Next Dickens book...

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E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
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Over the past few month I've read the 3 Stieg Larsson books, Lord of the Flies, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper and now I'm half way through The Grapes of Wrath.

I fancy another Dickens book but not sure which out of Hard Times, Our Mutual Friend, Dombey and Son or The Pickwick Papers.

I've read A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Nicolas Nickleby, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist and Little Dorrit and enjoyed them all.... David Copperfield probably being my favourite!

So.... Which do you reckon for next?!

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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Anyone? Or there is the old curiosity shop!

LC23

1,290 posts

232 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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Of the ones you have listed to read next, I have only read The Pickwick Papers. I enjoyed it and it was actually the first Dickens book I read.

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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I ended up starting Our Mutual Friend, in already 1/2 way through and I'm really enjoying it!

Cheers.

jpringle819

725 posts

246 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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The Pickwick Papers is good and a fairly easy read.

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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Looks like the Pickwick Papers could be next!

I've been off work the last 3 months and I've been able to read (long story) the past 2 months or so.... And I'll be off work for another 2 months or so yet so need something to fill my time, and I've rediscovered my love for reading. I recently saw the BBC adaptation of Bleak House, I'm not sure whether to read it, or leave it a few years when I forget things that happen....

philcray

854 posts

210 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
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Hi

I have read all of Dicken's novels(!), lastly Dombey & Sons which I would recommend. They are all good if you like that sort of thing, but I was not too keen on Pickwick Papers. I would further recommend Barnaby Ridge which is one of his less well known stories, along with Martin Chuzzlewit which is particularly interesting when they travel to the US. Being written at the time, it gives an accurate idea of what the US was really like in the 1840's.

Oliver Twist is also better and a bit different to what you would expect, if you haven't already read it.


E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
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I've actually recently started The Pickwick Papers and I'm really quite enjoying it. Really quite light-hearted and funny.

Thoroughly enjoyed Our Mutual Friend, not the best of his but certainly worth watching!

tertius

6,914 posts

237 months

Saturday 21st March 2015
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philcray said:
Hi

I have read all of Dicken's novels(!), lastly Dombey & Sons which I would recommend. They are all good if you like that sort of thing, but I was not too keen on Pickwick Papers. I would further recommend Barnaby Ridge which is one of his less well known stories, along with Martin Chuzzlewit which is particularly interesting when they travel to the US. Being written at the time, it gives an accurate idea of what the US was really like in the 1840's.

Oliver Twist is also better and a bit different to what you would expect, if you haven't already read it.
I too have read all of Dickens,and oddly/interestingly the ones you recommend are among my least favourites.

For me, top is probably A Tale of Two Cities, then Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Sunday 22nd March 2015
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Thanks. I'm now 66% through The Pickwick Papers and am enjoying it, although it's not one of my favourite books of his.

I'm tempted by one of the shorter ones, such as Hard Times or The Old Curiosity Shop.... Decisions, decisions!

philcray

854 posts

210 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
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Another author you may like is Alexander Dumas, more adventure tales than Dickens but all a good read. The Count of Monte Cristo is a good start, he also wrote the Three Musketeer books (there are 3 of them) and others e.g. la reine Margot which are all entertaining yarns with good historic content.

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
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I have been very tempted by the Count of Monte Cristo..... But a bit daunted at its length! Isn't it something like twice as long as David Copperfield?!

philcray

854 posts

210 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
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it is quite long but it's a fast moving story and very easy to read, more so than Dickens in many ways as it is more of an Boys Own adventure yarn

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
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philcray said:
it is quite long but it's a fast moving story and very easy to read, more so than Dickens in many ways as it is more of an Boys Own adventure yarn
May read this next then! Of Dickens books I've currently read

David Copperfield
Great Expectations
A Tale of Two Cities
Our Mutual Friend
Little Dorrit
A Christmas Carol (if that counts!)
Nicholas Nickleby
Oliver Twist

And I'm going to be able to finish the pickwick papers by Wednesday or Thursday I should think!

LC23

1,290 posts

232 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
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I would second The Count of Monte Cristo. Don't be put off by the amount of reading required. It's a great book.

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Wednesday 25th March 2015
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Well I've just finished The Pickwick Papers so I'll start The Count of Monte Cristo tomorrow!

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Friday 27th March 2015
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I have already read a reasonable amount of The Count of Monte Cristo (13 chapters!) and I must say I think it's bloody brilliant so far! I'm expecting it to slow down at some point because of the sheer length of the book but it's really enjoyable so far.

What about any of his other books... The 3 musketeers? Also tempted by Victor Hugo Les Miserables.... Anyone read that? Worth a read?

philcray

854 posts

210 months

Friday 27th March 2015
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The Dumas books are all good and tend to be a similar style. There are actually 5 musketeer books


1) The Three Musketeers
2) Twenty Years After
3) The Vicomte de Bragelonne
4) Louise de la Valliere
5) The Man in the Iron Mask

I didn't realise this till I checked on wiki, I have read 1,2 & 5 and now need to read 3 & 4!

I have also read Les Miserables a while ago, memory says it was a good story and worth reading. It is quite a long tome.

Perseverant

439 posts

118 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
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Pickwick Papers is an early book. It's an easy read and the episodic style makes it easy to approach in bits. The best is Bleak House - Dickens at the height of his craft.

E65Ross

Original Poster:

35,708 posts

219 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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Time for a thread resurrection!

I read 3 of the musketeer novels which were good, but not as much as the count of monte Cristo in my opinion (which is probably my favourite book I've ever read!)

I have just finished reading Hard Times which I enjoyed. I do fancy another Dickens book but, again, not sure which.

Any thoughts on Martin Chuzzlewit? I've watched the series of Bleak House and I'm not sure whether that might spoil the book

I have read Nicholas Nickleby, but I can't remember much about that at all so that's a possibility, I remember loving David Copperfield and a tale of two cities.... Again, books I can't remember much about, so could try those again but I remember the ending of a tale of two cities!

Thoughts?

Thanks!