The Old Curiosity Club discussion

Good morning, dear Curiosities!

We are on the first day of a new lockdown in Germany, and since I am at my desk, organizing so many things for school, I thought I might just as well get our next reading schedule organized. Here is what I came up with after consulting Kim and Peter:
07/01 – 13/01 I, Chp. 01-04
14/01 – 20/01 II, Chp. 05-07
21/01 – 26/01 III, Chp. 08-10
28/01 – 03/02 IV, Chp. 11-13
04/02 – 10/02 V, Chp. 14-16
11/02 – 17/02 VI, Chp. 17-19
18/02 – 24/02 VII, Chp. 20-22
25/02 – 03/03 VIII, Chp. 23-25
04/03 – 10/03 VIX, Chp. 26-29
11/03 – 17/03 X, Chp. 30-32
18/03 – 24/03 XI, Chp. 33-35
25/03 – 31/03 XII, Chp. 36-38
01/04 – 07/04 XIII, Chp. 39-42
08/04 – 14/04 XIV, Chp. 43-46
15/04 – 21/04 XV, Chp. 47-49
22/04 – 28/04 XVI, Chp. 50-53
29/04 -05/05 XVII, Chp. 54-56
06/05 – 12/05 XVIII, Chp. 57-59
13/05 – 19/05 XIV, Chp. 60-63
20/05 – 26/05 XX, Chp.64-67

I am particularly looking forward to January 2021 because, as it happens, Bleak House is my favourite Dickens novel.

I am also looking forward to January for the first time in my life, but not because of Bleak House, although I do love the book. :-)

Very good. I am all set with my Penguin Classics edition.

I think I mentioned on another thread that I will not be joining in the Bleak House read, but I wanted to mention it again here. I have read Bleak House before and I just have so many other books to read. I start a 3 month long read with another group of Portrait of a Lady, among other things. I am also toying with the idea of fitting in Domby and Son since I missed it recently and that one I have not ever read. Enjoy Bleak House, I am sure you will. I certainly will be meeting up with you from time to time in whatever pub you will be frequenting.

John, I bought myself the Norton Critical Edition just for this group read but it does not have a lot of information going beyond the Penguin one. Nevertheless, you can't have too many editions of a good book ;-)

Bobbie wrote: "I think I mentioned on another thread that I will not be joining in the Bleak House read, but I wanted to mention it again here. I have read Bleak House before and I just have so many other books t..."

Bobbie,

I am sure you won't lose track of us. Feel welcome to drop in whenever you like!

My birthday is January 8th, so as an only slightly early birthday gift I get to read Bleak House :-D

Jantine wrote: "My birthday is January 8th, so as an only slightly early birthday gift I get to read Bleak House :-D"

Jantine

Happy early birthday!

Bobbie wrote: "I think I mentioned on another thread that I will not be joining in the Bleak House read, but I wanted to mention it again here. I have read Bleak House before and I just have so many other books t..."

Bobbie

You will be missed. And yes, we can always meet in any Dickensian pub as all are perfectly safe.

Tristram wrote: "John, I bought myself the Norton Critical Edition just for this group read but it does not have a lot of information going beyond the Penguin one. Nevertheless, you can't have too many editions of ..."

Tristram, I have always liked Norton Critical Editions. I believe my Penguin, which is a Nook Book, has annotations and I always find that helpful. The literary critic Harold Bloom has written that Bleak House is Dickens’ finest work.

John,

I would say that Bloom is right in his judgment because I like Bleak House best of all his works, but mine is just a judgment of taste and not of literary criticism. Maybe, we will hone out our judgments about the novel in the following months; I am looking forward to this reading experience!

Looking forward to reading Bleak House with you as well! Got my New Oxford Illustrated Dickens copy (1962, robin's egg blue dust jacket almost intact) all dusted off and ready to go.

Good to have you on board again, Ulysse!

I'm very much thinking of reading my physical copy this time. I usually grab my e-reader for Dickens, because one of the nice things is that it's not as big and such. But reading Bleak House with this group ... it might be time to do something different

My preparation for Bleak House has included reading the introductions in my Penguin edition by Terry Eagleton and Nicola Bradbury. Both give non plot spoiling insights about the work. Eagleton’s was more of a salutary essay, while Bradbury stuck to general analysis. I also have Jane Smiley’s wonderful biography, which is equal parts biography and critical discussion.

Interestingly enough, I purchased the BBC Bleak House a couple of years ago via Vudu streaming service. It was not expensive; perhaps ten dollars for the entire series.

I also pay monthly for Hulu streaming service and when I checked, there was Bleak House — available as part of my package.

Lesson learned: check before you rent.

Well, I’m ready to go with my rapidly aging Penguin paperback with the orange spine. The paper is aging to a gentle brownish tinge. It is well-thumbed and annotated. This reading will be the last round with this copy as I also have already scotch taped a couple of pages back into the text. Perhaps I should have a retirement party for it when we finish our read.

You will all be invited (virtually) so no need to wear a mask. :-)

I actually had a book, not Bleak House, but I think Far From the Madding Crowd, that was falling apart as I read it. I would just take each page as I read it and turn it over on the desk in case I might need to go back. When I finished the book, I tossed it. Good luck with this one.

