Saturday 25 October 2014

#dickensindecember...The Decision


So I had a poll up on my sidebar for a while and people voted, quite a lot of people in fact, and The Pickwick Papers won. Only just, but win it did, so sorry Little Dorrit (a very close runner up) but on we go with Samuel and Co. Because it is longer than A Tale of Two Cities, and because the whole finishing Dickens before Christmas thing seemed to work well last year, I'm actually planning to start mid November and post on Mondays with the introductory post around November 17th and the first section the week after. We'll have to read about twelve chapters a week to make it work out over five weeks, finishing on December 22nd. I'm really hoping that some of you are going to join me with this, because I really don't think I have the motivation to attack this tome alone! Don't make me do it on my own!

Just to entice you in, here's a little bit of info which I have gleaned from the ever-reliable source of Wikipedia... 

The novel's main character, Samuel Pickwick, Esquire, is a kind and wealthy old gentleman, and the founder and perpetual president of the Pickwick Club. To extend his researches into the quaint and curious phenomena of life, he suggests that he and three other "Pickwickians" (Mr Nathaniel Winkle, Mr Augustus Snodgrass, and Mr Tracy Tupman) should make journeys to places remote from London and report on their findings to the other members of the club. Their travels throughout the English countryside by coach provide the chief theme of the novel.

With the introduction of Sam Weller in chapter 10, the book became the first real publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books, and other merchandise.

If you're like me and a Little Women fan you will also probably remember the chapter where they talk about the Pickwick Club. I will admit that as being my primary motivation for wanting to read this book, and if it's rubbish I'm going to have to seriously reconsider the amount of trust I put in Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Those who are regular readers will know how much of an impact this is likely to have on me, so for the sake of my children please readalong with me! Just so I have support if it's rubbish... 

If you're interested in reading along with me, please link up your blog (or twitter, tumblr, whatever) in the linky below so I can visit you all! Feel free to nick the button above and stick it on your blogs or whatever. Equally if you're better at graphics than I am (not hard) please feel free to make a better one and use that. Either way, see you back here in November for a schedule type thingy...




14 comments:

  1. I'm joining in because I love you and because I will never read this book on my own.

    Even the premise makes me groan a little bit - a Dickens book where four men describe bits of the English countryside? *cries*

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    1. I reckon it'll end up just being you and me crying in the corner :-p Honestly didn't realise how long it is or that it's just about the countryside. I missed out the bit in the description where it said that it's most fascinating for its' descriptions of all the different coaching houses of the period... I thought that would really put people off! I'm sure it will be good though. It's Dickens, right? I ended up liking A Tale of Two Cities and Hard Times and Great Expectations, it just took a while! Maybe it'll be like A Christmas Carol? Although the Muppets haven't made a movie of it so it's probably not like that :-(

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    2. Oh, you're JOKING. Coach houses!? Bex, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?

      I liked Great Expectations too... apart from the boring lengthy descriptions of the countryside :/

      Maybe it'll be like A Christmas Carol? Although the Muppets haven't made a movie of it so it's probably not like that.

      Best quote ever.

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    3. "Best quote ever." Seconded.

      You know what'll be really fun? When I buy you "Life in the Countryside: A 1000-Page Compendium" for Christmas. :P

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    4. I don't understand. Why would you want to be beaten to a pulp with 1000-page countryside book? :s

      BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

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    5. Challenge. Accepted. *dons sweatband and trainers* You'll have to catch me first! I don't wear heels, I can vault stiles and leap cow pats!

      Wow, that's not a comment I ever thought I'd leave on a book blog.

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    6. You'd be amazed how accurately I can throw a five-inch stiletto.

      The shoe version AND the knife.

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    7. Wait. 1000 page countryside book?! What the deuce have I done?!

      *cries*

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  2. Right, so I don't actually have a copy of this yet - but I could get one. The MOVIE of Little Women is what made me want to read PP when I was younger. Then I didn't. I am strongly considering using my sacred first 'Read 5, Buy 1' success to purchase the book and join you. Even though I was hoping to squeeze in Ray Bradbury, George Orwell and several other classics around the same time. Ohhhh jeez. WHAT TO DO WHAT TO DO.

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    1. This comment is brought to you in the style of Ernest Hemingway. Apparently.

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  3. Possibly against my better judgement, I'm going to join you! This is probably the only way I'm ever going to read more Dickens, and I know almost nothing about this book (apart from what you wrote about it, obviously) so it should be interesting!

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  4. I am just going through Little Women right now, and hoping to finish it this week. I loved that chapter about Pickwick Papers. I think I'll know better if I can commit to this if I finish a couple of books this week.

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  5. Thank you for always encouraging me to pick up a book and read, ha!

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