The Old Curiosity Club discussion

Dear Curiosities,

strictly speaking, this is not really a pub but a hotel, and it is sitatuated in Dover. Nevertheless, I am sure they have a comfortable taproom big enough for us Curiosities to assemble and discuss book-unrelated matters while we are reading A Tale of Two Cities. We could have gone to M. Defarge's wineshop, too, but first I doubt that they'll have any beer, and I am not much of a wine drinker, and secondly, Mme Defarge and her sweeping observant gaze would not sit straight with me at all. Not that I have anything to do with Louis XVI. but still, I'd rather give those Defarges a wide berth.

So, let's settle down at The Royal George in Dover for a while!

I'm in the mood for something frozen and fruity - a dacquiri, perhaps. Summer heat, as always, has arrived before the summer solstice. I hope the Royal George can oblige.

Speaking of royal, has anyone been watching the Jubilee? Oh, to be a milliner in London! Nobody does pomp and pageantry like the British. What would Dickens think of it all, I wonder.

I have not watched the Jubilee, but have read articles and commentary about it.

I did recently read The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor - the Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown. I will say that Tina Brown has an energetic and witty prose style like few others.

Mary Lou wrote: "I'm in the mood for something frozen and fruity - a dacquiri, perhaps. Summer heat, as always, has arrived before the summer solstice. I hope the Royal George can oblige.

Speaking of royal, has a..."

Mary Lou

Good question. Dickens was quite proud of England and certainly bristled when anyone thought or wrote articles against it. On the other hand, Dickens tactfully came up with excuses not to meet with the Queen for most of his life. Finally, three months before his death, he did agree to meet with Queen Victoria. Evidently he offered to give her a preview of what was happening in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She declined the offer.

My guess is he would have hustled down to Gad’s Hill with a few friends and enjoyed the celebrations from afar.

A little while ago a Curiosity asked if there were any books that would help flesh out the various aspects of the Victorian world and thus help a reader better understand what was read in a Dickens novel - or any other Victorian novel.

I did not suggest Charles Dickens in Context by Sally Ledger and Holly Furneaux. I have recently been rereading a couple of chapters and must say this is the best book on the market to give readers an informative and insightful look at multiple aspects of Victorian life as it connects with Charles Dickens.

Another reason this book is so good is the extensive bibliography into future readings for each of the chapters.

Peter wrote: "A little while ago a Curiosity asked if there were any books that would help flesh out the various aspects of the Victorian world and thus help a reader better understand what was read in a Dickens..."

Thanks Peter. I added it to my list.

On this day in 1870 Charles Dickens passed.

See you later at the Royal George. We shall raise a glass of whatever we choose and toast the Inimitable.

Here's to the Inimitable! He'll never pass out of our memories!

Well, all, it's apparently the year I can't keep up with the reading. I came back from Ireland and went straight back into the year's overload work schedule and then I caught COVID. And of course with Zoom and all you can keep on working even after you get COVID. Anyway, I am FINE, just very sorry to have already missed Part 1 of Tale of Two Cities with you, as I remember it as one of my very favorite things ever written. Maybe this weekend I can get caught up and see what you all thought of it.

On the upside because you can keep on working even with COVID I didn't really get all that far behind, and this was the last week of my overload year, so now all I have to do is one week more of tying up loose ends and then I have sworn to myself I will take seven days and do nothing but sleep and eat and read. Looking forward to it.

Julie wrote: "On the upside because you can keep on working even with COVID I didn't really get all that far behind, and this was the last week of my overload year, so now all I have to do is one week more of ty..."

Julie

First, welcome back. I hope your time in Ireland was wonderful and you found your share of four leaf clovers and pubs. Any leprechaun sightings?

Covid. What a nasty thing it is. Glad you are well. Yes, rest, relax, read. Then repeat.

Glad you're okay, Julie. We shall all fall victim to the scourge at some point, I'm afraid. I like Peters advice, which is good for any person in any situation. In fact, I think I'll follow it myself right now. :-)

Peter wrote: "Julie wrote: "On the upside because you can keep on working even with COVID I didn't really get all that far behind, and this was the last week of my overload year, so now all I have to do is one w..."

I did not see any leprechauns, and in fact had a good conversation with some of our study hosts in which we established they had never seen leprechauns and I had never seen Bigfoot. I don't think I spotted any four-leaf clovers either. But lots of rainbows and lots of pubs!

Julie,

I hope your Covid infection is not too taxing and too serious. All I can say, however, is that even though you experience it as a case in which you can go on working via Zoom, you probably should think twice about it because the home office is a place where you can get into a rut of doing even more things than at work - and I'd stick to my doctor's advice, who told me not to do anything even though I have the feeling of being well able to. Rest, relax and concentrate your mind on the nice and not too stressful things of life!

Julie wrote: " I have sworn to myself I will take seven days and do nothing but sleep and eat and read..."

