The Old Curiosity Club discussion

Act Four

The Clock - Lock


We are in the office of the chief notary of Neuchâtel who is a pleasant and well-respected man in the town. In his office is the not so pleasant Obenreizer who feigns sorrow and humility which completely fools the kindly but unworldly Maître Voigt. Obenreizer spins the tale of how he was dismissed without reason, cause, or explanation by Defresnier and Company. Obenreizer then complains that his ward Marguerite shuns him and stays with Bintrey at his home. We learn that Bintrey is planning to visit the notary which is a dangerous set of circumstances for Obenreizer. To further complicate Obenreizer’s life is the fact the notary recalls the name Vendale from the past. Obenreizer fears that his ward Marguerite may be taken from him before she comes of age.

Now, the problem for Obenreizer is how to gain access to the notary’s vault. Obenreizer’s chance comes the next day as the notary reveals the secret of his apparently secure vault that operates on a timer mechanism. Armed with the lock’s secret, Obenreizer breaks into the vault that night, uncovers an old box with the name Vendale on it, and copies pages that are found within. The contents of the documents turn Obenreizer’s face pale. The section ends with Bintrey and the notary talking outside the notary’s door. Bintrey whispers into the notary’s ear something which stuns him.

Thoughts

While this is a section that I am sure was meant to be suspenseful it did not work for me. I found the writing too flat, the suspense too forced, and the setting too bland. Ah, I got that rant off my chest. What is your opinion of this section of the novel?


Obenreizer’s Victory

Bintrey and Obenreizer meet. Their focus is on the future of Marguerite. Obenreizer seems to have the advantage since Marguerite is not yet of age. He refuses to budge from his position. Ah, but Bintrey has a surprise and introduces into the room Vendale and Marguerite. They are alive, not dead! Obenreizer is shocked and turns a ghostly pale. Only his facial scar has colour. Vendale and Marguerite leave the room. Bintrey then describes how Marguerite, distrustful of her uncle, followed her fiancée in the company of the Cellarman who felt it his responsibility to protect her. Bintrey travelled to Brieg and then sought to bring Obenreizer to justice. Obenreizer is a criminal, a forger, and had attempted to kill Vendale. Backed into a corner, Obenreizer signs a release for Marguerite. In return, he will be set free as long as he never comes to England or Switzerland again.

Obenreizer now commands centre stage. He reveals that the name Vendale was familiar to him and when he broke into Voigt’s vault he found some very interesting documents. One is a letter from a Mrs Jane Ann Miller to a childless couple in Switzerland. This husband and wife are childless and want to adopt a child. The wife in Switzerland asks her sister Jane Anne Miller to go to the Foundling Hospital in London, select a baby under one year of age, and bring that child to Switzerland. This child will bear the name of the couple in Switzerland and inherit their wealth. The one precaution is to give the name of Miller on the adoption papers. The letter concludes that this is a “harmless little conspiracy.”

We learn that the name of the child at the Foundling Hospital was Walter Wilding. The husband of the new child died, then the mother and her maid returned to England where the wife dies, but the maid continues to care for the child. This child is, of course, no other than Vendale himself. Thus, if Marguerite were to marry him she would be marrying a bastard, and that, in Victorian times, would be unacceptable.

Obenreizer has out-foxed himself. Marguerite tells Vendale she loves him more because of his history.


Thoughts

Well, here we have many Dickensian tropes. We have the faithful woman, the mysterious past of a main character brought to light, the unraveling of a convoluted set of circumstances, and the ever-popular series of coincidences that all finally link together. Did you see the resolution coming? If so, what were the earlier hints that lead you to your thoughts?

Where you were surprised by the reveal? What part/parts of the story disappointed you?




The Curtain Falls


As the title to this section suggests, we are near the end of our story. The title uses the word “Curtain.” I, for one, think the title is very appropriate. First, the novel has its twin in a play that was co-authored by Dickens and Collins. I also think it is appropriate since I found this novel very theatrical. That’s my opinion. I won’t badger you with my opinion, but will be happy to expand my comments if asked. ;-)

We begin this section in England, specifically Cripple-Corner. Mrs Goldstraw is busy organizing celebrations. For what? Well, in Brieg, Switzerland, there has been a marriage. George Vendale and Marguerite are married. Was anyone surprised by this?

Madame Dor apologizes for her watchful eye and both George and Marguerite forgive her. Joey Ladle admits that being above ground has its advantages and Bintrey and Voigt go arm and arm to the church.

We learn that Obenreizer has been killed in an avalanche. And so our story comes to its end. The good have been rewarded and the bad have been punished.

Thoughts

What did you enjoy about the story? What were its shortcomings.

Do you have any interest in reading the dramatic version of the story?

Now that we have completed the novel what do you think the significance of the title is? For fun, take a look at your prediction of the title’s meaning/suggestion made at the conclusion of the first week’s reading.

