152nd book of 2020.

Tolstoy hated Shakespeare, which is an interesting fact in itself, but adored Dickens. Of David Copperfield he said, “The greatest achievement of the greatest of all novelists”, which is quite the statement. Dickens himself claimed that David Copperfield is his favourite of his book, even, his “child”.

But for me, it is not quite Great Expectations, but certainly its precursor: there are certain themes that occur again and certain characters who are reminiscent. David, or Davy, or Daisy, or Doady, is a fairly lovable character, as Pip is. There’s a certain gift you tap into as a writer when you introduce us to a character as a child, especially a child in need, for we, as readers, are instantly on their side; and like Great Expectations, Davy grows up over the course of the book, which inevitably leaves us to witness the rise from innocence to experience. When we look back, from reading David as an adult, it is bizarre to think how far we have come with him, when he starts with the voice of a child:
n  

I felt very brave at being left alone in the solitary house, the protector of Em'ly and Mrs. Gummidge, and only wished that a lion or a serpent, or any ill-disposed monster, would make an attack upon us, that I might destroy him, and cover myself with glory. But as nothing of the sort happened to be walking about on Yarmouth flats that night, I provided the best substitute I could by dreaming of dragons until morning.

n
The novel is full of memorable characters as expected from Dickens. There is the slippery Uriah Heep, the “simple” Mr Dick, the evil Murdstones, the charming Steerforth and above all, the loyal and loveable Thomas Traddles, who is the Samwise Gamgee of the novel, who is introduced as a little boy at Davy’s school, who is obsessed with drawing skeletons. (What better introduction do you need to adore him?):
n  

I used at first to wonder what comfort Traddles found in drawing skeletons; and for some time looked upon him as a sort of hermit, who reminded himself by those symbols of mortality that caning couldn't last forever. But I believe he only did it because they were easy, and didn't want any features.

n
I believe that David Copperfield's plotting is slightly inferior to Great Expectations though. A lecturer of mine once discussed the “rhythm” of novels—like a wave, there are rises and falls both. The novel has its fair share of both, thankfully, mostly equal, but certainly its falls. Parts of the novel seemed unnecessary, or too long-winded and some of the subplots were uninteresting. Certain characters took too much time, or else the characters who were interesting were forgotten for too long. Some parts were predictable, near the end, but there were some shocking moments too.
The highlight of the whole book is the chapter “Tempest”, which is a turning-point in the novel: it is both an emotional turning-point, and a catalyst for the resolutions and unwinding of the novel. The shipwreck in the chapter is described to Moby Dick levels of mythically and powerfully brilliant; I considered quoting a big chunk of it but I don’t think I’ll spoil that much of it: here is only a taster,
n  

But a great cry, which was audible even above the wind and water, rose from the shore at this moment; the sea, sweeping over the rolling wreck, made a clean breach, and carried men, spars, casks, planks, bulwarks, heaps of such toys, into the boiling surge.

n
Its failings are few, but noticeable. It is overly long, but in Victorian fashion, so we forgive it more easily for that. For me though, Great Expectations still stands as the better novel, both technically, and abstractedly.

This is a wonderfully written story of the growth of a young boy to adulthood. It has stirring passages from his time in school, time spent at child labour, and his forlorn solo journey to his Aunt Betsy’s house.

There is a cavalcade of characters that are so well etched. Each is so unique. The chapters are vibrant and flow from one to the other. It is a gripping epic by a master story-teller. I was particularly enthralled by his Aunt Betsy – a stolid, independent female character.

David is portrayed as flawed. He is mesmerized by his “friend” Steerforth, who is no more than a flaunting, charismatic phoney.

But there were some tiresome and predictable aspects to the novel. I found David’s love and eventual marriage to Dora onerous. Dora was such a silly “child”, which she acknowledges repeatedly, and I knew that somehow this relationship would not endure. So Dickens has her wither and die in short order of an unknown illness, enabling David to pursue his real true love, Agnes. I also found the “relationship’ or triangle of Doctor Strong, his young wife Annie and a purported lover of Annie – Jack Maldon rather puritanical, but such was the era.

