend""

Yes, I love it when the title of a book finally makes sense. And in this, it seems that Rokesmith must be a central character.

Yes, Rokesmith is very central - that sentence gives a lot away.

I thought about you when I got to this part Linda 😃

Lol Amanda. My traditional “And…we have a title!” update. 😀