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David Copperfield
David Copperfield
or The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (which he never meant to publish on any account). It adds to the charm of this book to remember that it is virtually a picture of the author's own boyhood. It is an excellent picture of the life of a struggling English youth in the middle of the last century. The pictures of Canterbury and London are true pictures and through these pages walk one of Dickens' wonderful processions of characters, quaint and humorous, villainous and tragic. Nobody cares for Dickens heroines, least of all for Dora, but take it all in al,l this book is enjoyed by young people more than any other of the great novelist. After having read this you will wish to read Nicholas Nickleby for its mingling of pathos and humor, Martin Chuzzlewit for its pictures of American life as seen through English eyes, and Pickwick Papers for its crude but boisterous humor.
Book Excerpt
rds the small hours on a Friday night.
I need say nothing here, on the first head, because nothing can show better than my history whether that prediction was verified or falsified by the result. On the second branch of the question, I will only remark, that unless I ran through that part of my inheritance while I was still a baby, I have not come into it yet. But I do not at all complain of having been kept out of this property; and if anybody else should be in the present enjoyment of it, he is heartily welcome to keep it.
I was born with a caul, which was advertised for sale, in the newspapers, at the low price of fifteen guineas. Whether sea-going people were short of money about that time, or were short of faith and preferred cork jackets, I don't know; all I know is, that there was but one solitary bidding, and that was from an attorney connected with the bill-broking business, who offered two pounds in cash, and the balance in sherry, but declined to be guaranteed from drowning on any hig
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I had studied it and found David in my mind.i saw how many quagmire he suffered.
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It is a young boy's passion to grow up to be a respectable, learned and useful member of the society. His hard work, courage, honesty and senisibility take him to heights despite harsh opposing winds. This novel is a beautiful blend of repeated tragedies, cunningness and well disguised evil on one hand, and purity of heart, passion, and perseverance on the other.
02/18/2010
Good coming-of-age novel. Although the beginning is a bit slow, it picks up the pace in chapter 20. Told as an autobiography, this novel is more about the characters than about the plot. Although I like some of Dickens' other books better, this book is still worth reading.
12/21/2006
If all writers were as good as Charles Dickens, we wouldn't be inundated with the flotsam and jetsam in bookstores today.
This book (David Copperfield) is so beautiful and written so lovingly that I'm sorry that I didn't include it in my readings when I was a young person.
This book (David Copperfield) is so beautiful and written so lovingly that I'm sorry that I didn't include it in my readings when I was a young person.
09/03/2005