In fact, the entire main novel of Dickens is an encyclopedia of types of relationships in a paired partnership between a man and a woman. Please note, there is no female friendship here, and where a friend of one of the heroines appears - she is in a supporting role, like Julia Mills in the novel of David and Dora. They will object to me: what about Peggotty and David's mother? I've already talked about this: Peggotty is a character who takes care of and is called to take care of the hero, his guardian angel. She is with the hostess, as long as it provides an opportunity to be closer to the boy.

There is no male friendship here either. Well, hello. And David and Steerforth? Really? And where do you see friendship? The younger one looks into the older one's mouth and breathes on him through the beat, the older one plays with the baby, using it as a pawn in his games. Okay, David-Threaddles? Well, a good partnership, although the roles, in a strange way, reflect the relationship with Steerforth, only this time David is the leader. He is different from Steerforth, deeply decent, with internal qualifications that will never allow manipulating a trusted person. But that's not the need for a friend's company, like... yes, even in "Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson" or "The Three Comrades" by Remarque, "The Three Musketeers" by Dumas. In Dickens, men sporadically converge to carry out a joint business, the main partner remains a woman.

"ЖИЗНЬ ДЭВИДА КОППЕРФИЛЬДА". ТОСКА ПО РОДНОЙ ДУШЕ
Любит ли Дэвид свою Дору? Разумеется - да. Счастлив ли он в браке? Совершенно точно - нет. Любит ли Эмли Стирфорта? Бесспорно. Счастлива она, путешествуя с ним по дальним странам, получив возможность пользоваться благами жизни, о каких и мечтать не могла по обстоятельствам рождения? Не думаю. Любит ли Треддлс Лучшую Девушку на Свете? А как иначе. Счастливы ли они, соединившись наконец, хотя бы и в скудости? Счастливы. Любит ли миссис Микобер мужа? Буде кто вздумает усомниться, уверения: "Я никогда не оставлю мистера Микобера", переходящие в истерический припадок, всегда с ней.

Любит ли Бетси Тротвуд Мисера Дика? Что за странные вопросы, она заботится о нем, она спасла его от перспективы быть помещенным в дом скорби. Нет, вы скажите, любит? Н-ну любит, как иначе можно прожить с человеком под одной крышей не один десяток лет. Любит ли доктор свою Анни, а она его? В первой части уверены с самого начала, вторая вызывает большие сомнения вплоть до сцены объяснения, когда молодая жена говорит:

"При несходстве характеров и взглядов, брак не может быть счастливым".


Любит ли Клара Пегготи Мэрдстона? Любит, бедняжка (или ей только кажется). Приесло ли это счастье? Угу, в одной могиле с младенчиком. А теперь так, любят ли Мэрдстоны, брат и сестра, друг друга? Он помыкает ею, она подчиняется, но в карьере многоженца-вдовца, которую брутальный мачо осуществляет на протяжении жизни, единственной постоянной спутницей и верной приспешницей остается она. Любят ли Урия с матерью друг друга? Бр-р, жуткая парочка, ну так что же? Это не мешает им быть счастливыми в обществе друг друга и достигать полного взаимного понимания.

По сути, весь главный роман Диккенса - это энциклопедия типов взаимоотношений в парном партнерстве между мужчиной и женщиной. Обратите внимание, здесь нет женской дружбы, а где подруга у какой-то из героинь появляется - она на вспомогательной роли, как Джулия Миллс у романа Дэвида и Доры. Мне возразят: а как же Пегготи и мама Дэвида? Я уже говорила об этом: Пегготи - персонаж, опекающий и призванный заботиться о герое, ангел-хранитель его. Она при хозяйке, пока это предоставляет возможность быть ближе к мальчику.

