Ranking the Novels of Dickens

[AndrewT]

I read A Christmas Carol when I was about ten. The idea of ghosts at Christmas may have scared the dickens out of me because now, decades later, I am just getting my feet wet again. I'm finishing up Great Expectations this weekend. He is brilliant, no question. I'll be reading one every year or two until I'm done.

 

[Extollager]

Last night I finished Dombey and Son -- so I've read all 14 1/2 Dickens novels. The journey began on 29 August 1975 when I started Oliver Twist.

I've already set out my ordering: Ranking the Novels of Dickens

Good as Dombey was, I don't suppose I like it as much as any of the novels in the "greater" category, but, on the other hand, it is a really impressive achievement, probably greater than nearly all of the ones in my "lesser" category! But one could tie oneself up in knots trying to work these things out.

[Now onward, to finish the reading of all of Shakespeare's plays (not counting ones of which he seems clearly to have written only parts, such as Henry VIII). I have six to go that I've never read: 2 & 3 Henry VI, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love's Labour's Lost, King John, and The Merry Wives of Windsor.]

Finished the Shakespeare plays with Henry VIII a few minutes ago. I suppose I can't think of any other two uncontested canonical, standard master-authors all of whose major works I'd have wanted to read in their entirety. I have to admit I haven't read all of the Shakespeare Sonnets and it would take a braver soul than me to contend that those are not "major works." But I don't necessarily expect to read The Rape of Lucrece or Pictures from Italy, works by Shakespeare and Dickens that may be of some interest but may seem to quite a few readers to be for completists. I haven't read them myself.

This thread isn't the place to start a discussion, which could go on for a long time, on the question: Who (else) are the canonical, standard authors whose major works you would seriously want to read in their entirety? If someone wants to start a separate thread on that, --- great! I guess the assumption here is that we are talking about authors whom everyone knows to be great authors and whose works are copious enough that undertaking the reading of them all would take a lot of time. I suppose you could read the works by T. S. Eliot (poems and criticism) that "count" in a month without crushing yourself. I'm thinking of authors who wrote a much bulkier corpus. So, if someone wants to start a thread somewhere....

On The Rape of Lucrece:

Shakespeare's Rome

This book studies Shakespeare's changing vision of Rome in the six works where the city serves as a setting. Unlike other scholars treatment, the subject Dr Miola offers a coherent analysis of all the major appearances of Rome in the Shakespeare canon. Shakespeare's recurrent and varied...

books.google.com

On Pictures from Italy:

http://www.dickens.jp/archive/pi/pi-konoshima.pdf

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Actually, I enjoyed Pictures From Italy. Although I have to admit that I was largely interested in it as a resource for writers, for the descriptions of 19th century Italy and France, I also found it very entertaining.

 

[Extollager]

Thanks... I might have been too influenced by remarks I’ve seen here and there about Pictures....

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Well, it entertained me because I like descriptions of places (especially if the descriptions were written in one of my favorite periods) and love the way that Dickens describes things (and people,) so it was sort of inevitable that I would enjoy it. I can understand why other people might not find it to their taste—especially if they pick it up looking for a novel, which of course it isn't. But anyone who likes Sketches by Boz might like this one, too.

 

[Simbelmynë]

I’ve so far read only three, but look forward to many more.

1. David Copperfield
2. Great Expectations
3. The Old Curiosity Shop

I mentioned elsewhere that the plot to GE is superior to Copperfield, and reading previous comments I’d agree that DC’s strengths are mostly in the first third, but I was totally gripped by the melodramatic narrative and Dickens’ literary voice throughout David’s childhood. I feel like I have a limit to how many characters I can follow in a novel of this size, and some of these characters didn’t have enough about them, but on the strength of Steerforth and his family, David’s Aunt, Mr Dick and the wayward girl who’s name I forget, amongst others, the cast of characters won me over. David’s wife bored and irritated me at first but towards the end I even warmed to her in some small way. I’m a bit impatient with the opinion that you have to “care about the characters” to be effected by a great novel but I think with Dickens you really do feel like they become part of your life for a while.