This is almost a storyline to itself: books you read until they fell apart.

I had a mass market paperback of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. I remember the spine broke in two halves. I would read one half and then the other half, and kept both halves on my shelf for years.

Bobbie - enjoy your time off. We'll miss you, but it's always good to step away and read some other things from time to time.... if only to remind ourselves why we love Dickens so much!

Thanks

I listened to a one hour podcast about Bleak House on Spotify. It was basically a discussion between two guys who I did not know of, but was well done. It was almost a debate, as they both had differing views about certain aspects of the book. One thing that came out of it: Dickens was very passionate about this particular novel, as he felt it covered one of his central themes well: hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy - you mean Esther was deeper than she let out?

Oh I am looking forward so much to our discussions.

Tristram wrote: "Hypocrisy - you mean Esther was deeper than she let out?

Oh I am looking forward so much to our discussions."

I hope so.

Now I come to think of it, certain developments might be ... interesting, in that light

Tristram wrote: "Hypocrisy - you mean Esther was deeper than she let out?

Oh I am looking forward so much to our discussions."

Tristram, I have to listen to this podcast again. I am a neophyte in the world of podcasts, but have started to discover a huge volume of lively literary discussions — such as this one about Bleak House.

I think the key with podcast listening at home is to make a cup of tea and then sit back without a book or magazine at hand. Just listen. It seems to work and is a nice experience.

John, I wonder what this podcast was called? Your posts about it make me quite curious.

Jantine wrote: "John, I wonder what this podcast was called? Your posts about it make me quite curious."

Jantine, I was able to access it via Spotify, where I have an account. It is called The Great Books of Literature Podcast. The hosts are Andrew Bolt and John Roskam.

They are apparently from the Institute of Public Affairs that I assume is based in Great Britain. There is a total of ten episodes. Other authors discussed include Jane Austen and Joseph Conrad.

John wrote: "Jantine wrote: "John, I wonder what this podcast was called? Your posts about it make me quite curious."

Jantine, I was able to access it via Spotify, where I have an account. It is called The Gre..."

John

Thanks for the information.

Thanks John! I have a spotify account too (a paid one even), but there were several podcasts about Dickens there :-)

That's great, Jantine. I have the paid one, as well. There are some good literary discussions and poetry reading, too.

If I haven't mentioned it, there's a similar podcast I enjoy -
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcas...

I believe one has to subscribe to get the full backlog of episodes, but it seems like the most recent ten or so are available to anyone. A Tale of Two Cities was discussed earlier this month.

John wrote: "I listened to a one hour podcast about Bleak House on Spotify. It was basically a discussion between two guys who I did not know of, but was well done. It was almost a debate, as they both had diff..."

John - I just tuned in to this podcast, and it opened with my very favorite classical composition, Nimrod by Edward Elgar. A good sign that there's a wonderful discussion to come. :-)

John wrote: "Tristram wrote: "Hypocrisy - you mean Esther was deeper than she let out?

Oh I am looking forward so much to our discussions."

Tristram, I have to listen to this podcast again. I am a neophyte in..."

I have grown used to listening to podcasts when I do the washing-up or am engaged in a similarly mindless household chore. I used to listen to the radion but now I find that podcasts are better because they are obviously more in tune with my interests.

I'm really looking forward to Bleak House mainly because I struggled to enjoy David Copperfield. I'm still only on chapter 42 so I'm hoping to get my enthusiasm back with BH. I'll keep up with BH and just finish DC in my own time I think.

David wrote: "I'm really looking forward to Bleak House mainly because I struggled to enjoy David Copperfield. I'm still only on chapter 42 so I'm hoping to get my enthusiasm back with BH. I'll keep up with BH a..."

Bleak House is my favorite, David. I hope you'll enjoy it, too. But Copperfield is a much easier book to read - less complex and fewer characters to keep track of. Hopefully, you can power through a lot of it before we start Bleak House next week.

What’s going on with Dickens by the end of “DC,” well into writing “BH…” how was his mood? I only ask because I have loved noticing the changes in tone and expression- of his canon that I have read- over the course of his life. It’s all rather tangible, I find it riveting- one reason why I love reading Dickens, in general.

You always have the best links in here. Show me the way, please…I’ll get moving ;) I’ll be reading the Penguin edition and could very well read the introduction, however, I wanted to avoid spoilers. If anybody, who has read the intro, would give me a heads up- really, it’s all I need. I was just wanting to get my feet wet with a little backstory. Thanks!

“Bleak House,” I did start it once. I do remember its first sentence leaving a lasting impression on my mind. The master wrote: London. One word, the name of the city. It’s still exciting, conjuring thoughts of wonderment, and so many questions. Yes? ;)

Miss all of you to pieces.…I’m so ready to read along with you! See you in the threads.

Looking forward to reading this one. And perhaps introducing it to my son. Apparently he has never read a Dicksens' novel. What did they teach in his English lit class. I had read five novels by the time I graduated.

interestingly enough, I read Great Expectations in high school and recall being captivated by the opening chapters.