One gets a view of the Dickens time period. I was struck by the constant flow of tears from both female and male characters in nearly every chapter! Were people more emotional than – or more in tune with their real feelings and unafraid to display raw passions? None of the “British stiff upper lip” from Charles Dickens! In all the Dickens novels I have read there are always strong emotional themes – nothing dry and distant.

Bravo, Dickens!

I have to say that, copying Thackaray for the millionth time, probably. What a difference to read the original, compared to the watered-down versions I was familiar with from my childhood. It took me quite a lot of time to get into the rich flow of words, the beautiful allusions, and the dry humour, but then I was hooked. My family will always remember the Christmas vacation when I was in a rage against Uriah Heep, not able to contain my anger, sharing my frustration loudly!

But it wasn't only annoyance with the blatant hypocrisy, vulgarity and opportunism, of course. I fell in love with the minor characters, as I usually do when reading Dickens. And just following their paths, walking through 19th century London, is a delight!

Update:

My eldest son finished it as well now, and interestingly he was more annoyed with David's naivety than with Uriah's hypocrisy and criminal activities.

By now fully acquainted with the Copperfield universe, he read a comment in The Economist, and burst out laughing at the notoriously self-promoting, self-indulgent, deceptive politician of our days, who claimed to be "very humble indeed - people wouldn't believe really how humble I am!"

"Is 'e as 'umble as Uriah?" my son asked, laughing tears. Well, Uriah ended up playing his tricks in prison... The 'umble scoundrel cited in The Economist later moved into the Bleak House, eh ... sorry, 'umble mistake, Black House it is. Wrong again? Well, in a world turned upside down, it is a pure pleasure to read Dickens and to know that his characters get the fate they deserve, and that poetical justice will come, after a long nail-biting adventure, originally delivered in the newspapers just like global day-to-day politics!

So, Uriah! I would appreciate if you could just 'umbly stay a fictional character!

Finalmente l’ho finito! con le lacrime agli occhi, e’ finito!
Come non dare cinque stelle a una tale grandiosa opera?
Seguirà un commento, ora devo riflettere….

“I giorni di scuola! Il silenzioso scorrere della mia esistenza - l’invisibile, inavvertibile progresso della mia vita, dalla fanciullezza alla gioventù! Lasciatemi pensare, mentre rivedo quell’acqua corrente, ora ridotta ad un secco canale coperto di foglie secche, se v’è qualche segno lungo il suo corso dal quale possa ricordare come essa scorreva.”

Alla fine di ogni libro che leggo di Dickens si rafforza l’idea di quanto la fortuna di quest’autore sia dovuta al perfetto rispecchiarsi nell’epoca in cui viveva.
Di quanti autori possiamo dire la stessa cosa?
Se è cosa pregevole saper anticipare i tempi, altrettanto lo si può dire di chi riesce ad intrepretare gli umori correnti. Dare al pubblico ciò che vuole in quel momento, insomma.
Qui, raccontando la storia di David Copperfield dalla nascita alla maturità, Dickens non solo, come è noto riesce a parlare di alcuni episodi della sua stessa vita ma trasporta sulla pagina tutta un’epoca.
La voce narrante è quella di David stesso che rievoca gli episodi vissuti per come gli sono stati raccontati e come li ricorda.

Come in altri romanzi, torna anche qui quel contrasto tra mondo infantile e mondo adulto dove, generalmente, quest’ultimo si caratterizza proprio per una marcata durezza d’animo.
Edward Murdston (patrigno di David) è proprio il personaggio adatto ad incarnare il gelo, anzi l’astio verso non solo i bambini ma anche verso le donne. La sua parola magica è fermezza, l’arma con cui sottometterà non solo David ma anche la giovane mamma del protagonista.

Rispetto ad “Oliver Twist” qui ho scorto (ed apprezzato) maggiori sfumature.
Alleggerito, insomma, di quel buonismo strappalacrime e stucchevole contrapposto alla malvagità più profonda.
Accanto alle sventure famigliari, David sperimenta con il lavoro le pessime condizioni che caratterizzano la prima era industriale.
L’avidità e l’egoismo rimangono parti fondamentali del motore narrativo e Dickens ne aggiunge pregio con delle pennellate che sanno essere leggere andando al contempo in profondità con il sarcasmo che le pervade e caratterizza.

