Dickensblog

More on 'London Tide'

Reviews for the new musical based on Our Mutual Friend can be found at The Guardian, Time Out, The Independent, Broadway World, London Theatre, and Financial Times. They're mostly pretty good if not great, with several reviewers admiring the drama but wishing for a little more of Dickens's humor and satire to lighten things up occasionally. Also, WhatsOnStage has a number of photos from the production.

Hear a song from 'London Tide'

Happy opening day to the new British musical London Tide, based on Our Mutual Friend! In honor of the premiere, two videos have been released of the song "Eugene Alone," one performed by cast member Jamael Westman and the other by singer-songwriter PJ Harvey, who co-wrote the score with Ben Power. There's also a lyric sheet available on the page.

'Our Mutual Friend' gets a musical adaptation

London Tide, a musical based on Our Mutual Friend with songs by acclaimed singer-songwriter PJ Harvey, will premiere in London this April. Visit the National Theatre's website for more information and to get tickets!

From the book pile

Today we have reviews of two excellent new Dickens-related books!

Charles Dickens: But for you, dear stranger (from the My Reading series) by Annette Federico (Oxford University Press, 2022)

The My Reading series from Oxford University Press, according to the Series Introduction, "is built on a simple presupposition: that it helps to have a book recommended and discussed by someone who cares for it." Annette Federico's entry in the series more than fills the bill. Federico cares deeply for Dickens, and her analysis of four of his greatest works -- Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Little Dorrit, and A Tale of Two Cities -- is both thoughtful and affectionate. She truly demonstrates the value of a personal connection to the author being analyzed.

Federico comes to Dickens not as a detached or objective critic, or as someone trying to fit him into a modern landscape, but as someone eager to take what he has to give. She takes characters and elements in his work, including those who have been dismissed or even derided, on their own terms, and explores with fresh eyes what they meant to Dickens and what they might mean to us, his readers. She does this with elements that even I'VE derided (e.g., Little Dorrit insisting that Arthur always call her "Little Dorrit"), making me rethink my derision! 

Federico's book is short, but I can't exactly call it a quick read, because it's so dense with ideas and emotions that it merits reading slowly, and then reading again. Reading her take on Dickens's stories and characters is like spending time with old friends and yet seeing them in new lights. I absolutely loved it, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I'd go so far as to call it a must-read for all who love Dickens.

'Our Mutual Friend' webchat

As part of The Guardian's readalong of Our Mutual Friend, author and critic Kathryn Hughes will host a webchat on Monday. Go here to submit any questions you might like to ask her about the book or about Dickens in general!

'Our Mutual Friend' chosen as 'Guardian's' reading group book

Go here for the details of the June readalong!

'The Guardian's' June Dickens club: Cast your vote!

Sam Jordison of The Guardian will be leading a Dickens readalong in June, and he's asking for readers to vote on which book! Head over there (you should be able to register for an online account for free) and tell him which book you want in the comments section. There's already a very lively discussion (five pages' worth!) going on there, and by my rough estimate, Our Mutual Friend is in the lead so far. 

I'm not certain when the voting closes, so if you want to participate, hurry and get yours in!

R.I.P. John McEnery

The British actor played John Harmon in the 1976 TV adaptation of Our Mutual Friend (click here to read a short reminiscence by co-star Jane Seymour); Mr. Mantalini, William the Waiter, and Mr. Snevellicci in the celebrated stage and television versions of Nicholas Nickleby in the early 1980s; and Captain Hopkins in the 1987 feature film of Little Dorrit. McEnery passed away April 12 at the age of 75.

Audible.com's new Dickens Collection

Good news for fans of audiobooks: The Dickens Museum and Audible.com are working together to release new audio versions of all of Dickens's novels along with A Christmas Carol this year. A Tale of Two Cities (read by Simon Callow) has already been released, and Our Mutual Friend (read by Meera Syal) and Bleak House (read by Miriam Margolyes) are coming soon. Here's a short trailer for the project!

 

Thanks to everyone who sent a tip about this!

Christmas gifts for Dickens fans

Here are a few new items that might make good gifts for a Dickens fan you know (or for you!):

• Simon Callow is about to release a reading of A Christmas Carol on CD, accompanied by Christmas carols by The Brighouse & Rastrick Band. The recording is being advertised as a celebration of the book's 175th anniversary, which doesn't quite make sense, as that isn't until next year. Nonetheless, I expect this will be good!
• Pantone has teamed up with Puffin Books to offer a line of classics with gorgeously colored covers. Here's their new edition of A Christmas Carol & Other Stories.
• The 1979 adaptation of Our Mutual Friend with Jane Seymour, long a rarity on this side of the Atlantic, is finally available here on DVD, though only a few stores are offering it. You can get it from Acorn, Signals, or Wal-mart (that last is slightly more expensive but does offer free shipping without having to spend extra).
• Update: The Trinity Forum has a new selection of readings from A Christmas Carol, with an introduction by my good friend Karen Swallow Prior.

Coming up soon, I'll have capsule reviews of a number of Dickens-related books, so stay tuned!