I don't recall reading Dickens in college, even though I majored in English. It is possible I read him, as I recall reading Thomas Hardy and Henry James. My readings of British literature seemed to go from Shakespeare to the Romantics and then to the Moderns. It is four decades ago, though, so perhaps the mists of time get in the way of memory.

Ami wrote: "What’s going on with Dickens by the end of “DC,” well into writing “BH…” how was his mood? I only ask because I have loved noticing the changes in tone and expression- of his canon that I have read..."

Hi Amy

Are you psychic? I’m posting the first four chapters tomorrow and guess what? I, too, am a huge fan of the great one word opening. I look forward to your comments.

I also have the Penguin paperback edition with the orange coloured spine. As for the introduction there certainly is information there that will be “spoiler” in nature. As well, theme, symbol, characterization and other aspects of the novel are mentioned.

I am always torn about whether it is a good idea to read an introduction to a novel I have not read before. On the one hand, introductions offer a guide to important aspects of the book that I would, no doubt, otherwise miss. On the other hand, too much attention paid to an introduction has led me to read and look for confirmation of the introduction, often at the expense of keeping an open mind to what else is in the book.

A rough call. What I have found works best for me when I approach a book I have not read before that comes with an introduction is to read the book first. Then I read the introduction. That way I get to experience the book first on my own terms and then have someone else talk about the book in the introduction.

With our reading pace in Bleak House you will have time to digest each of the week’s commentaries and then discuss them with other Curiosities.

John wrote: "interestingly enough, I read Great Expectations in high school and recall being captivated by the opening chapters.

I don't recall reading Dickens in college, even though I majored in English. It ..."

John

Yes, our memories tend to both expand parts of our past and bury others. But here we are in 2021 so let’s enjoy BH together.

Susan wrote: "Looking forward to reading this one. And perhaps introducing it to my son. Apparently he has never read a Dicksens' novel. What did they teach in his English lit class. I had read five novels by th..."

Hi Susan

These days Dickens is probably seen as being way too long (and hard) in a curriculum that is clogged with more “up to date” and “relevant” cultural and social issues.

Sad, I think. Then again, I wonder how many of the younger teachers have read Dickens in any depth?

Peter wrote: "John wrote: "interestingly enough, I read Great Expectations in high school and recall being captivated by the opening chapters.

I don't recall reading Dickens in college, even though I majored in..."

Peter, I must say that I have not looked forward to reading a book this much in years — so a good way to start a year. I think because for many years I had Bleak House on my shelf in a very large looking paperback and was perhaps too daunted to try on my own.

I started in the Penguin edition with the beautiful cover I now have as 'reading'. I bought it years ago, to replace the paperback I read to shreds, because Bleak House is one of those books I simply cannot not have physical copy of.

I switched back to my e-reader and the Gutenberg version though. Not even because of the heaviness of the book, but the footnotes-numbers distract me to bits 😅

Peter wrote: "Ami wrote: "What’s going on with Dickens by the end of “DC,” well into writing “BH…” how was his mood? I only ask because I have loved noticing the changes in tone and expression- of his canon that..."

Hi Peter,

Ha! Knowing we delight in this most unique beginning to Dickens’s BH, it’s so much more meaningful to me than if I were a psychic.

I will forego on the introduction, thinking much the same as to the benefit in reading it ahead of the story to come. As thorough, and all-encompassing as the discussions are in here, I’m sure more information about Dickens’s state in life and mood will organically be touched upon in conversation. I will keep my eyes peeled for it anyway.

Discussion begins today or on the 7th? I’m afraid I have not even cracked open the book- don’t want to start this one late- better get on the stick.

Thanks, Peter. It’s always great to hear from you!

Ami wrote: "Peter wrote: "Ami wrote: "What’s going on with Dickens by the end of “DC,” well into writing “BH…” how was his mood? I only ask because I have loved noticing the changes in tone and expression- of ..."

Hi Ami

I just posted the first four chapters. It’s my habit to post on Saturday mornings. Please join in the discussion.

I was watching a couple of episodes of the Emily Dickinson series in anticipation of Season Two starting on January 8, 2021.

I enjoyed the scene where they are joyfully reading an installment of Bleak House and surmising what might happen next and to whom.

They rather nicely framed Bleak House as a modern sitcom and as good as anything to watch in the modern day

Hi John

I have not seen the series. Could you tell me who is broadcasting it?

It is very interesting to think how Emily Dickinson, a master of precision and intensity with words, enjoyed Dickens who was often so voluminous.

Peter, it is on streaming service called AppleTV. I pay $5 a month and I can watch most shows and movies without further ad ons. I just watch it on my iPad and also on my MacBook, so it is something I do not actually watch on a TV set with a cable service. If you google Dickinson Series, you can get the details on the show. I watched the first season. I thought it was excellent and will perhaps bring students and others to the poetry of Dickinson.

John wrote: "Peter, it is on streaming service called AppleTV. I pay $5 a month and I can watch most shows and movies without further ad ons. I just watch it on my iPad and also on my MacBook, so it is somethin..."

Thanks John.