⋙ Download Gratis The Old Curiosity Shop Penguin Classics Charles Dickens Norman Page 9780140437423 Books

The Old Curiosity Shop Penguin Classics Charles Dickens Norman Page 9780140437423 Books

Download As PDF : The Old Curiosity Shop Penguin Classics Charles Dickens Norman Page 9780140437423 Books

The Old Curiosity Shop Penguin Classics Charles Dickens Norman Page 9780140437423 Books

This was my second time reading Dickens' first novel. I can't say I enjoyed it as much as many of his other works. The writing was, of course, good (Dickens), but after a while the abundance of little humorous stories got old. At times I did think of Monty Python skits and laughed to myself. After reading Ackroyd's biography on Dickens (highly recommended) I decided to reread all of Dickens' work in order of publication, and so I needed to complete this book first. I'm glad I did since I was able to appreciate the writing more the second time around. This Everyman's Library version of the book is, like all their other publications, well done with added information about the author and certainly legible print (very important if you don't have perfect young eyes).


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The Old Curiosity Shop Penguin Classics Charles Dickens Norman Page 9780140437423 Books Reviews

I keep trying to get people to tell me which is Dickens' best, so I won't have to read all the others. But no one helps much. Some group on the Internet said it was Bleak House, but I think that is the least favorite of the five I've read in the past year.

Based on the five books I've read so far, it appears that Dickens' stories are all pretty much the same. There's always orphans, much benighted, but stout hearted, moral and persistent. There's usually some kind of deformed villain, a ne'er-do-well sponger, a kindly old gentleman or two, an eccentric spinster, and likely a few other character types. Oh yeah, many, but not all, lawyers are conniving and grasping.

Anyway, The Old Curiosity Shop has all this in spades. It's the story of Little Nell and her grandfather, more-or-less. Also the story of Kit. There's lots of pathos, but, what's rather fun, lots of Dickens' wry humorous portrayal of the frailties of humanity. Dickens blathers incessantly, but it's such entertaining blather that one can never tire of it. I wonder why it took me so many decades to discover Dickens?
I have a list of 'indispensables'. and this is on it.

The story does have a plot line running through it, but it is also like a news digest. There are bits and pieces that are well worth following for their own sake.

...and of course Dickens' delicious prose is enjoyable. His description of a man at a military review chasing his hat that has been blown off by the wind. The obligatory ghost story where the young man says (shakily) to the ghost "You know, I don't understand why you ghosts persist in staying where you were so miserable! Why not go somewhere pleasant?" And the ghost saying "I never thought of that! I am much obliged!" and vanishing, with the young man calling after it, "You would make us all very grateful if you would spread the word."

It also contains, toward the end, one of the most moving tales of retribution, mercy and kindness, with a speech by Mr. Pickwick's barrister on the subject of mercy.

A fun, touching, sometimes uproarious book.
I love reading and listening to Dickens' novels. I had listened to the Old Curiosity Shop not too long ago and enjoyed it but when I listened to it read by Anton Lesser, I loved it! The story is long and complicated as are all of Dickens' tales, that's why I like them. The characters are diverse and, well, characters! The ending is a bit on the sappy side but it doesn't take away from the rest of the story, I liked it anyway. For me, however, the best part is listening to Anton Lesser read. His is able to create such a wide variety of voices that I never was confused as to whom was speaking. That isn't the case with all narrators. Sometimes there is not enough variance between voices and it gets confusing, especially when there are numerous characters in a story. To me, the narrator makes or breaks a story if I'm going to listen to it. I can create any voice I want when I am reading but to listen to the wrong voice can make the most wonderful book annoying. I've learned to listen to the sample voice before I purchase any audiobook now.
I actually looked up all the stories Anton Lesser narrates, thankfully, there are quite a few so I'll be happy listening to them for a long time.
A wonderful read. It is conveniently divided into chapters of roughly the same length. I read about 50 pages a day and was able to read it within two weeks. I highly recommend you watch the 1980s BBC production in 12 episodes after reading the book. It’s available for free on Fire. Who can possibly dislike such unforgettable characters as Mr. Pickwick, Wardle’s nearly deaf mother, the conniving strolling actor Mr. Jingle (who speaks in an odd oratorical fashion), and the inimitable Sam Weller, with his cockney accent and words of unintended wisdom? A delight from beginning to end which will hopefully enrich your life as much as it has mine. The illustrations are from the original edition.
I first read the Pickwick Papers as a teenager nearly 40 years ago, and enjoyed it greatly then. But I either didn't then appreciate, or (more likely) had forgotten, just how funny and droll the work is. The side characters (greedy, manipulative lawyers, pompous village magistrates, vain local newspaper editors, etc.) are all nicely lampooned. The book paints an instructive picture of life in 1830's England -- hardly alien to us, but quite a different world (stagecoaches, debtors' prisons). Reading the PP is a commitment -- it's over 700 pages -- but worth the effort. The "plot" (I use the term extremely lightly) moves along nicely, and the writing is disturbingly good, particularly when one considers that Dickens started the work in his mid-20's. Of course, who am I to judge Dickens?
So, I just can't get enough of Charles Dickens. He speaks to my soul, somehow. And I am not alone - there's a reason so many of his books are true, timeless classics. Add this one to the list. The principle thing his books drive home to me is how people really haven't changed over the 170 years or so since this book was written. You can learn a lot about human nature - good and bad, from Mr. Dickens' insight into the human soul.
This was my second time reading Dickens' first novel. I can't say I enjoyed it as much as many of his other works. The writing was, of course, good (Dickens), but after a while the abundance of little humorous stories got old. At times I did think of Monty Python skits and laughed to myself. After reading Ackroyd's biography on Dickens (highly recommended) I decided to reread all of Dickens' work in order of publication, and so I needed to complete this book first. I'm glad I did since I was able to appreciate the writing more the second time around. This Everyman's Library version of the book is, like all their other publications, well done with added information about the author and certainly legible print (very important if you don't have perfect young eyes).