Здесь нет и мужской дружбы. Ну здрассьти. А Дэвид со Стирфортом? Правда? И где вы видите дружбу? Младший заглядывает старшему в рот и через такт на него дышит, старший играет малышом, используя, как пешку в своих играх. Ладно, Девид - Треддлс? Ну, хорошее партнерство, хотя роли, странным образом, отражают отношения со Стирфортом, только лидером на сей раз Дэвид. Он другой, чем Стирфорт, глубоко порядочный, со внутренними цензами, которые никогда не позволят манипулировать доверившимся человеком. Но то не потребность в обществе друга, как... да хоть в "Шерлоке Холмсе и докторе Ватсоне" или "Трех товарищах" Ремарка, "Трех мушкетерах" Дюма. У Диккенса мужчины спорадически сходятся для осуществления совместного дела, основным партнером остается женщина.

И посмотрите, при всей склонности писателя к морализаторству, насколько удались ему описания тандемов сомнительного или явно порочного свойства. Понимаете, что хочу сказать? Жизнь входит в роман и вносит коррективы. Если бы это зависело от писателя, разве отказался бы он от возможности наказать каждого из отрицательных персонажей пребыванием в локальном аду с ненавистным и непонимающим, нелюбящим партнером? Но нет, удачно нашедшие друг друга люди, счастливы вместе, несмотря на глубокую сомнительность собственных моральных установок и даже полное их отсутствие.

А люди, внутренне различные, при всех чудесных свойствах счастливого соединения, преодолевающего преграды - счастливыми в обществе друг друга быть не могут. Два изумительной красоты примера самоотверженной нежности и умения дождаться своего партнера - поиски Эмли мистером Пегготи и Агнесс с Дэвидом. В первом случае, даже несмотря на жесткость пуританской морали, предписывающей опороченной в глазах общества женщине завернуться в белую простыню и ползти в сторону кладбища - восстановленное доброе имя и возможность начать сначала на далеком австралийском континенте. С человеком, который любит понимает, защитит и которому ты будешь преданной верной любящей спутницей.

Во втором - ну, хорошим мальчикам и девочкам должно же быть счастье, правда?

ادبیات فقط کلاسیک

دیوید کاپرفیلد: هرچند از خواندن این کتاب 8 تا 10 سال می گذره ولی همچنان تحت تاثیر داستان سرشار از زندگی اونم، این کتاب مثل یک داروی انرژی زا یا کتابی برای موفقیت هست، چنان شما رو از اعماق تنهایی و ناامیدی به قله شور و هیجان و امیدواری میرسونه که کاری جز تلاش و موفقیت در زندگی نمی تونید انجام بدید.
نه کسی یکدفعه عاشق میشه نه کسی یکدفعه متحول. چنان همه چیز واقعیست که اصلا فراموش می کنید، خواننده کتاب هستید.
چنان در کتاب غرق می شوید که گویا از بودن در زمان حال احساس غربت و تنهایی می کنید، پس باز به کتاب پناه می برید تا به زندگی خود ادامه دهید.

n  "Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself completely; in great aims and in small I have always thoroughly been in earnest."n
–Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

When I began my journey with David Copperfield, I could hardly have expected the emotion that this book would wring from me.

The story opens just before David’s birth and progresses throughout his lifetime. I laughed along with him and his carer, Peggotty, as they played together. I settled in by the fire with David and his widowed, childlike mother to bask in the warmth of their family and, as Master Copperfield grew, my love for him swelled. But this tale is not all sunshine and lollipops - far from it! By the time I had realized what lay ahead, I was too enmeshed to turn back. My heart was shredded so many times that I had to put my kindle down and walk away because I couldn’t stand another moment of pain. I always returned because I couldn’t leave the dear boy alone.

I cursed those who had hurt my treasured lad, but David remained ever hopeful and bright, even in the face of impossible odds. He shared this faith with me, along with laughter, love, and hope of a more glorious day to come.

David Copperfield will, from this day forth, be one of my favorite books. Dickens' writing, of course, is pure gold with delicious, buttery prose gracing every page. This novel may have splintered my heart and dragged it through the mud, but in the end, Charles Dickens put everything right, and I’m all the better for reading it!