Peter wrote: "The Clock - Lock"

I guess I'm jaded and cynical, but are ALL the people in this story fools? First we have Vendale, who wouldn't get a clue if it fell on his head like a cinder block. Now we have this notary who goes to the trouble of having a fancy safe with a timer made and then shows a complete stranger how it works. [Insert HUGE eyeroll here.]

Surprise! Vendale is alive! Oh, for heaven's sake. If I could predict that, anyone could. And what an anti-climax! Not even a word from his victim. Wouldn't you have had a thing or two to say to the man who left you for dead? But I was delighted that in the silence that ensued, there was a caged bird in the courtyard singing to Peter. :-)

Peter wrote: We have ...the unraveling of a convoluted set of circumstances, and the ever-popular series of coincidences that all finally link together.

Not since Oliver Twist have I been so disappointed in a reveal. In OT, the coincidences were so unbelievable (and untethered), no one could have possibly guessed them. Here, while we couldn't have predicted HOW Wilding became Vendale, the result came as no surprise. At this point, I didn't even care about the details.

There was no satisfaction in Obenreizer's comeuppance. Sign away guardianship, and you can go free? Granted, I know nothing about 19th century English law, but it seems that with the charges he's facing, they could have done better than an unofficial exile (which, apparently, he ignored). Having the two men show up at the wedding with the news of his demise seemed very unlikely and anticlimactic. Considering the bad endings some of the other evil characters have suffered at the point of Dickens' pen, this was a huge letdown.

Peter -- I always enjoy hearing your opinions. Share away. You certainly are kind enough to tolerate mine.

As for the wrap-up...

I was disappointed that the names "Cripple-Corner" and "Breakneck Stairs" didn't foreshadow anything ominous.

I was also disappointed that so many of the images that were set up early on weren't woven throughout the story. Why bother? I'm thinking of things like the clock at St. Paul's, and the metaphorical film coming over Obenreizer's eyes, to name a few.

The minor characters of Joey Ladle, Mrs. Dor, and Sally Goldstraw were poorly used and should have been given more involved roles. Contrivances, all.

I'm truly sorry to be so very negative in my comments. Just reading Peter's recap and thinking about it all again tempts me to change my 2 star rating to one star, but somehow I can't bring myself to do it. With good casting, perhaps I'd enjoy a staged production more than this novelized version. I could barely enjoy it less. :-(

Mary Lou wrote: "Peter wrote: "The Clock - Lock"

I guess I'm jaded and cynical, but are ALL the people in this story fools? First we have Vendale, who wouldn't get a clue if it fell on his head like a cinder block..."

Hi Mary Lou

Well said. I hold out the faint hope that the stage version of No Thoroughfare would be more interesting if the production was populated with actors who love to go over the top with melodramatic touches.

The prose version of No Thoroughfare was published by Dickens as his annual Christmas book for 1867. I think it’s safe to say that the Curiosities will enjoy our reading of A Christmas Carol this December much more.

So I did enjoy it being very much over the top. But still, as you both said too, it often was too obvious. I think we have all seen this (Vendale being the OG Wilding) coming since the first act. And Obenreizer being killed in an avalanche was very convenient to get rid of him, because how else would he be able to not try to weasel his way around and through things? And then the clock as Mary Lou said - it was so, so obvious.

Joey Ladle could have been such a great minor character if fleshed out more. Madame Dor could have been made into an icon like Mrs. Gamp, easily. As they were now, they were just plot accelerators instead of side characters.

I still enjoyed reading this. But where I usually love re-reading Dickens' work, I will not be doing so with No Thoroughfare.

Like all (or most) of you, I come out of this novel with rather mixed feelings bordering more on disappointment than on enthusiasm. The part I really enjoyed a lot was Act III, where Obenreizer and the unsuspecting Vendale made their dangerous journey, and there were those many instances of Obenreizer's dithering between killing Vendale or just robbing it. These chapters also gave me the feeling of the Alps - a place I have admittedly only visited in fair weather, which I am thankful for. - I think that the powerful writing of these two chapters suggests Dickens's pen, but that's neither here nor there.

The last Act, however, did not manage to keep up the high standard set by Act III. Just fancy having a perfect villain like Obenreizer - I repeatedly mentioned his streak of envy and his feelings of inferiority, which made him all the more believable to me - and then first having him baulked by two old lawyers, one of them clearly being a nitwit, and then, even more unpardonably killing him off off-stage. This wonderful evil-doer would have deserved a more dramatic exit because the entire story stood and fell with him.