Sulla forza descrittiva di Charles Dickens ed in particolare in questo romanzo condivido l’analisi che ne fa Zweig nel saggio a lui dedicato:

”La memoria visiva di Dickens non ha eguali, è una lama d’acciaio che fende la nebbia dell’infanzia; in David Copperfield, che è una sorta di autobiografia romanzata, sono presenti ricordi di un bambino di due anni, di sua madre e della cameriera, e i loro profili sono così dettagliati che sembrano emergere dal fondo dell’inconscio. Dickens non offre contorni confusi, non lascia spazio alle possibilità interpretative di uno sguardo esterno, ma costringe alla precisione. La sua forza descrittiva non permette alla fantasia del lettore di prendere il sopravvento, ma lo costringe violentemente alla sua visione (e per questo è diventato il poeta ideale di una nazione priva di fantasia). Ponete venti illustratori davanti ai suoi romanzi e chiedete loro di fare i ritratti di Copperfield e Pickwick: i disegni saranno simili, rappresenteranno con somiglianza inspiegabile (…)”

Comunque ho trovato più autenticità rispetto ad "Oliver Twist". Meno incalzante, però, rispetto a "Grandi speranze" (Pip per me è il migliore!).

2.75 :(

I read this at the same time I read Ready Player One and A Game of Thrones. Those are super exciting, grab your hair and run around, can't put the book down adventure stories.

*whispers* This was better.

It was a slow read for me. Nothing super exciting happens. There are no cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. But it was GOOD.

Dickens outdid himself here. Probably my second favorite of his, behind Bleak House but ahead of Great Expectations. And the last one I still rated 5 stars.

“This narrative is my written memory”, declares David Copperfield in the last section of this elephantine novel, a sentence that strongly implies an autobiographical imprint of the author in the making of his famous middle-class hero. But is that aspect what I most value of this work?
Far from it.
This thick volume is quite an ambitious journey: partly a comic story, which often verges on a tale for children, and partly a picaresque book tinged with distinctive dramatic intention that fluctuates in the cyclical calamities and climaxes that sway a long list of memorable characters back and forth in the tide of Dickens’ fluent storytelling.
Marriage, friendship, betrayal, the multifarious forms of parenthood, and the eternal battle between good and evil are the axes around which the personal growth of naive, almost seraphic-like David will revolve.

As I followed David from boyhood to adulthood and all the tragedies and unexpected gifts life throws on his way, I started to wonder about his real role in the story.
Is David the “real protagonist”?
Or is he a mere bystander, a passive witness that chronicles events unfolding around him without taking action in them?
Maybe the real protagonists are the motley array of characters, so rich in description and recognizable for the repetitive idiomatic expressions that identify their eccentricities and foibles that make them unique….irreplaceable.
Peggotty’s mother’s love, in spite of her being childless, Uriah Heep’s humble meanness, Mr. Micawer’s bountiful utterances, the always willin’ Barkis, Mr. Dick’s innocent intelligence, Mrs Gummidge’s repetitive lament “I’m a lone lorn creetur and everything goes contrairy with me”, Dora’s childish capriciousness, Agnes’ patient wisdom, Mr. Peggotty’s huge heart…
This extended cast of characters paints the canvas of intricate humanity on David’s quiet countenance, transfiguring him into a mirror that reflects the reader’s own nature staring back in his eye, with all his vices and virtues glowing with renewed light. David doesn’t move forward the pace of the narrative, he is the moving point on which everything else; plot, characters, essence; converges.

But for this particular reader, David Copperfield goes beyond the realm of literary fiction; he has won a permanent place in my personal journey towards wholeness. He is a role model to look up to. His observant glance bespeaks of obstinate compassion and blind (blindness is not always bad!) faith in mankind, of the virtuous circle of goodwill and good intention, of the power of positive attitude in front of adversity.
There is not an ounce of cheap sentimentalism in the numerous pages of this epic tale, but one will find an overdose of tenderness and smart humor that shine with intelligence and soul, that dares to approach life and its archetypical structures from other perspectives, that embraces those who are different as dear life.
The concept of family has drastically expanded and reached a superior level for me. Family is now an unknown “valley, with the evening sun shining on the remote heights of snow, that close it in, like eternal clouds”, an open door that welcomes the future, wherever it might lead me.

