Charles Dickens

[zaidi]

I think Charles dickens is also a writer but i would like to know whether he's unique one or not now i feel that reading his books is nice some writers other than Enid i don't read personally only in my school do i read but great expectation and David Copperfield was one kind that i read at home i liked both of them i can't say one of them was the best both were i think again the excent of Uriah Heep was a funny one as the clear orf specially his 'umble' rather than humble and at the Beginning i thought he was humble by his umble the only thing i did not like was when dickens told that when he said about the word wine which is something that's not good it ruins the image of a good character and i read this book in my summer holidays of grade 5 and then as a course book of 6 grade i felt that the part when Dora dies and then marries the other girl not remembering her name made a book a bit mature it made a sad kind of book but the thing that lacked in Dickens was that he did not know or show the meaning properly of relations such as a sister mother brother and so on he almost made every character a harsh one this made the book a very emotional but as i told Enid was a positive one and her writing has different
kinds with even having tragedies but a good ending with a proper show of relations.I wish if dickens came after Enid he would have been the best writer of the world in all ways.

[Eddie Muir]

Eddie Muir wrote:
By the way, I'm never sure whether it should be Dickens's novels or Dickens' novels! I've seen both in print, but I prefer to use the former.


I tend to use the latter but I don't think it matters which one you use, as long as you're consistent.

Thanks for your response, Anita. When I was teaching the correct rules for the use of the possessive apostrophe, I always told me pupils that both Dickens's and Dickens' were correct, but that I favoured the former.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Dickens' unique talent for creating the most memorable names in English literature is another enjoyable aspect of his writing. Caddy Jellyby, Uriah Heep, Bayham Badger, Mr Fezziwig, Mr Grimwig, Anne Chickenstalker, Poll Sweedlepipe, Serjeant Buzfuz and Mr McChoakumchild immediately spring to mind. There are, of course, many others.

These wonderful names couldn't have been created by anyone other than Dickens, Deborah.

[Anita Bensoussane]

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Dickens' unique talent for creating the most memorable names in English literature is another enjoyable aspect of his writing. Caddy Jellyby, Uriah Heep, Bayham Badger, Mr Fezziwig, Mr Grimwig, Anne Chickenstalker, Poll Sweedlepipe, Serjeant Buzfuz and Mr McChoakumchild immediately spring to mind.

Dickens did indeed create some memorable names that are a delight to pronounce. Mind you, so did Enid Blyton at times. Mr. Pink-Whistle's name is so right for his character, as are names like Cecil Dearlove, Frederick Algernon Trotteville, Theophilus Goon, Arabella Buckley (though that was the real name of a writer of nature and science books), the Honourable Angela Favorleigh, Mr. Piggle-Pie (The Wishing-Chair Again), Little Mrs. Millikin and Lordly-One (Richard's horse in the Six Cousins books). When my son was a plump little baby we used to call him Google Bun, and when he was a toddler and got in a mood I'd call him Grumpygroo after the character from the short story 'Mr. Grumpygroo's Hat'!

...the thing that lacked in Dickens was that he did not know or show the meaning properly of relations such as a sister mother brother and so on he almost made every character a harsh one this made the book a very emotional but as i told Enid was a positive one and her writing has different
kinds with even having tragedies but a good ending with a proper show of relations.

It depends which books you read, Zaidi. Some of Dickens' novels contain delightful scenes of happy family life, the Cratchit family in A Christmas Carol being a famous example. And Joe Gargery in Great Expectations acts like a loving father towards Pip, even though Pip isn't actually his son. However, Dickens was writing mainly for adults so he also examined the darker side of human nature much more.

[Timmylover]

Zaidi, you sound as if you are in a great hurry when you write. If you used some commas and full stops it would make your meaning clearer. I only say this in order to help you with your written English - at the moment it's not very easy to follow exactly what you are trying to say.

I assume that you are mainly referring to David Copperfield. In this book David was, of course, an only child apart from the short period when he had a baby brother. His relationship with his mother was portrayed as a very warm and loving one, until the unfortunate arrival of Mr Murdstone and his dreadful sister. It is interesting that in this book, which I consider to be the most autobiographical of all Dickens' novels, the mother is loving but weak and the step-father cruel and tyrannical. In Dickens life the reverse was almost true - his father was quite kindly, but very weak and irresponsible. His mother, although not a tyrant, seemed indifferent to her son's suffering when he was sent to work in the notorious blacking factory. This was something that Dickens never forgot or forgave throughout his life.

It's quite unfair and inaccurate to suggest that all the characters in David Copperfield were "harsh". There were many wonderfully kind and gentle people portrayed, starting with Clara Peggotty and her family in Yarmouth. Mr Micawber was hardly a "harsh" character, neither were Mr Dick or Mr Wickfield and his daughter Agnes, Mr Spenlow and his daughter Dora, or the dependable Mr Barkis.

I would recommend that you read A Christmas Carol if you think that Dickens was incapable of portraying loving family relationships. The Cratchits are a wonderful example of a family, close and loving and protective of one another. I feel that you have much to learn about Dickens. Take it slowly and please don't approach his work with presuppositions about the sort of writer he was or, very importantly, constantly compare him with Enid Blyton.