I am not saying anything about the extremely unlikely background story because I am ready to take in tongue-in-cheek, but what I found extremely annoying - like Mary Lou - was the imbecility of many of the good people in this story. Just take Vendale, who never seems to grow suspicious of his fellow-traveller even though he had a basic distrust of his personality. Now, I am more of Mr. Guppy's dye, inclining to distrust others so much that I often find myself playing chess without an opponent, but a little bit more of common sense and carefulness would have done Vendale a world of good. The straw that broke the camel's back, however, was Herr Voigt. This guy is supposed to be a lawyer and as such would normally deal with people who don't tell him the truth - and yet he is as innocent and gullible as a new-born babe. This is asking too much of me as a reader! And then this oh-so-clever clock contrivance: If I got it right, he had to wait till eight o' clock in order to get access to his own papers (and if you want to change the mechanism you can only do it from within). Just imagine Voigt having to get at a certain document for business reasons and his telling his client that he has to wait a couple of hours. But then Voigt probably does not have any clients because they might all prefer some smarter lawyers.

As far as the minor characters are concerned, they could indeed have been fleshed out more but probably this was not possible due to the length of the novel. Had the novel known where it was going a little bit earlier, though, some space for fleshing up these characters might have been provided.

I might like to watch a stageplay or a movie version of the novel, though.

Here is my suggestion of a cast for a classic movie version:

Obenreizer: Richard Widmark (because he was very convincing at playing ambiguous characters)
Vendale: a young Cary Grant
Wilding: Harry Carey jr.
Marguerite: Gloria Grahame - if we couldn't get Barbara Stanwyck
Mme Dor: Judith Anderson
Mrs. Goldstring: Sara Allgood
Joey Ladle: Walter Brennan
Bintrey: Edward G. Robinson
Voigt: George "Gabby" Hayes

Tristram wrote: "I might like to watch a stageplay or a movie version of the novel, though.

Here is my suggestion of a cast for a classic movie version:

Obenreizer: Richard Widmark (because he was very convincin..."

Tristram

Oh my. Your cast list humbles me. I only recognize 4 names, and know so little of those I do recognize that I can’t visualize them in their assigned parts for the movie.

I am obviously someone who knows less than nothing about the world of film.

Tristram wrote: "Here is my suggestion of a cast for a classic movie version..."

Oh, this is fun! Interesting choices, Tristram. My cast list:

Obenreizer: Robert Mitchum, or maybe Rex Harrison
Vendale: Van Johnson
Wilding: Montgomery Clift
Marguerite: Olivia DeHavilland ( I love Gloria Grahame and Barbara Stanwyck, but I think they're both much too spunky for Marguerite's early appearances)
Mme Dor: I never would have thought of Judith Anderson, but she's a great choice.
Mrs. Goldstraw: May Whitty
Joey Ladle: David Bradley or Alun Armstrong, both of whom have been in several Dickens adaptations
Bintrey: George Sanders
Voigt: Thomas Mitchell

Oh, I like these. I know them all except for May Whitty. I knew most of the first list as well, but two I did not know.

Peter wrote: "I am obviously someone who knows less than nothing about the world of film. "

Peter, it's never too late to start. I've begun a project with my son: We are going to watch one film from each year starting with 1900 in chronological order, and then we discuss them. Since we've been out and about a lot recently, we are still in 1902 and I am going to present Le Voyage dans la lune, and for 1903 I have scheduled the first western ever, The Great Train Robbery. My son is responsible for selecting the films fro 1990 onward.

Bobbie wrote: "Oh, I like these. I know them all except for May Whitty. I knew most of the first list as well, but two I did not know."

I think you might know May Whitty from The Lady Vanishes by Alfred Hitchcock, a brilliant movie!

Mary Lou wrote: "Tristram wrote: "Here is my suggestion of a cast for a classic movie version..."

Oh, this is fun! Interesting choices, Tristram. My cast list:

Obenreizer: Robert Mitchum, or maybe Rex Harrison
Ve..."

Mary Lou,

I must confess that Robert Mitchum is even better as the villain than Richard Widmark - he would also have got that film over the eyes right, I am sure. Monty Clift, however, is far too sensitive and intellectual for Walter Wilding. Just remember how naive he was and how he revelled in glorifying his mother, like a big schoolboy. To me, this type is perfectly embodied by Harry Carey jr.

I bow to your choice of Thomas Mitchell as Voigt, and can picture him with little strings tied around his fingers to prevent him from forgetting scanty business appointments and am definitely of the opinion that we must put George Sanders into the film - but would that not mean making another villain out of Bintrey? ;-)

Missy is definitely too spunky for Marguerite, but she happens to be my favourite actress. DeHavilland will never live down that Gone with the Wind demureness with me, and so we might settle down on Grahame as a compromise? A few nights ago I watched Sudden Fear and was once again enraptured with Gloria Grahame, where she played an underhanded schemer. Her opponent was Joan Crawford, and unfortunately, Crawford got the better of her in the plot, but not in my heart: I truly think there are two Hollywood actresses teething with viciousness and one of them is Mrs. Crawford.