A big thank you to Martha. Her passionate review convinced me to add this!


n  "At the appointed time, we stood at the door—the door of that house where I had been, a few days since, so happy; where my youthful confidence and warmth of the heart had been yielded up so freely; which was closed against me henceforth; which was now a waste, a ruin."n

n  "That at this sight Mrs. Markleham dropped the newspaper, and stared more like a figure-head intended for a ship to be called The Astonishment, than anything else I can think of."n

n  "How well I recollect the wintry ride! The frozen particles of ice, brushed from the blades of grass by the wind, and borne across my face; the hard clatter of the horse’s hoofs, beating a tune upon the ground; the stiff-tilled soil; the snowdrift, lightly eddying in the chalk-pit as the breeze ruffled it; the smoking team with the waggon of old hay, stopping to breathe on the hill-top, and shaking their bells musically; the whitened slopes and sweeps of Down-land lying against the dark sky, as if they were drawn on a huge slate!"n

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.

n  BETWEEN SORROW AND JOYn

Charles Dickens
by Dorothy Parker
Who call him spurious and shoddy
Shall do it o'er my lifeless body.
I heartily invite such birds
To come outside and say those words!

I would like to avoid a close encounter with Dorothy Parker’s ghost at all costs – although I bet it is as witty and smart as she was! – so let us put down the curtain of silence on:

☛ My severe mid-novel crisis when I considered ditching David Copperfield.

☛ All the moments when I felt exhausted with Dickens’ verbosity. Some passages felt like padded with cottonwool of words.

☛ The annoying child wife, Dora, aka Little Blossom – a young woman who behaves like a five-year-old, calls herself ‘a silly goose’ and acts accordingly. Everyone but me seemed to be thrilled by her. I turned out to be immune to this mist of love and beauty.

☛ An abrupt ending. On the one hand, I could not wait for the finale because the novel truly dragged in the last chapters. It felt as if Dickens had been appointed a certain number of pages by the publisher and had to stick to it, which is actually quite probable, as David Copperfield was published as a serial first. On the other hand, there was something superficial in concluding the protagonist's love life so fast and easily. The novel appeared in instalments over a period of eighteen months and that can explain Dickens' haste in some passages and unevenness. Some chapters are like intricate medallions while others seem rough and messy.

☛ A series of unbelievable coincidences, like a stranger from England handing a newspaper with a description of the storm and its sad consequences to Mr Peggoty and Em’ly.

☛ Sometimes melodrama verges on the cloying.


Illustration by Glen Ketchum.

Let us not discuss these topics then but bask in the warmth and beauty of this novel instead. This warmth and beauty are facts, no matter how irritating some passages are.

Writing a review of David Copperfield (1850) is a task similar to squishing impressions from a five-week journey into a postcard. Suffice it to say, silence is tempting. Nabokov confessed in his Lectures on Literature: If it were possible I would like to devote the fifty minutes of every class meeting to mute meditation, concentration, and admiration of Dickens. Mute meditation might not translate well into an online review so let me tell you about the things that surprised and struck me the most:

✵ The musicality of Dickens’ prose which turns into poetry at times.
That was the biggest surprise! Just an example: “No, Copperfield!—No communication—a—until—Miss Wickfield—a—redress from wrongs inflicted by consummate scoundrel—HEEP!” (I am quite convinced he could not have uttered three words, but for the amazing energy with which this word inspired him when he felt it coming.) “Inviolable secret—a—from the whole world—a—no exceptions—this day week—a—at breakfast time—a—everybody present—including aunt—a—and extremely friendly gentleman—to be at the hotel at Canterbury—a—where—Mrs. Micawber and myself—Auld Lang Syne in chorus—and—a—will expose intolerable ruffian—HEEP!” Of course, it was Mr Micawber whose tirades sometimes drove me crazy. Another example of such lyrical, musical style is Em'ly's dramatic letter which sounds like a lament. Besides, some characters' sayings constantly recur like a refrain, for instance, Mrs Gummidge's: I'm a lone lorn creetur, which I adored!

✵ The theatricality of David Copperfield.
Most of the events take place in interiors, there are lots of dialogues, there is something theatrical in the way Dickens' characters behave at times - for example, the way Em'ly acts when Rosa screams at her. And the chapter in which the narrator tells us what happened to the characters afterwards: it looks like they were called onto the stage one by one to bow, receive applause and stand in the spotlight for the last time. It does not surprise me much that the number of theatrical and film adaptations of David Copperfield is vast.