[Anita Bensoussane]

It depends which books you read, Zaidi. Some of Dickens' novels contain delightful scenes of happy family life, the Cratchit family in A Christmas Carol being a famous example.

I would recommend that you read A Christmas Carol if you think that Dickens was incapable of portraying loving family relationships. The Cratchits are a wonderful example of a family, close and loving and protective of one another.

Great minds think alike (at times, anyway )!

[Timmylover]

Great minds think alike (at times, anyway )!

Between reading Zaidi's last post and writing mine I had a telephone call, so didn't see yours or Eddie's posts. I'm just catching up now and yes, great minds certainly do think alike! I've known all along, Anita, that you have more than a soft spot for the great Dickens. How could you not?

[Anita Bensoussane]

If I were forced to restrict myself to reading just two authors, it'd have to be Blyton and Dickens. (Not that I can see that ever happening!)

[Tony Summerfield]

By the way, I'm never sure whether it should be Dickens's novels or Dickens' novels! I've seen both in print, but I prefer to use the former.

This is something that I particularly notice, Eddie, because of my job as a proofreader. Most authors and indeed newspapers would write it as Dickens's, but I have to follow a booklet of house rules and if I see that I always have to correct it to Dickens'. I don't like this at all, it just doesn't sound right, but consistency seems to be the most important thing.

[Eddie Muir]

Thanks, Tony. I much prefer to write it as Dickens's but, as both you and Anita have said, consistency seems to be the most important thing.

[Moonraker]

By the way, I'm never sure whether it should be Dickens's novels or Dickens' novels! I've seen both in print, but I prefer to use the former.

This is something that I particularly notice, Eddie, because of my job as a proofreader. Most authors and indeed newspapers would write it as Dickens's, but I have to follow a booklet of house rules and if I see that I always have to correct it to Dickens'. I don't like this at all, it just doesn't sound right, but consistency seems to be the most important thing.

Times change, it would seem. As a teenager, my English master instructed us to leave out the s following the apostrophe. The example given (together with the exception that proves the rule) by him was a local place in Salisbury - St Thomas' Square. He told us that although the sign read St. Thomas's Square, that was now not correct, but was when the sign was first put up! The apostrophe covers a missing letter - in this case the letter e. It would have read St. Thomases Square originally. Similarly, Nigel's car would have originally been written as Nigeles car.

Things have now swung back, and it is common to see the s back in fashion. Old habits die hard, they say. For that reason, I prefer to leave out the final s in a singular possesive noun, it just looks untidy to me to see Thomas's. I also prefer not to use a full stop after an abbreviation - something my English master would have pulled out his hair!

Incidentally, my grandson was born in St Thomas' Hospital!

Don't get me started on Granddad/Grand-dad/Grandad...

[Anita Bensoussane]

Nigel's car would have originally been written as Nigeles car.

More likely Nigeles cart back in those days!

[ria ann]

I have read A Christmas Carol in Usbourne Young Reading and liked it very much.The other books I have read is Oliver Twist and Great Expectations.
I found Great Expectations a bit boring.

[Enikyoga]

Recently, the BBC, in its upcoming commemoration of Charles Dickens' 200t birth anniversary, discussed Charles Dickens' two trips to America i.e. one of 1842 and the one of 1867. The emphasis was on the 1842 trip and there seem to be similarities between Enid Blyton's trip to the USA in 1948 and Charles Dickens' trip to the same country a century earlier. Since the USA is a celebrity-crazed country, Dickens was almost nabbed because his popularity in the USA. Like Blyton, upon returning to the UK, Dickens was of the impression that the US was a very tough country and its people less than cordial. I am now kicking myself as to why i never compared Dickens' trip to America with that of Blyton. The comaprison between the two could have made a fascinating read. However, in my book, The Famous Five: A Personal Anecdotage, I did compare Enid Blyton's trip to the USA with the famed French journalist, Alexis De Tocqueville, who visited the USA almost a decade earler and who later wrote a book, titled, Democracy in America based on his sojourn in the USA. I am not averse to comparing Enid Blyton and Charles Dickens, though. Anything in this world can be compared as long as there are similarities and comparable dis-similarities between the two objects.
Stephen Isabirye

[Lenoir]

I suppose Oliver Twist could be compared to Yan, as they were orphans and poor, or maybe Jo because she was led into bad ways.

[Moonraker]

I am now kicking myself as to why i never compared Dickens' trip to America with that of Blyton.

I am sure many of us are kicking ourselves as well, Stephen. I paid a visit to Swanage, recently - well a year or two ago now - and wondered if Enid had prophesied my journey. I felt as I strolled along the promenade and looked over to where the Grosvenor once stood, that the lady might well still be there, seated with her typewriter on her lap. There were four kids and a dog near the Mowlem theatre and the little amusement arcade had a Noddy in his car ride for little ones. The nearby baker's had macaroons in the window and a Bentley was parked in Station Road. Were these events coincidences, or maybe, just maybe, the great authoress was trying to inspire me with a 'nod' to her characters and holiday resort?

Ouija board, anyone?