Little Dorrit

[Canary42]

I've just finished reading Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.

My word, what a struggle to get through it in places, and the complexity of the "plot" is quite puzzling, even after the denouement. 

But Dickens' characteristic humour often sparkles, and his satire on the Civil Service, Capitalism, Social Status is biting at times.

Any other Abers like to comment ?

SPOILER ALERT: Go no further if you've not read it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice to see that Amy (Little Dorrit) ended up happily married, even if her husband was somewhat naive. 

[Canary42]

I'll bump this into Latest Posts as very few of the many Ab topics get visited otherwise.

[naomi24]

I read it a long time ago, canary, and seem to remember it being very convoluted.  I sometimes wish one of the television companies would produce versions of classic stories, not least in an effort to introduce them to young people who don't seem to read them now. 

[Canary42]

Yes naomi, I agree - it certaily worked for Austen.

[Canary42]

*certainly

[naomi24]

The BBC's production of Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle was the best ever!!

[brainiac]

Dickens could have done with a good editor.  Most of the books are so spun out and convoluted because they were originally published in serial form, so he had to keep his readers coming back for more

[Vagus]

I find that all tv adaptations make more sense of Dickens, I just wish they'd been available when I was at school.
Same with a lot of history, I got sooo bored with it at school and have learned a lot more from tv.

[Canary42]

Yes brainiac, Little Dorrit was one such case - it certainly appears to have a significant influence on the structure.

[Canary42]

Yes vagus, school (in my day certainly) has a lot to answer for.

As far as History goes I am now reading Unruly: A History of England's Kings and Queens by TV Comedian David Mitchell. It appears to be well researched and the humour makes it much more readable. The humour does get a bit formulaic at times though, so by the time I've finished it the gloss will possibly have dimmed.

[Canary42]

I've just been exploring the Related Questions (see below) for this thread. It seems my "complexity of the plot is quite puzzling" opinion was quite widely held when BBC produced an adaption.

[Peter Pedant]

I sometimes wish one of the television companies would produce versions of classic stories,

er they did - Tom Courtenay as John Dickens, Dickens father, the  debtor - Andy Serkis ( Golem) does his own stunts, and falls off a gutter - I  am not sure  if  that makes it to the final cut. 

Not  one of Dickens greatest - as it now makes no  sense to us to lock up a debtor for civil debt

Lu-lu comes from inheritance and not industrial production or er work, so the creditors  waited for a wealthy relative to cough up or die.  This happened in John Dickens case.

The relatives passed in an out, as in the series, and supported the debtor as best they could. More money to the gaoler the  better the accommodation. 

HMRC can imprison for civil debt - er tax debt - no one else  can now. In the walk-around-London=and-lookee books, one of the walls of the marshallsea prison is still there, and you can kinda walk up to it and stare

https://lookup.london/marshalsea-prison-wall/#:~:text=The%20Marshalsea%20Prison%20stood%20off,That's%20right.

there you are: wall it is

This is a sort of third tier of Dickens books you should read. 

[Peter Pedant]

Plot - god you are not  joking

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Dorrit

[Canary42]

Hats off to the Victorians !

With the serialisation of Little Dorrit, Victorian readers' mental acuity must have been pretty sharp, not only to unravel the plot, but to remember bits from weeks ago in order to do so. 

 

[ubasses]

Have you read Pickwick Papers, I laughed my way through it.

[Canary42]

Yes, a long time ago. Very comic indeed.