✵ The psychological portrayals of characters.
Dickens nailed it. My favourites are unforgettable aunt Betsey Trotwood, Peggotty, a living proof that a loving heart was was better and stronger than wisdom (how could Dickens marginalise her in the last chapters!) and obsessively sentimental Miss Julia Mills (I felt livid when I read what happened to her afterwards according to Dickens, I refuse to believe in that!). And I must not forget about simple Dick - mad Dick - if I had not been Dickens' fan already, I would have become one immediately seeing how emphatically he portrayed a mentally challenged person in the times when people like Mr Dick were usually treated with disgust and fear. And Miss Rosa Dartle! No way I can forget her. I think she is one of the best and most controversial characters ever! Last but not least: Jip, Dora's spaniel and his complex relationship with aunt Betsey! As for David Copperfield and me, well, it was not a crush. He frequently irritated me and I cannot forgive him two moments of passivity: when it was revealed what had happened to Em'ly and during the conversation between Em'ly and infuriated Rosa which he was eavesdropping.


Illustration by Ron Embleton.

✵ Dickens' sense of humour.
I simply fell in love with it again. A lovely and unique blend of hilarity, irony, melancholy and compassion.

✵ The originality of David Copperfield as a novel.
In 1850 Dickens' book was probably assessed as genre-defying. It is not just a typical, predictable novel. There are elements of an autobiography, a social novel, a novel of manners, a bildungsroman. Besides, it includes a newspaper article, a few letters, Miss Mills' diary - a brilliant parody of a sentimental journal (Are tears the dewdrops of the heart?). Some parts are written in the present tense which was probably shocking then, just like the usage of the Suffolk dialect of the Peggottys (by the way, they were Dickens' favourite characters of the novel).

What was different from my first encounter with David Copperfield many years ago? I was about thirteen then. My reaction to the episodes from David’s childhood changed. When I read this book aeons ago I felt very sorry for the poor boy but it felt like an exciting adventure story at the same time. Now I found this part of the novel emotionally draining. David’s experiences made me even think of The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski though of course, Dickens’ book is not as brutal. The grisly things that kept happening to David really hurt me, especially when he was abused by adults. Nevertheless, I think it was the best part of the book. It was written so vividly! No wonder George Orwell, reading David Copperfield at age nine, was sure the author was a child.

It is depressing to realize that the protagonist's misfortunes were based on the author's: Charles was employed in a blacking factory when he was twelve. I am not surprised Dickens was not able to talk with his family and friends about his traumatic experiences as a child labourer. In a way his situation was worse than David’s – the protagonist was an orphan while Charles’ parents were the ones who decided to send him to work. He could never come to terms with it.

I was surprised to find out that Dickens considered David Copperfield his best novel. Unfortunately, I beg leave to differ. Maybe the autobiographical background might have distorted his objectivity. Personally, I much prefer Great Expectations. David Copperfield was much more to Dickens than just another book. In his letter to John Foster from 21st October 1850 he describes the final touches: I am within three pages of the shore; and am strangely divided, as usual in such cases, between sorrow and joy. Oh, my dear Forster, if I were to say half of what Copperfield makes me feel to-night, how strangely, even to you, I should be turned inside-out! I seem to be sending some part of myself into the Shadowy World.

That is exactly how I felt when I finished the last page of David Copperfield. Between sorrow and joy.


Illustration by Felicita Sala.

Finishing this long stay in London, I am tempted to read another Dickens. His good characters are so lovable. David Copperfield begins and ends with the elusive Betsy Trotwood.

Who was my favorite character? Dick, Traddles, Aunt, Mr. Micawber, Little Em’ly, Agnes, the Doctor, his wife, Mrs. Micawber (who will never leave Micawber), or David? So many kind and old friends.

And perhaps the slimiest person every written Uriah Heep!

Richard Armitage does them all justice!

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!

I had considered how the things that never happen, are often as much realities to us, in their effects, as those that are accomplished.
David Copperfield ~~~ Charles Dickens



What a crackerjack story David Copperfield is!