Sounds good to me. I think I'll join you in that. As for leprechauns, of course they exist. Have you never seen the horror movie, "Leprechaun"? Or Leprechaun 2 for that matter, or Leprechaun 3, or....I don't know how far they went with them. As for bigfoot, I live about 20 minutes away from the Susquehanna river, which has many "islands" in it. Don't think of islands filled with homes, people and beaches, think of islands you can walk to, the river usually being not more than above our knees. And you could easily walk from one end of them to the other except you would have to fight your way through the weeds and trees and poison ivy being the only thing on them (or so I thought) and you'd have to push your way through all that. Not long ago though a man insists he was canoeing past one of the islands and saw big foot watching him. He went around the island but big foot kept following him no matter how fast he went. He became so frightened he headed for the shore and swears he will never go near that island again. It even made the news. Why someone doesn't go out and walk through the island I don't know. I would, but I don't care and don't want to get covered with poison ivy.

Kim wrote: "As for bigfoot, I live about 20 minutes away from the Susquehanna river..."

I had no idea they existed east of the Rockies!

Julie wrote: "Kim wrote: "As for bigfoot, I live about 20 minutes away from the Susquehanna river..."

I had no idea they existed east of the Rockies!"

Oh, we have lots of stuff. A house that as far as I know has been abandoned for years, also along the Susquehanna river, if you are there at the right time you will see an orange light in the attic window and hear organ music playing even though there isn't an organ in the house or electricity for that matter. When you have to be there to see and hear this I have no idea.

Then there is the cemetery closest to me, supposedly if you go there during the day and set up a tape recorder when you go back in the morning and play the tape you will hear voices talking to each other. It won't work if you are in the cemetery, only if it is empty, except for the tape recorder that is. I never tried that either.

Kim wrote: "Then there is the cemetery closest to me, supposedly if you go there during the day and set up a tape recorder when you go back in the morning and play the tape you will hear voices talking to each other. It won't work if you are in the cemetery, only if it is empty, except for the tape recorder that is. I never tried that either."

This must be an old story indeed if you have to have a tape recorder for it. :)

I’ve just completed Posting It: The Victorian Revolution in Letter Writing by Catherine Golden. I found it both fascinating and informative. The book tells the story of the founding of the postal service in England and much, much more.

Peter, if you want something frivolous to follow up "Posting It", you might enjoy "Going Postal" by Terry Pratchett, which explores the same topic in a humorous sci-fi/fantasy world.

Happy Father's Day to Peter, Tristram, and all the other dads in our little group! Hope you all have a great day!

I second trying 'Going Postal' by Pratchett. His work is amazing.

Jantine wrote: "I second trying 'Going Postal' by Pratchett. His work is amazing."

Mary Lou and Jantine

Thank you. A confession. I have never read a Terry Pratchett novel. I put it on hold with my library this morning.

Thank you.

Mary Lou wrote: "Happy Father's Day to Peter, Tristram, and all the other dads in our little group! Hope you all have a great day!"

Thank you, Mary Lou. I didn't know it was Father's Day. In Germany, this always falls on Ascension Day, and man, oftentimes also non-fathers, usually meet in the morning to go hiking and drink large quantities of beer together. I'd rather stay with my family but who am I to gainsay time-honoured traditions ;-)

Shhh! Don't tell American fathers that, or there will be some cultural appropriation going on! My poor husband got the honor of installing new bathroom lights in our daughter's condo before being taken out to lunch. At least she paid for the meal. ;-)

There are more and more husbands and fathers who spend that day in the circle of their families, and when we, the cheerful chums, pass them with our stock of beer and sandwiches, talking merrily and emptying our bottles in one draught, we can always see their wistful eyes and hear the envy scratching away at their little hearts.

I hope German mothers get an annual day of imbibing away from their families, as well.

They don't - which calls for some revolution!

So on Father's day all the men go hiking and drinking beer. That makes me feel so lucky that I am not a man, especially one in Germany. I hate hiking, which seems to be only done when the temperature couldn't get any hotter and all the bugs are out and about. And the one time I tried beer I hated it. It needs sugar.

Sugar??? The should only be water, hops and (barley) malt in beer.

Who's heard anything about "The Dickens Boy" by Thomas Keneally, a novel about Plorn being sent off to Australia? A friend spotted it in a catalog and sent me a link, but it's the first I've heard of it (published in 2019, I think it said).

Mary Lou wrote: "Who's heard anything about "The Dickens Boy" by Thomas Keneally, a novel about Plorn being sent off to Australia? A friend spotted it in a catalog and sent me a link, but it's the first I've heard ..."

Hi Mary Lou

While I have not read the book it is on my TBR list. I have heard good things about it. I have been told it is not a biography in the pure sense of the word. Rather, it is historical fiction but with lots of roots in fact.

If anyone wants a few hours of frivolous escapism, I'm watching a movie called "The In Crowd" which is about an American Bandstand style TV show. It's surely wasn't an Oscar contender, but it's got a good 60s song track and fun dancing. But what's surprised me is an underlying "Tale of Two Cities" theme. It's truly amazing, the places Dickens pops up.

https://reelgood.com/movie/the-in-cro...

Greetings All. I have been behind on my reading and was just not able to get to A Tale of Two Cities.

In other group I have been reading Good-Bye to All That: An Autobiography, which I can recommend as a great book in the autobiographical tradition.

I look forward to Great Expectations. I first read it in a wonderful English class in high school with a wonderful teacher. I found it then to be a thrilling story that gave me goosebumps at times.

Last orders here, my friends, because we are moving on to THE THREE JOLLY BARGEMEN.