I think overall the personal touch that comes across throughout David Copperfield is a big reason why it was my favourite. And it’s obviously semi autobiographical so I guess this might be part of why it feels so personal. I had the very strong sense that I was living through the protagonist, sensing the world through his senses. More so than with most other books I’ve read I think. My enjoyment of it was also greater because I’d had time to get a real taste for Dickens’ style, DC being the third of the three I’ve read.

So, which to go for next? I’ve seen a gorgeous edition of Martin Chuzzlewit online, though funds are limited at the moment so I might wait until the libraries reopen. A friend offered her enthusiastic opinion on Bleak House, so I’m also considering this. Various adaptations of Oliver Twist kept me entertained as a kid so I must read this at some point too, though I see from the above comments it might not be amongst the best.

For now, a collection of Edgar Allen Poe is keeping my hankering for verbose Victorian fiction satisfied, but the book won’t last forever.

 

[Extollager]

Bleak House and Chuzzlewit brought me a lot of pleasure. I rate Our Mutual Friend very high, too.

 

[Bick]

Should I read Chuzzlewit next then? I am dithering between Nickleby, Chuzzlewit and Dorrit.

 

[Extollager]

Others might give you a different answer, but mine would be, certainly go with Chuzzlewit of those three -- not to say anything against them.

 

[Bick]

Okay, Chuzzlewit it is then. Might be a few days before I get going, I have a SF to finish.

 

[Extollager]

Redmond O'Hanlon took it with him on a demanding journey.

Penguin Travel Library and other literary travel books

I might as well make available here some information that I've gathered. I will probably update it from time to time. Does anyone know if I have missed anything? Especially -- does anyone have comments on any of these? Penguin Travel Library -- Complete List (?) Here I will list books...

www.sffchronicles.com

 

[Bick]

I was curious to see how the Dickens' novels are ranked on various online reviews. I found 8 sites that provided a top 10 list, and I gave each placing on any list the reciprocal score (i.e. a tenth place on a list garnered 1 point, while first place obtains 10 points). I then averaged the scores for all books to obtain a meta-analysis of all Dickens' novels. A Christmas Carol was voted in several lists, so while it's not a novel per se, its a major work and I've therefore included it in the list. This is what came out:

There are no great surprises perhaps. I think Oliver Twist may merit its placing due to popular recognition rather than entirely on its quality. Its interesting to me that Dombey and Son ranks midway, as I really enjoyed it too, though I'm a little surprised The Old Curiosity Shop didn't make anyone's list as I rather liked it.

I see that the interweb-review consensus doesn't really rate Chuzzlewit, Extollager - while Dorrit was as high as fourth. Hmm, I'll still give it go though.

Incidentally, the sites I got the rankings from included the Independent (UK newspaper), Time magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Interesting Literature, etc.

 

[Extollager]

The low ranking for Chuzzlewit would have astonished Chesterton and Orwell and many readers before them. The high ranking of Little Dorrit made me wonder if there’s a recent movie or miniseries, or if the book has been set as school reading. It’s an impressive novel but not, I’d say, one that should come early in most people’s career as Dickens readers.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

To answer your question, Extollager, there was a miniseries of Little Dorritt about a dozen years ago. It left out some things of course, but on the whole it was very well done with some exceptional performances. (Andy Serkis as Regaud/Blandois was terrifying.) A few characters were miscast, I thought, but many actors inhabited their roles so completely I didn't even recognize many who were already known to me from other parts. It's still available on Amazon Prime, so even people who didn't see it when it first came out might have seen it there and their opinion of the book may have been influenced.

