The Pickwick Papers (Penguin Classics)

Readers new to Dickens should be aware that 'The Pickwick Papers' is, in some ways, not a particularly 'Dickensian' book. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I should like to dispose of some of the most obvious objections - forewarned is, after all, forearmed. Firstly, for the purposes of the casual reader, the prose style still reeks of the nineteenth century parliamentary and court reporter that he was before this, his first long work of fiction, was published. This can variously be viewed as enjoyably quaint, frustratingly gratuitous or simply incomprehensible. Half a page should suffice for the potential buyer to discover which way they will take it. Secondly, this is a book where nothing very much actually happens and that which does happen is generally ridiculous and inconsequential. I strongly suspect Dickens had some of the picaresque novels of his own literary heroes firmly in mind as he bent to each serial instalment, a cheap and nasty publishing method which negatively effected the quality and integrity of all but a handful of his works. Now to the good stuff. The lack of a plot is, as anyone familiar with Dickens will probably agree, a bit of a blessing in disguise. We do not have to struggle to remember characters who triumphantly unmask themselves after first appearing in disguise in some trivial incident buried unmemorably between bouts of low comedy. We are not required to strain our credulity at shocking co-incidences (much) or bizzare wills or motives. We are left free to enjoy the brilliant, fecund riot of spontaneous creation that is what makes Dickens an enduring miracle of English prose. Characters of such vivid and memorable form that, more than a hundred years on, the cigarette cards they were pictured on are still readily recognisable to anyone who has met them in print. And Dickens' England, a sort of neo-mediaeval, pre-industrial idyll, is one of my favourite places to go. Incidentally, this work was reportedly Tolstoy's favourite bedside book, so we travel in good company. Dickensian moral and social outrage is in full force here as well, as he rails against false charity, debtors prisons and charlatans of every stamp, rounding it all off with a dose of genuine compassion and forgiveness for the repenting sinner. At times sickeningly sentimental, but never dull, this book is a delight. Do yourself a favour and take an uncomplicated, cheerful walk through the English countryside and spend some time with its broad-waisted, narrow-minded, but ultimately big hearted denizens. Also, look out for what is arguably Dickens' finest creation - the irrepressible cockney everyman, Sam Weller. It is, however, important to keep in mind when this book was written. Political correctness should be left at the title page - I have never read a feminist review of Dickens that showed the slightest ability to see past the patriarchal reality in which he lived. If one wishes to understand him, I think it is best to accept the political world that he lived in as uncritically as he did himself.

Charles Dickens wrote The Pickwick Papers in his early 20s, but the writing is first rate and as witty as any seasoned author could have done in his place! Like many of Dickens's works, Pickwick was published in monthly installments, or "numbers" as they were called then. Although Dickens originally intended to end the story at the twentieth number, the popularity of the series (and the resultant income) convinced Dickens to double the length to forty numbers. The end result is a large offering that'll take you a while to get through (~750 pages in the excellent Penguin edition, which I read). Despite its length, Pickwick never tries your patience. It's delightfully humorous from beginning to end. Samuel Pickwick is the bumbling, middle-aged, wealthy namesake of this novel. He's the leader of a small group of single men that gets into all sorts of mischief, both physical and social. Booze is rampant. Apparently liquor back then was much more a part of daily life than today; everywhere these guys go they party and get drunk. They get into trouble with the law, women, unsavory characters, and more. Characterization is superb. This is one of the few novels I've read for which I can actually say that I got to know the characters. In most books I've read, the characters remain two-dimensional and the plot is what carries the story. In Pickwick, the *characters* are the essence of the story and the novel wouldn't be memorable at all if a lesser author were attempting to breathe life into these people. The Penguin edition includes a decent collection of endnotes to help explain unfamiliar portions of the text. Nevertheless, there were still quite a few words and concepts peculiar to early 19th century England that I didn't grasp. This edition also has maps of southern England and a key to the specific locations that the Pickwickians visit. In addition, two appendices reprint some of the announcements and prefaces that Dickens wrote in relation to the work. Highly recommended, particularly if you enjoy classic literature! Dickens's later works overshadow this gem due to their maturity, but Pickwick beats them all in enthusiasm, humor, and wit.

It was hard to read because of their use of slang. Some words I couldn't figure out at all. It was a slow slog but interesting. It seems to me that they got into a lot of problems of their own making which were comical. A lot of it is about the way women were treated. A lot of time was spent on people eloping or trying to. The restrictions put on women got to be irritating after a while. All in all I enjoyed reading this book but it is not something to be read in a day or two. It took me a whole week and I read fast. I recommend this book if you like history.

Came promptly, in good condition, as advertised. Probably Dickens' finest novel. Lots of humor, some pathos, some social criticism. A true joy to read. I re-read it every Christmas season.

This was Charles Dickens' first book. It has some funny moments and some tense moments. It was a bit on the long side for me. No wonder they used to only publish 3 or 4 chapters at a time in newspapers back then! I was very fond of the lovely friendship they all had. We should all have friends like that in our lives. Would recommend if you don't mind books that are a little on the long side.

Loved this book for years! My favourite Dickens novel. Chockful of funny stories, warm affection and a glimpse of all walks of life of those times.

The latest Penguin Classics, with the white lettering instead of the orange, are much worse in quality. Luckily this Dickens classic isn't reprinted yet

Compré este libro porque su contenido. Describe escenas costumbristas. A pesar de su mediocridad Dickens escribía relatos para la prensa. Conectores, adverbios, giros lingüísticos empleados en cada concreto contexto. Valoro positivamente la edición. Es un libro subrayable: tamaño folio, 383 páginas sin índice, prólogo ni ilustraciones, papel grueso no satinado. Es un libro para aprender inglés.

Hervorragende Darbietung durch den Schauspieler, der es versteht, all' die bunten und charaktervollen Gestalten lebendig werden zu lassen. So gut, dass es sich heutzutage sicher nicht einfach so verkaufen lässt. Gott erhalte England!

Very small font. I should read it in Kindle.