Readers have been saying that my review of David Copperfield is hard to find, because the edition I have is in two volumes. One helpful friend suggested that I link it to this edition, so here it is:

LINK HERE for Jean's review.

Thanks, Thomas :)

I finished reading David Copperfield on the Kindle a few days ago.

I’m not an English major, and so I’m not going to pretend to be one. I’m not going to discuss what themes the book touches on, what category it fits in, or generally dissect it to the point where it’s more monotonous than fun.

I read the book because I wanted to, not because I had to write a paper about it.

I must say, first of all, that this has got to be one of the best books I’ve ever read. The vivid descriptions of the characters were just fun to read. One particularly meek man was described like this: “He was so extremely conciliatory in his manner that he seemed to apologize to the very newspaper for taking the liberty of reading it.”

Some of the scenes in the novel are amazingly vivid and memorable. The hilarious and tense scene towards the end where one of the main villains is taken down was one, and of course just about every scene involving David’s aunt is too.

Dickens is a master of suspense. He does it through subtle premonitions in the book. You might not even really notice them as you’re reading. But it sure had an effect on me: I had trouble putting the book down, and stayed up later than I should have on more than one night to keep reading another chapter or three.

Like any good book, this one left me to think even after I was done reading it, and left me wanting to read it again. Right now.

There are some practical downsides to it, though. It was written in the 1850s, and some of the vocabulary and British legal, business, and monetary discussions are strange to a modern casual American audience. Nevertheless, with the exception of the particularly verbose Mr. Micawber, you can probably make it through without a dictionary, though one will be handy. I read it on the Kindle, which integrates a dictionary and makes it very easy to look up words. I learned that a nosegay is a bouquet of showy flowers. And that Mr. Micawber was fond of using words obsolete since the 17th century, according to the Kindle. If you remember that “pecuniary emoluments” refers to a salary, you’ll be doing OK.

The other thing that occasionally bugged me was that the narrator (David) would comment on some sort of gesture, or comment that wasn’t very direct, and then say something like, “But she didn’t need to be more explicit, because I understood the meaning perfectly.” Well, sometimes I didn’t. Though I usually figured it out after a bit. I was never quite sure if Dickens was being intentionally needling to the reader, or if an 1850s British reader would have figured out the meaning perfectly well. But that was part of the fun of it, I think.

This review also posted on my blog at http://changelog.complete.org/archive...

My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely; that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest.

David Copperfield has made a mark on my heart and mind after spending the past few months reading this spectacular work with a group of buddies here on Goodreads as part of the Dickensians! group. The journey of young David from childhood to adulthood is told by the older David as he looks back on his life telling of the most memorable events. We readers get to follow along on the paths he takes and watch him make many, many determining decisions that have lasting effects on him. He is quite introspective at times and most of what we learn about David’s life is told through the stories of the long list of unforgettable characters that Dickens always creates to perfection. Aunt Betsey Trotwood has to be the most remarkable, in my opinion, as she was the driving force in David’s life when he found himself forced to make his own way in the world. A generous, strong-willed and independent woman, Aunt Betsey provides many moments of humor (”Janet! Donkeys!”) and even more words of wisdom and enlightenment to David.

Never," said my aunt, "be mean in anything; never be false; never be cruel. Avoid those three vices, Trot, and I can always be hopeful of you.

Considered Dickens’ own favorite of his novels, David Copperfield shares events and experiences similar to his creator. This autobiographical essence adds that much more sentimentality to an already stirring and stimulating novel. Some might say that not a lot happens in this coming of age tale. Witnessing the struggles of a young orphan trying to figure out how to make his way in life may not be the most exciting topic, however, I was sold from the beginning on just how magical a character David was going to be. Dickens creates his beloved David as a sensitive, idealistic boy who learns (through many mistakes and poor decisions) life’s lessons often the hard way. His love for the nostalgia of his life comes through loud and clear and his natural ability to love and see the best in those he loves is one of his qualities that was endearing. David’s passivity can be quite frustrating but his character remains steadfast and honest and above all loving.

...I hope that simple love and truth will be strong in the end. I hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world.