 

[Extollager]

Thanks, Teresa. Maybe that has something to do with it. It's something like 15 years since I read the novel, so my impression might be faulty, but it struck me at the time as if Dickens was deliberately trying to write an un-Dickensian novel: much less melodrama, fewer wild, comic characters, a more sedate style, and so on.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I wouldn't call Little Dorrit short on melodrama or comic characters—maybe compared to some of his novels, but about on a par with others—and as for his style being more sedate, I'd say more mature, when compared to early novels like Nicholas Nickleby* and Oliver Twist.

_____
*Which I love, by the way, but the characters do tend to posture and pontificate in grand style. The characters in Little Dorrit are somewhat less theatrical.

 

[Extollager]

It seems I might be due to reread Little Dorrit!

 

[Simbelmynë]

To answer your question, Extollager, there was a miniseries of Little Dorritt about a dozen years ago. It left out some things of course, but on the whole it was very well done with some exceptional performances. (Andy Serkis as Regaud/Blandois was terrifying.) A few characters were miscast, I thought, but many actors inhabited their roles so completely I didn't even recognize many who were already known to me from other parts. It's still available on Amazon Prime, so even people who didn't see it when it first came out might have seen it there and their opinion of the book may have been influenced.

I haven't seen Little Dorrit but in the 90's there was a British TV miniseries of Oliver Twist, probably by the BBC, which also featured Andy Serkis as a cast member. He portrayed Bill Sykes, and I didn't know who he was then but I remember he scared my childhood self at least as much as Oliver Reed in the same role, and Serkis was more intense as I recall it.

I found three nice vintage hardbacks of Bleak House, Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities online. I shouldn't be spending any money I don't need to but it was only a tenner, and although I'm still going into work in one of my jobs I still have some extra time to read due to the lockdown. I think I'll go with Bleak House first.

 

[theivoryserf]

Just wanted to say that I've made an account here purely on the back of this thread! I started reading David Copperfield in March and have since finished that, A Tale of Two Cities and will probably finish Great Expectations tonight. This is how the current ranking stands, for me:

1. A Tale of Two Cities - Looking back I found this to be a very powerful work which balanced Dickens' talent for the satirical exaggeration of human character with a visceral & moving realism. I liked that Dickens seemed to be writing in an explicitly adult register. I didn't get on with it until perhaps halfway through - but it was worth pursuing and is now, I think, one of my favourite novels.
2. David Copperfield - Easily the most lovable of the three, and I can see why it's so highly rated - despite or perhaps because of the length, I found it hard to part with the characters at the end. That said, the middle of the book is very flabby and there's a long subplot of absolutely no consequence. I also thought the book would have benefitted from focussing more on DC's relationship with Steerforth, which was easily more interesting than either of his romances.
3. Great Expectations - I think this is the tightest plotting of the Dickens I've read, and I love the Gothic settings - the marshes and Satis (Miss Havisham's house). That said, I find that I'm having to battle with finding Pip fairly irritating for most of the novel. It's a gripping read but for me it's not reaching the transcendent heights the others reached with as much regularity.

Any suggestions for my next read? This thread has been helpful already - I think Bleak House & Our Mutual Friend are on my shortlist. Thanks for your comments.

 

[Extollager]

Welcome! Thanks for entering into the conversation with those thoughts. Dickens wrote so much that's good that it's almost inevitable for readers to begin working out lists of their favorites, even before finishing the 14 1/2-novels canon.

What to read next? Here are a few thoughts from a Dickens veteran.

1.Certainly Bleak House or Our Mutual Friend would be great as your next book. Given that you have enjoyed what you have so far read, neither of these is likely to disappoint.

2.You are focusing so far on the relatively later Dickens. Nothing wrong with that. Still, back in the time of Chesterton and Orwell, it seems Dickens was often thought of primarily as a great comic novelist. You could try the celebrated Martin Chuzzlewit.

3.A personal opinion: There are a few novels best saved for later in your Dickens reading career, among which I'd suggest be placed Dombey and Son, Barnaby Rudge, and Little Dorrit. Those are all worth reading, to be sure, but they perhaps best reward the reader who has enjoyed a lot of Dickens already.