I have a tradition of reading something by Dickens every December. Sometimes a full novel, often a short story, mostly re-readings of A Christmas Carol, this being my favorite of all Dickens' writings. Earlier this year I was speaking with my friend Matthew & told him I hadn’t settled on my Dickens read for the year; he suggested David Copperfield. I’m so glad I followed Matthew’s suggestion. One thousand plus pages later, I wanted David Copperfield for my best friend. Yes, I absolutely loved David Copperfield! I jumped the gun a bit by reading it towards the end of November, which frees up December for Oliver Twist.

Beginning just before his birth, with Copperfield telling the story as it was related to him, the first-person account ends sometime in Copperfield’s mid-life. From his orphaned childhood to a step-parent with less than scrupulous morality, Copperfield's childhood has all the hallmarks of 19th century England, at least in so far as it is portrayed by Dickens, the Bronte Sisters, George Elliot ~~ or even Victor Hugo, who finished Les Miserables in Britain’s Guernsey. Orphans, step-parents, premature death, the conflict between marriages for love or for money, and the constant worries about annual income, debt, and debtor’s prison all make their appearance in David Copperfield.



David Copperfield is the story of a young man’s adventures on his journey from an unhappy & impoverished childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist. Among the vivid cast of characters Master David encounters are his tyrannical stepfather, Mr. Murdstone & his evil sister, Jane; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood ~~ who I loved; the eternally humble yet treacherous Uriah Heep; frivolous, enchanting Dora; & the magnificently impecunious Micawber ~~ one of literature’s great comic creations.

David Copperfield begins like a gender-reversed Cinderella story ~~ Cinderfella. Young Master David lives happily with his widowed mother, until she marries mean Mr Murdstone ~~ the wiched stepfather. David's mother, Clara ~~ a weak-willed young woman ~~ loves her son dearly ~~ but lets him down. Not only does she fail to stick up for him, but even lets the evil Murdstones talk her into supporting their point of view. Eventually the poor young mother dies, and David is left at the mercy of Murdstone and his bitter, twisted, ugly sister; a terrible place for any child to be ~~ especially a sensitive child like Young Master David.

But Young Master David is no passive Cinderfella. Rather than sitting around crying, to be later rescued by a fairy-godmother, he takes his destiny into his own hands ~~ he seeks out his fairy-godmother on his own and at his peril. David has heard tales about his dead father's aunt, Miss Betsey Trotwood. She's a man-hater ~~ with good reason ~~ who would have taken on his support if he'd been a girl, but she was present at his birth, and stalked off in disgust when he turned out to be a boy. Young Master David knows his only chance to escape a terrible fate is to set off on his own two feet to track her down, doing his best to convince his Great Aunt to give him another chance. It's a brave move indeed, since there's no guarantee Miss Trotwood will even let him in her door.



Betsey Trotwood ~~ the wonderful Betsey Trotwood ~~ David’s austere Great Aunt. She is a great example of one of the one dimensional characters Dickens introduces very early in his novels, who go on to become fully rounded, interesting and intensely human ~~ Dickens' writing is full of them. Betsey Trotwood is a real eccentric, but proves to be genuinely kind and warm hearted under her brusque exterior. She is the only person willing and able to confront and confound the evil Edward Murdstone, and his cruel sister Jane. And the way that Aunt Betsey nurtures and champions the simple-minded Mr. Dick is Dickens at his most humane. Betsey Trotwood is one of the most awe-inspiring figures in this intensely compelling read.

While we're at it, here are a few observations about some of the other interesting female characters in this book. Clara Peggotty ~~ the infant Copperfield’s nurse and friend is a lovely character ~~ one of Dickens’ quintessential nurturing women. She is completely loyal ~~ first to David’s weak and ineffective mother ~~ then to the David himself. There's Little Emily ~~ who David falls in love with on his very first visit to the Peggotty clan in Yarmouth ~~ a woman with a heart of gold, who falls victim to circumstances ~~ this being Dickens of course it's an exploitative man. Another ~~ Rosa Dartle ~~ who lives as a companion with Mrs. Steerforth ~~ an astonishingly cold and cruel woman. Later we meet Dora Spenlow ~~ Copperfield’s n  child-wifen ~~ an irritatingly feckless woman. It is said Dicken modeled her on Maria Beadnell, whom he was infatuated with for several years in his late-teens and who eventually rejected him ~~ due to his lower-class origins. Was Dora Dickens' revenge on Maria? Lastly, there's the angelic Agnes Wickfield ~~ Dickens’ ideal ~~ an unreal specimen of perfect womanhood. While I find Dora to be quite annoying, I do prefer her over the angelic Agnes.