Dickens delves into numerous topics and social issues, as he usually does. To mention a few, he takes a look at the plight of the weak against the stronger and more cunning. He also asks the question about what makes a home and a family truly ideal as most of the portrayals of families in David Copperfield do not fit in with Victorian standards. Daniel Peggotty, a kind and generous fisherman, took in his orphaned niece and nephew as well as his business partner’s grumpy widow. Even Aunt Betsey takes in Mr. Dick who is a “distant connexion” and a tender-hearted man she often looks to for advice.

I will look back on my time with David Copperfield with admiration and awe and appreciation to those who read it along with me. I now look so very forward to watching the movie adaptation and seeing Maggie Smith bring my favorite character to life!

Also ich mochte David Copperfield so sehr.
Dickens hat hier ein Werk geschaffen, welches autobiographische Züge aufweist. Es gab hier einige Parallelitäten zu Dickens eigener Kindheit, zum eigenen Lebensweg. Dies im Hinterkopf zu haben, machte die Geschichte für mich natürlich noch interessanter.

David Copperfield erzählt hier selbst seine eigene Geschichte. Er beginnt mit seiner Geburt und wir begleiten ihn einige Jahre.
Hierbei begegnen wir vielen Menschen, die so interessant und natürlich in die Geschichte eingewoben werden. Und die vor allen Dingen ihre ganz eigenen Kämpfe auszufechten haben.

Copperfield wächst als kleiner Junge bei seiner Mutter auf. Den eigenen Vater zwar nie kennengelernt, verbindet beide eine liebevolle Beziehung. Gestört wird diese jedoch schon sehr bald durch seinen gewalttätigen Stiefvater und dessen Schwester, die sich in das Leben Davids und seiner Mutter Clara drängen und nichts als Gefühlskälte und Unheil bringen. Eine Stütze für Davy, wie er liebevoll genannt wird, ist die Hausangestellte Pegotty.
Traumatische Umstände in Copperfields frühen Jahren lassen ihn unter größter Verzweiflung und als letzte Hoffnung, seine Großtante Betsey Trotwood aufsuchen, zu der er bisweilen keine bewusste Verbindung hatte.
Hier entfaltet sich die Geschichte immer weiter.

Für mich war dieses Werk trotz seines Umfangs von 1136 Seiten gut und relativ zügig zu lesen. Ich wollte immer unbedingt wissen, wie es mit David weitergeht.
Dickens entfaltet hier tatsächlich eine große Geschichte, die sich nicht nur auf die Protagonist:innen sondern auch auf gesellschaftliche Strukturen im England des 19. Jahrhunderts bezieht.
Es geht um Gesellschaftsschichten, Kinderarbeit, Umgang mit Menschen, die besondere Bedürfnisse haben, die Stellung der Frauen, Beziehungen und Erziehungsmethoden Kindern gegenüber, arrangierte Ehen u.v.m.

Kurzum entwirft Dickens ein umfassendes Gesellschaftsportrait dieser Zeit .
Was mir am Besten daran gefallen hat, ist die Menschlichkeit und Liebe mit der er dabei auf seine Charaktere blickt. Er zeigt Missstände auf und ist meines Erachtens was einige Ansichten angeht, seiner Zeit voraus. Vermutlich bedingt durch seine eigene Biografie, hatte er keine andere Wahl als beide Seiten der Medaille im Leben zu erfahren und daraus Inspiration für seine Werke zu ziehen. Vor allen Dingen aber nutzt er hier seine Stimme als Schriftsteller, um sich für Humanität, Freundschaft, Liebe , Gerechtigkeit und Empathie auszusprechen.


Mir hat das Buch ausgesprochen gut gefallen. Auch die angepriesene Übersetzung von Gustav Meyrink hat mir ausgesprochen gut gefallen. Alle Charaktere erhalten gemäß der Zugehörigkeit zu einer eigenen Gesellschaftsschicht oder zugehörig einer bestimmten Region eigene
Dialekte und Sprechweisen.

Ein tolles Werk, welches nicht mehr ausziehen wird. Vermutlich werde ich mir noch eine Dickensbiographie zulegen.
Als krönenden Abschluss zum Buch habe ich mir auf Prime noch die Verfilmung von 1999 mit Daniel Radcliffe als junger David Copperfield angesehen und auch diese hat mir sehr gut gefallen.

Nun freue ich mich auf Demon Copperhead von Barbara Kingsolver.