Dickensblog

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!

Speaking of audiobooks . . .

In my last post, I mentioned that I'd been listening to an audiobook version of Our Mutual Friend. But I neglected to mention that it was read by David Timson, who did a terrific job. You can get hold of this one at Audible if you'd like to try it.  

I'd like to hear from some of you about any Dickens audiobooks that you particularly like. What are your recommendations?

Dickens diluted

Blogger Marianne Goss, in a post titled "Alternative approaches to Dickens," writes that, when Dickens's wordiness wore her down, she went looking for other ways to enjoy his work:

I wouldn’t abandon Dickens’s novels, I’d watch them in performance. With his vivid descriptions of people and places and his masterful dialogue, Dickens is ideal for dramatization. 

We all know there a lot of great Dickens adaptations out there, and certainly Dickens adapted is better than no Dickens at all. But I would tell Goss, if I had the opportunity, that one misses so much of Dickens's magic without his words. I'm not saying the words can't be difficult. Sometimes I have to wrestle with them. Sometimes, to be completely honest, they wear me down too. Recently, listening to an excellent audiobook of Our Mutual Friend recommended by my friend Kaitlyn, I had to take a break for a while when I got to the passage about Mr. Boffin's big reveal. It's not one of my favorite passages in Dickens, to put it mildly. And unfortunately, when you're dealing with an audiobook, it's not so easy skipping your least favorite passages.

But eventually I picked it back up and pressed play again, because even when he's not at his best, Dickens's words are worth it. I always come out happier and better for having read (or heard) them. So enjoy the adaptations by all means, but don't stay stuck there. Read them in installments if you have to -- another idea of Goss's, and one that I hope she follows through with -- but read them. In the end, you'll be glad you did.

Dickens and the Great Ormond Street Hospital

An article in the Independent gives details of Dickens's long involvement with the hospital and the various ways that he raised support for it, including "a disguised advertisement" in Our Mutual Friend.