A Tale of Two Attitudes

Tags

Books, Charles Dickens, Religion

I have been revisiting of late Dickens’ ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, and a jolly good read it is too, I forgot just how humorous it was, however it is not so much the book itself that I am blogging about today.  Rather I wish to share with you a contrast that struck me; between a church welcome that has been doing the rounds – you can read about it over on Mother Ruth’s blog where she has added her own additions; and how Book the Second – The Gold Thread, of A Tale of Two Cities, which I reached last night, begins.

Tellson’s Bank by Temple Bar was an old-fashioned place, even in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty. It was very small, very dark, very ugly, very incommodious. It was an old-fashioned place, moreover, in the moral attribute that the partners in the House were proud of its smallness, proud of its darkness, proud of its ugliness, proud of its incommodiousness. They were even boastful of its eminence in those particulars, and were fired by an express conviction that, if it were less objectionable, it would be less respectable. This was no passive belief, but an active weapon which they flashed at more convenient places of business. Tellson’s (they said) wanted no elbow-room, Tellson’s wanted no light, Tellson’s wanted no embellishment. Noakes and Co.’s might, or Snooks Brothers’ might; but Tellson’s, thank Heaven—! Any one of these partners would have disinherited his son on the question of rebuilding Tellson’s. In this respect the House was much on a par with the Country; which did very often disinherit its sons for suggesting improvements in laws and customs that had long been highly objectionable, but were only the more respectable.

A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

A welcome says more than about who we welcome, it also conveys the attitude of a place and the people within it.

A Whole Lot of Candles

Tags

Charles Dickens

Today marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens birth.  For many people his work doesn’t go beyond Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol and even at that it is it probably mainly due to Lionel Bart and Alistair Sim respectively, but Dickens has a lot more to offer than four ghosts and some more gruel.

Dickens started out as a political journalist, which may be were his interest in social reform and removing the stigma from the poor and marginalised  in Victorian society came from.  His writing often has the poor, the orphan, the outcast as the hero; while the gentry and rich are frequently less than the moral and upstanding members of justice and morality that the Victorians liked to believe they were.  Several of his novels highlight the exploitation of the disadvantaged and the appalling conditions that people lived in due to poor sanitation and the animals were treated better than people in workhouses and prisons.  It has been claimed that he was instrumental in having the notorious Fleet Prison in London closed down.

With the finance of Angela Burdett Coutts behind him Dickens set up a refuge for women who had been caught up in prostitution, there they learnt to read and write which along with other skills set them up to find a way out of the life that had previously trapped them.  He also helped in both the setting up and continually running of the fledgling Great Ormond Street Hospital.

People of his time and since have often said that his stories were unrealistic, yet the echos of his own life which can be seen in his stories testify to that isn’t the case.  Mr Micawber in David Copperfield is said to be based on Dicken’s own father; while Nancy from Oliver on one of the women in the refuge he set up; and it has even been said that Pip from Great Expectations is based on his own life.  A young lonely child starting out without any future, working in a dirty occupation (Dickens himself worked in Warren’s blacking factory), until he learnt to read and a new future came into view (while Dickens himself was finally allowed to return to school).

From the Cricket on the Hearth to Bleak House, from A Tale of Two Cities to Little Dorrit, from The Pickwick Papers to Our Mutual Friend Dickens has something for everyone.  What is more in using his pen to powerful effect he was part of the beginning of a shift in Victorian society which in time would see the end of the workhouses, the introduction of a welfare state and child labour no longer being acceptable.  The sad thing about today is while lots has been accomplished that Dickens would rejoice at and b e glad in, I am sure he would still also be scribbling furiously away at the injustice that still finds its home in today’s society.  So maybe if you take this anniversary year to pick up and read a Dickens book you will do it with new eyes and let Dickens inspire you to try and right some injustices that still remain 200 years on.

No Eyes to Read But Ears to Listen – Books 13, 14 & 15

Tags

Anthony Trollope, Books, Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, William Thackeray

For this pick I return to some classics, I say return but that isn’t strictly true for these are again some of those which I have never read but always said I would, now at least I have listened.

The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens -  I am so glad I decided to listen to this one for it reminds me just how good Dickens.  It is a wonderful winding adventure which despite being set so firmly in time is so human it is for today as well.  Pip and his Great Expectations is favorite of mine, now Nell and her grandfather at the quick and clever nib of Dickens have made me laugh and cry as well.  Oh I know there are those of you out there who don’t understand how someone can cry at a book, but would you query someone laughing as they read?

Can You Forgive Her by Anthony Trollope - hmmm this might not be the thing to say but boy it is boring at least to start with.  In fact I started it only to stop it and move on to something else on several occasions.  Guess that shows that even when listening some books can still be hard work.  Eventually however I got there and Alice’s internal struggles captivated me while Lady Glencora intrigued me.  Despite a feeling that the first half could have been condensed by 50% without loosing anything; but that is just my opinion others – you – might think differently; the others Palliser novels might now have to be added to my unwritten list, which despite all this catching up on reading I am doing seems to just be growing longer!

Vanity Fair by William Thackeray – this was one I picked up at the library last week and turned out, disappointingly, to be abridged.  An amusing enough little tale but don’t think I will bother searching out an unabridged version or necessarily pick up another Thackeray, but it’s ticked off the list as another classic done.

Not listened to it yet and wont be reviewing it when I do as, like you, I know the story have seen visual adaptations and even read a child version of the book but have never actually read the actual book, but slipping this epic in under the radar at this point.  War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – Hubby returned with this from his mum for me, really looking forward to listening to it.  She also sent Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L Sayers a Radio 4 dramatisation and Maeve Binchy’s The Return Journey which is a collection of short stories they will get a mention after I have listened to them, although what with sleeping at night again rather than being wide awake I don’t have as many listening hours – how I wish I had started this audio book lark before.

Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

Tags

Books, Charles Dickens

After reading ‘Mister Pip’ a couple of months ago the Book Group decided that it was time to return to one of the Classics and Great Expectations was the most natural choice.

While most of us had previously read it, none of us had read it within the last 20 years or so, which meant that each of us discovered things about it which we had forgotten.  We were all delighted to have been reacquainted with Joe, Herbert and Wemmick and even Jaggers, Miss Havisham and Magwitch found favour with us this time around.   While we all agreed we had all met at least one Estelle, Biddy and Mr Pumblechook in our lives, and in fact the later even managed to get himself into the sermon on Sunday, something which no doubt if he was real and had known about he would have been highly delighted about!

The moral tales and lessons scattered liberally throughout the book created much discussion and despite the characters individual failings come the final page there was only one person who we universally found disagreeable, namely Orlick.  We also decided that was down to Dickens writing and he was the only character who never saw the error of his ways and redeemed himself.

The humour and descriptive way of Dickens writing make even a long book like this easy to read, so all in all, if like me it is a long time since you picked up ‘Expectations’ then you also like we did might enjoy revisiting Pip’s story.