The Old Curiosity Club discussion

Dear Curiosities,

We are now coming to A Tale of Two Cities, which is an unusual novel for Dickens in at least two ways. Written in 1859, two years after the serialization of the Little Dorrit instalments was done, it stands out by its comparative shortness, especially when you compare it with Dickensian giants like Bleak House, David Copperfield or Little Dorrit. I think that only Hard Times is shorter among the major novels. And yet, there are various reasons to regard A Tale of Two Cities as one of the Dickensian giants, as we may probably see in the course of the next few weeks.

The other unusual thing about the novel is that it is an historical novel, one of only two Dickens wrote, the other one being Barnaby Rudge. It might be interesting to discuss in what way the one of these novels is different from the other as we proceed reading.

A last peculiarity of the novel is - but this can be gainsaid - that here Dickens hardly plays out any comic relief and that there are no funny characters like Mr Micawber, Mrs Gamp or Mr Pickwick. But don't let this deter you: I have also found lots of humour in Dostoyevsky and in Joseph Conrad ;-)

Here is our reading schedule for the coming weeks. I hope you'll all enjoy this special Dickens experience!

26/05 – 01/06 Book I, 1-6
02/06 – 08/06 Book II, 1-6
09/06 – 15/06 Book II, 7-13
16/06 – 22/06 Book II, 14-18
23/06 – 29/06 Book II, 19-24
30/06 – 06/07 Book III, 1-7
07/07 – 14/07 Book III, 8-12
15/07 – 20/07 Book III, 13-15
21/07 – 27/07 Reflexions on the Entire Book

I've only read TOTC once, and that was on my own. I look forward to exploring it again with the insights of the group.

Mary Lou wrote: "I've only read TOTC once, and that was on my own. I look forward to exploring it again with the insights of the group."

Mary Lou

I think you will enjoy TTC. It is remarkably different from his other novels and yet it is still clearly from the hand of Dickens.

There are many memorable scenes and lines.

This is one of my favorite books - perhaps because of the memorable phrase "It is a far...." I am thrilled.

Now a major question to all -- My library system services about 100 book clubs - I really do not know after Covid but that is what it was before Covid. We have book boxes of 12 books of the same book that book group coordinators can check out of 35-40 days and pass the books out to club members for reading. After discussion the next month, books are returned and members get the next book to be discussed next month. There are 200+ book boxes - some get cycled out when groups do not use them. Some remain forever. I request a Dickens book every year (10 years) and, as of now, there are still no books by Dickens in a book box. I am just going to buy a dozen books (same book) and donate them. I have done this before - Room, Red Sparrow, Girls at 17 Swann Street. I have narrowed the choices down to A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. No hard ones and I heard somewhere that almost everyone has to read Great Expectations in high school in the US. That seems to be the high school book of choice. Now, which one do I pick? Advice, please. A Tale of Two Cities gets extra points because it is based on "real" history. Lots of people have seen the movie "Oliver" and David Copperfield is supposed to mimic a lot of Dickens' life. So which one would you choose for your book club - not Dickens fans, just real people. I asked them politely at the library and they ignore my request. Now, I am going to do it. Help me decide. Tell me why. Which is easiest for busy people? Which teaches the most? etc. I am going to do this -- I know the librarian will not turn down a Dickens book. If I brought in Lolita, I suspect she would not put it on the list of book boxes. I know, Dickens did not write Lolita. Give me your honest opinion. Thanks a bunch. peace, janz

Janze -
I'd say David Copperfield. I think it's the most accessible to a modern audience, particularly one that isn't accustomed to 19th century writing.

Oliver Twist is, perhaps, my least favorite Dickens. While it has some brilliant characters and writing, it relies too much on coincidences that can't possibly be foreseen by the reader, and therefore seem unbelievable. For me, this was a turn off. A Tale of Two Cities, as Peter mentioned, lacks Dickens' humor, and I think it's a shame that people don't realize how funny he can be. If you want people to keep coming back to Dickens, I think they need to start with a novel that has some light to balance the dark. My two cents.

Peacejanz wrote: "This is one of my favorite books - perhaps because of the memorable phrase "It is a far...." I am thrilled.

Now a major question to all -- My library system services about 100 book clubs - I real..."

Hi Peacejanz

Like Mary Lou, I think David Copperfield is a remarkable book brimming over with wonderful characters, memorable scenes and has the distinction of being Dickens’s own favourite novel that he wrote. It is rather long and this might distract or be a turn off for people.

My other suggestion would be Great Expectations. To me, this is Dickens at his mature best. Since it was written in weekly parts the chapters are not too lengthly. Also, it is a much shorter novel than David Copperfield. As an added bonus, Dickens wrote two endings for the novel. What a great debate for readers to choose the ending they liked best.

