Reading the Chunksters discussion

Anyone ready for this section yet? Chapters 5 to 8 of Book Two.

My chapter summaries:
(view spoiler)[
5. We hear about Fledgeby’s history, son of a money lender, his mother was another distant cousin of Lord Snigsworth and their quarrels over money are described. Mr Lammle comes to visit Fledgeby – they quarrel but come to an agreement about Georgiana. Fledgeby then goes to see an old Jew Riah, who works for him having been indebted to his father. They discuss business, and Fledgeby asks to see his roof garden, where they find Lizzie Hexam and Jenny Wren – it is explained that Riah sells scraps of material to Jenny and they like the garden’s peace.

6. Lightwood and Wrayburn have a new flat near Lightwood’s office at the Temple, where Lightwood attempts to find out why his friend has seemed distracted and keeps disappearing. Charley and Mr Headstone come to visit. Charley confronts Wrayburn, talks about Wrayburn’s visit to Lizzie the night they found Hexam’s body, and asks him to stop seeing Lizzie. Headstone backs him up, and feels insulted by Wrayburn. When they have gone, Lightwood attempts to question his friend, who remains evasive.

7. We hear about Wegg’s new arrangements with Boffin. Wegg invites Venus to the Bower, Venus delivers a parcel. They discuss the possibility that old Mr Harmon may have hidden valuables in his dust mounds, and Wegg asks Venus how he would go about searching the mounds, eventually asking him to help. They are interrupted by Rokesmith who delivers a message from Boffin

8. Bella’s new life at the Boffins is discussed. Bella and Boffin discuss Rokesmith. Bella takes a carriage and goes to see her mother and sister, they quarrel and she leaves when Rokesmith arrives, having delivered a gift from Boffin of a purse containing £50. Bella goes to see her father at work and offers to take him out for the day. She makes him buy a new set of clothes, and they go to Greenwich where they dine. Bella accuses herself of having become a mercenary wretch, and vows to find herself a rich husband. She sends her father home swearing him to secrecy with the rest of the money to spend on gifts for the family.
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I'm back on schedule having finished this section a few days ago. If anyone has an Audible account, I have found that they have an exclusive audiobook version of this book that is included in a standard Audible membership for no extra cost. It is narrated by British actress Meera Syal and she does a great job with all the character voices. I'm going to switch back and forth between audiobook and print.

I found Charley confronting Wrayburn very endearing. It's clear he cares about his sister however cruelly he spoke to her a few chapters ago. He wants her to have the advantages of an education that have been opened to him.

My other favourite chapter of this section was Chapter 8. I actually quite like Bella despite her whiny ways. She knows what she wants and has a plan for how to get it. She reminds me of Lily Bart from The House of Mirth.

I had a different reaction to Charley's confrontation with Wrayburn. I thought his attitude toward his sister was more self-centered and that Dickens intended to present both Headstone and Charley in an unfavorable light. In contrast, Wrayburn, while also appearing arrogant and self-centered, somehow came off as more of a positive force in the novel. However, as I have had some difficulty visualizing scenes and getting a proper read of the characters here, I could easily be wrong about Charley and Wrayburn.
I do agree about Bella though. She is a complicated figure with both good and bad traits, more multidimensional than usual for a Dickens female. I also like her self-awareness and expect to root for her character, although I never did take to Lily Bart.

I've barely started chapter 5, and am surprised to find out that Fledgeby is much different than what he had presented in the evening out. But I am finding if funny that he won't let Lammle in on his thoughts concerning Georgiana. This is getting good.

I've finished the first two chapters for week 6, and I have to say that was quite a turnabout with Fledgeby. He's not shy; he's creepy. Yuk!!

The confrontation between Charley and Eugene seemed over the top. Charley sounded his age. He has a couple of reasons for wanting Eugene out of his sister's life, and both those reasons are selfish ones. Headstone has his own selfish reasons.

But what's with Eugene? I'm not impressed with him either. Lizzie is a doer, and he isn't. She's out in the world making a difference. He drinks and smokes cigars and recites riddles. Someone needs to light a Bunsen burner under his butt.

Chapters 7 & 8

Chapter 7 moves the story forward. We learn why Wegg was looking under the bed a while back. He smells money to be made-- perhaps bribery? -- and he's looking for evidence. Venus doesn't look like a reliable partner, though, not to me.

In chapter 8 we see two sides to Bella, the haughty "adopted" daughter of the Boffins, and the loving daughter of her unassuming pa. Leave it to Livvy -- what a hoot! -- to put her sister in her place with the threat of a kiss to the cheek. But Bella has a special place in her heart for her pa. The second half of this chapter, the half where Bella spends the afternoon with her pa, is magical and wonderful and made me see Bella in a whole new light.

Dead March in Saul, the song mentioned several times by Bella and her pa, is a Handel piece played at state funerals. So I found it fascinating when R.W. remembers it as his and his wife's wedding song. I have to think about that one for a while.

Also I find the relationship between the Boffins and Bella to be strange and twisted.

I also thought that Charley's confrontation with Eugene was a bit over the top and he sounded like his young age, as Xan had said. And although I didn't care for the way he spoke to Lizzie in last week's section and his attempt to move her up in society is probably a bit selfish (along with Headstone), at least he is her brother and has a connection with her in wanting better for her. So, he's walking a fine line with me at this point. We'll see how he carries on from here.

On the other hand, Eugene went down a few rungs in my appraisal of him this section. I didn't care for his haughty demeanor at all towards Charley and the schoolmaster. And when Lightwood asked him a question, I just wanted a straight answer already and not his nonsense with all the riddles. Also, for some reason I had pictured Lightwood and Wrayburn as being much older than the illustration in my book depicted them, so now I have a better understanding of perhaps why Eugene is hanging out with Lizzie.

So, I take it that the parcel Venus delivers to Wegg is his long-lost leg? I wonder what he is going to do with it. The upcoming hunt for something valuable should be interesting.

OK, I absolutely loved the visit Bella had with her mother and sister. So hilarious! I loved this bit that Lavinia shoots back at her mother after her mother informs Bella that her sister has grown since the last time she saw her:

"Ma," Miss Lavinia interposed, "there can be no objection to your being aggravating, because Bella richly deserves it; but I really must request that you will not drag in such ridiculous nonsense as my having grown when I am past the growing age."

I'm happy that Bella took her father out for new clothes and a nice meal, and I'm glad to see she is taking charge of her life, but I had an underlying suspicion that even though Bella loves her father best in the family, she might use the secret meal as leverage later on in some way. She can already see how money can be used to obtain things that he really wants. It will be interesting to see if money makes her unlikeable and how she will go about the hunt for a rich husband.

Both Charley and Bella are a bit smitten with Great Expectations. Two characters in parallel, not unusual for Dickens to do. Let's see how their lives unfurl chasing success. I'm betting one fails and the other succeeds.

Linda wrote: " Also, for some reason I had pictured Lightwood and Wrayburn as being much older than the illustration in my book depicted them, ."

I also initailly pictured them as older but then got the more accurate picture later on.

Good observation, Xan, that Bella and Charley are parallels at this point. Definitely something to watch. Any bets on who wins and who loses? I can’t guess at this point.

Thanks, Linda. I'm guessing Bella wins, based solely on her afternoon with her dad.

Ok. Now I’ll be on the watch out for clues. 🙂