As stated previously, Dickens loved him some orphans, cruel stepfathers, sadistic schoolmasters, and frail women crushed like fragile flowers. David Copperfield has an abundance of these things, and every other thing that makes a novel n  Dickensiann. David eventually finds a savior ~~ allowing his life to moves along with ups and downs that echo those of Dickens himself.

Much of the drama and humor in David Copperfield comes from the subplots ~~ David is the least interesting character here ~~ this is not a criticism ~~ David is the hub to which all these crazy spokes attach to. David lifts up those people in his world ~~ helping to redeem many of them. Along the way, he apprentices as a proctor, is smitten by his boss's daughter, proceeding from penniless youth to prosperous middle age as a successful author ~~ sound familiar? Along the way, his friends and associates have much more dramatic adventures, from the perpetual pecuniary difficulties of Mr. Micawber ~~ a gregarious but completely irresponsible fellow who Dickens based on his own father ~~ to the somewhat bumpier and less lofty ascendancy of his childhood friend Tommy Traddles ~~ to the fall of his childhood sweetheart Little Emily ~~ ensnared by his other childhood friend, the dastardly James Steerforth ~~ a sweet poor girl seduced by a rich dashing scoundrel was mandatory in Regency and Victorian novels.

Dickens' greatest talent is bringing outrageous characters to life ~~ in all their outrageous glory. I wanted to shake Clara Copperfield awake to act on behalf of her son, punish the Murdstones, and wished a house would fall on the wicked Rosa Dartle. Dora Spengler made me laugh and wince, while Wilkins Micawber made me laugh and groan ~~ and then there's Uriah Heep ~~ detestable and pitiable at the same time. How can David compete with this colorful cast of characters ~~ but, it was David who kept the novel grounded.

Dickens delivers his usual come-uppance for the wicked and satisfaction for the injured ~~ yes, sometimes in a far too convenient manner as to be unbelievable ~~ but this is Dickens after all.



So how do I really feel? I'll say it again ~~ n  What a crackerjack story David Copperfield is!n It’s about good and evil, kindness and venality, family real and by circumstance, avarice, power, and most of importantly, love. It’s filled with memorable characters with wonderful and distinctive names. It captures the manners and foibles of the time, as only Dickens could do. It tells a story of the working and middle classes in the first half of 19th century England ~~ speaking to the nobility and the depravity of the human condition.

If you were to choose to read only one of Dickens’ books, David Copperfield would have to be it. The sheer power of Dickens' story-telling is at its best, here ~~ the story is full of memorable characters and situations. If you want to know what all the fuss is about Charles Dickens, read David Copperfield and all will be revealed.

DAVID COPPERFIELD: MASTER VILLAIN

oh you architect of doom!

your devious passivity and willful naivete know no boundaries!
your crimes are many!

