Victorians! discussion

Please use this thread to comment on the sections called Going into Society & Three Evenings in the House.

Discussion questions will be forthcoming but feel free to begin ahead of schedule or at any time during the month.

I think Going into Society is the weakest story so far, maybe because the effort to read the Cockney dialect weakens the impact of the story.

Three Evenings in the House is sad.

Going into Society was written by Charles Dickens.

I didn't much enjoy the Going into Society part, either. As Rosemarie has mentioned, it is the weakest so far.

Three Evenings in the House is a touching story. I liked it as much as I liked The Manchester Marriage. It is quite interesting to have the story read in a poem. That is a novelty.

“The kindest little man as never growed”... I suppose it’s because I’m from a working class area of London (now gentrified) that I’m of the opposite opinion regarding Going into Society and the effect of the cockney dialect. I thought it was very effective and it’s good when something slows your reading down and makes you concentrate. It helps to read it out...well if not loud...in a loud whisper.

I havent read this section, yet, but I’ve tried reading things aloud for clarification in the past. It often does the trick

Dee, I find I read out loud sometimes, but not too loud, and it does help me get the meaning.

I do that sometimes too, and it does help a lot.

Three Evenings might be my favorite so far. It’s really sad but so true to the lives of so many sisters & daughters called upon to support loved ones.

I have finished the "Going into Society" part so far. I think having it as an audio from Librivox helps. That way, I don't have to struggle through reading the cockney parts. It was entertaining hearing the cockney parts read. The accent was done very well. The story itself was just okay. So this dwarf goes into society, loses lots of money then comes out. I think he learns a lesson about how to know who your friends are. At the same time, it seems we are still on the theme of how bad things happened in the house.

I agree with you on the lesson, Joanne. The dwarf had fair weather friends. Another unhappy event in the house.