All in all, Copperfield and Great Expectations are both wonderful. I too would avoid Oliver Twist.

I'd like to join the group read of A Tale of Two Cities. The stars are aligned as is my current reading schedule with this group. So I'm looking forward to participating.

That's great, Francis. It should be a robust discussion!

I'm looking forward to reading A Tale of Two Cities with the group too :-)

Peacejanz wrote: "This is one of my favorite books - perhaps because of the memorable phrase "It is a far...." I am thrilled.

Now a major question to all -- My library system services about 100 book clubs - I real..."

My twopence worth is that the one big advantage Oliver Twist has is that nearly everyone has at least an overall idea of the story and will recognise Oliver, the Dodger and Fagin.

My feeling is that more people would pick it up out of curiosity.

But then my favourite Dickens is the Old Curiosity Shop which is universally derided by everyone else, so bear that in mind !

David wrote: "Peacejanz wrote: "This is one of my favorite books - perhaps because of the memorable phrase "It is a far...." I am thrilled.

Now a major question to all -- My library system services about 100 b..."

David

You are not alone in liking OCS. I think it is a very good novel and am a card-carrying member of the Little Nell fan club. Rest assured that there is another Curiosity as well who greatly enjoys the book and Little Nell besides myself.

Hint. It is not Tristram. :-)

Peter wrote: " Rest assured that there is another Curiosity as well who greatly enjoys the book and Little Nell besides myself.

Hint. It is not Tristram. :-)

Everyone loves poor, poor little Nell, the people in America used to stand on the docks waiting for the ships bringing the next installment of the novel to see what happened to Little Nell that month. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't love her. Well, I can think of one person, a really grumpy person. :-)

Kim wrote: "the people in America used to stand on the docks waiting for the ships bringing the next installment of the novel to see what happened to Little Nell that month."

Maybe, those people were simply impatient to find out whether Dickens had finally done her in? ;-)

OCS was one of the earlier books by Dickens that I read. I just thought the title was so enticing and I have always loved resale shops, antique shops, etc. But I have to admit that it was not a favorite of mine.
As for the next book, Tale of Two Cities, I can remember early in the morning lying in bed reading it when I started having labor pains with my son. That was many years ago and that son is now a college professor in Creative Writing. I would like to read it again but I'm afraid it will not be this time. But, I hope you will all enjoy it.

Same with me, Bobbie! I'd hoped TOCS would actually have something to do with the shop and its curiosities. Turns out they didn't stay there long.

Funny how we remember what we were reading during some big events in our lives. I remember reading Martin Chuzzlewit while sitting at my dad's bedside in an ER , and feeling a great kinship with Sarah Gamp.

Sorry you can't join us for TOTC. Find us at whatever pub we end up in and stop in from time to time to say hello.

I remember reading Nicholas Nickleby when my daughter was born - of course, I wasn't reading it when my wife was being delivered ;-)

Peter wrote: "Peacejanz wrote: "This is one of my favorite books - perhaps because of the memorable phrase "It is a far...." I am thrilled.

Now a major question to all -- My library system services about 100 b..."

I second Great Expectations. I don't know if it's my favorite, but it feels to me like a nearly flawless book. It's long, but it's readable and suspenseful, the writing is beautiful, the characters--even the women!--complex, and the plot twists so satisfying.

Also it's been adapted to film a lot, which makes it more accessible.

I'm looking forward to Tale of Two Cities, which before I joined this read-along I considered my favorite Dickens novel, so I am curious to see how it holds up now that I have more of them under my belt.

I hadn't realized this was only one of two historicals Dickens wrote, and I also very much enjoyed Barnaby Rudge. I may be a sucker for the historicals.

Fun note: if you're talking film adaptations, the Christopher Nolan Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises riffs a lot on Tale of Two Cities. I realized this in the theater when I saw one of the characters knitting, and suddenly a lot of things snapped into place!

Julie wrote: "Fun note: if you're talking film adaptations, the Christopher Nolan Batman movie The Dark Night Rises riffs a lot on Tale of Two Cities. I realized this in the theater when I saw one of the charact..."

I totally missed that. Time to see the movie again.

Julie wrote: "Fun note: if you're talking film adaptations, the Christopher Nolan Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises riffs a lot on Tale of Two Cities. I realized this in the theater when I saw one of the charac..."

That's an interesting observation, Julie. Normally, I never watch movies about super-heroes, unlike my son, who is a sucker for them - but I may yet surprise him by suggesting watching that movie with me. He need not know my true motivation ;-)