your poor doting mother - hustled off to an early grave, and you do nothing!
you repay the Murdstones' attempts at improvement with intransigence and a savage bite!
you return Mr. Creakle's guiding hand with laziness and scorn!
you do nothing as your idol Steerforth humiliates Mr. Mell!
you run from honest work in a factory! you must be too good for that!
you impose upon your poor dear aunt Betsy Trotwood!
you immediately discount poor umble Uriah Heep! how dare you condescend to him!
you say nothing as Rosa Dartle defames good honest people! over dinner!
you introduce that atrocious snake Steerforth to those good honest people!
you terrorize your poor landlady!
your drunken shenanigans with Steerforth are revolting! good Agnes was no doubt secretly appalled!
you caution Traddles to avoid generosity with Micawber! mind your own business, Iago!
you stalk your boss's daughter! only Jip recognizes your villainy!
you entangle poor Julia Mills in your scheming!
you attempt to extract money from your workplace - but fortunately Mr. Spenlow and his partner are wise to your gambits!
you continue to stalk poor innocent Dora - even after her father's untimely death! and no doubt your villainy was the cause of that!
you bind Dora to you! the poor doomed natural! you set the servants against her! you make her hold your pens, you tyrant!
you help Uriah Heep cause a good Doctor much stress! you cast aspersions on that Doctor's own wife! her cousin! their marriage!
you strike the poor umble Uriah Heep across the face! a resounding blow!
you monster - berating and "improving" Dora to an early grave! the poor natural, the innocent child-wife! even Jip dies at your feet!
you humiliate and drive away the poor umble Uriah Heep!
you allow poor honest Ham to plunge into the sea - to his death!
you fail to save your friend Steerforth from his own watery death!
you allow Rosa Dartle to heap abuse upon his grieving mother!
you laughingly exile two families to criminal Australia!
you secretly gloat and sneer while witnessing the very proper Mr. Lattimer and poor umble Uriah Heep behind bars!
your most dastardly deed: stringing along the good Agnes - for decades! and finally, you bind her to you in a long-game marriage-plot! i fear for her safety!

oh Diabolic Doady!

oh you monstrous villain, David Copperfield!

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.

My first Dickens, this book came highly recommended to me and after jumping around this for almost three years I finally managed to read it this time. This book was also a big achievement for me in terms of classics last year. I started three classics, putting them on halt for other books at different times. This is the only tome (classic) that I finished. So yeah, it was a huge achievement for me, especially because I loved it.

So am not going to write here what this book is about as almost everyone must be aware of its content here. Instead I will put in few lines what I like about this:

I loved that little scared child, who loved his mother from the bottom of his heart who despite all her efforts couldn’t save him from the Murdstones. My heart went out for this afraid, stammering kid. And perhaps this hard behavior honed him into something strong that held him up in the tough times, inspired him to go on and never stop.

If Murdstones’ cruelty made him strong then his aunt Betse Trotwood and his nurse, Peggotty, showed him how to love, trust, and hope. It was just so beautiful to see them carve him into a good man.

As he became a man, friends i.e. Micawber and Traddles, taught him to smile and made him an honest man.

But Agnes put soul into this hard, strong, and loving man. She inspired him to keep doing good deeds. She calmed him in spite of going through hell herself. Just like David, I was in awe of this girl/woman throughout the book.

This book left me bittersweet. Bitter because I was not ready to say good bye to these characters yet and sweet because it ended on a high note. I heaved a huge sigh of relief after seeing my favorite people getting what they deserved.

Such a simple yet an absolutely beautiful book.

Umble we are, umble we have been, umble we shall ever be...
My Personal Favorite Story Ever

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”

So opens the best story ever of a youngster's journey into adulthood and amour. Nearly 20 years after writing David Copperfield, Dickens said, "like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favorite child. And his name is David Copperfield."

Dickens' most colorful a set of characters and character names include: Peggotty, David's childhood maid and lifelong friend; the evil stepfather Murdstone; Wilkins Micawber, his melodramatic landlord; James Steerforth, the cad of a school friend; David's love Dora (“Lovers had loved before, and lovers would love again; but no lover had ever loved, might, could, would, or should ever love, as I loved Dora."); and, the most despicably unctuous character in all of literature, Uriah Heep.

As with most of his novels, Dickens beamed the light on a social evil--here, the working conditions of minors, as David was (8 or 9) when his stepfather took him out of school (after David's mom died) and sent him to work in London.

“I know enough of the world now to have almost lost the capacity of being much surprised by anything.”

I can't adequately describe the connection and identification I had with this novel. While I don't think it's the best novel of all time (structure, conflicts, character development and all that jazz - IMO, that's Anna Karenina*), Charles Dickens' David Copperfield is my pick as the best story in all of modern literature. If you haven't read it or it's been a while, you should pick it up.


________
*Tolstoy loved David Copperfield.