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katykelly's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
I try and audioread a Dickens or two every year. I'd been holding back on this one, it's not one I knew from films or culture and I knew it's a sad one.
its very long too, but its easy to relish Dickens' convoluted and well constructed sentences. I didn't find it so easy to like the main characters, Nell and her grandfather. Put upon, good hearted and created for sympathy, I found their story mawkish and overly sentimental, though the audio narrator (though good) overly pushed this.
The minor characters were those I looked forward to seeing again - fantastically devilish Quilp, the Marchioness and the sniggersomely-named Dick Swiveller, and the Thenardier-like Brasses. They were great, some funny scenes, all much more lovely than Nell.
Nell is just too perfect and martyr-like. Never complaining, forgiving, drove me mad.
There's a lot of Victorian poverty here a mystery Gentleman whose identity these days would easily be guessed into the plot, but back them his role and would probably have been much more of a surprise.
It will never be one of my favourites, but I'm glad to be more familiar with it and some wonderful minor characters, who brought it to life and kept me listening.
I try and audioread a Dickens or two every year. I'd been holding back on this one, it's not one I knew from films or culture and I knew it's a sad one.
its very long too, but its easy to relish Dickens' convoluted and well constructed sentences. I didn't find it so easy to like the main characters, Nell and her grandfather. Put upon, good hearted and created for sympathy, I found their story mawkish and overly sentimental, though the audio narrator (though good) overly pushed this.
The minor characters were those I looked forward to seeing again - fantastically devilish Quilp, the Marchioness and the sniggersomely-named Dick Swiveller, and the Thenardier-like Brasses. They were great, some funny scenes, all much more lovely than Nell.
Nell is just too perfect and martyr-like. Never complaining, forgiving, drove me mad.
There's a lot of Victorian poverty here a mystery Gentleman whose identity these days would easily be guessed into the plot, but back them his role and would probably have been much more of a surprise.
It will never be one of my favourites, but I'm glad to be more familiar with it and some wonderful minor characters, who brought it to life and kept me listening.
deannalovesbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
warrenl's review against another edition
5.0
I can't think of any reason to give this less than 5 stars. We know Dickens isn't perfect. The merits and flaws of his work have been discussed exhaustively for nearly two centuries now, and we all know the arguments. The Old Curiosity Shop doesn't break any moulds. Yes, the villains are very villainy, and the goodies are very good. Why, little Nell, pure, courageous Nell, she's practically an angel on earth right from the get-go, and it should come as no surprise when she gently but gloriously ascends to the heavenly domain, particularly since the author builds up to it with some rather heavy-handed allusions in the immediate preceding chapters.
But Dickens exerts enormous power over his helpless readers. Such magnificent prose, passages comic, passages grotesque, passages profound, stirring, moving, joyous... let us stop there. I will spare you the full list of adjectives I had in mind. I mean, what can I say about Charles Dickens that hasn't already been said a million times or more?
Suffice it to say that there is a reason that Dickens sits high atop the pile of 19th century novelists, and perhaps atop the pile of all novelists ever. He is a byword, the last word, and he's even an adjective. He left to us one of the most compelling windows on the 19th century. He is a phenomenon that will never fade.
But Dickens exerts enormous power over his helpless readers. Such magnificent prose, passages comic, passages grotesque, passages profound, stirring, moving, joyous... let us stop there. I will spare you the full list of adjectives I had in mind. I mean, what can I say about Charles Dickens that hasn't already been said a million times or more?
Suffice it to say that there is a reason that Dickens sits high atop the pile of 19th century novelists, and perhaps atop the pile of all novelists ever. He is a byword, the last word, and he's even an adjective. He left to us one of the most compelling windows on the 19th century. He is a phenomenon that will never fade.
isobelline's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The sentimental Dickens/The messy Dickens
At first, I really wasn't feeling it. I thought that it was going to be incredibly boring, but as I read further this story grew on me. And now, having finished it, I have to say that I really enjoyed it! The characters were so fun and interesting, there were a lot of endearing moments and touching scenes. However, it does feel kind of messy. Many elements that were introduced in the beginning are abandoned shortly after they are introduced (most notably, the narration by Master Humphrey). It's interesting that a novel called "The Old Curiosity Shop" featured surprisingly little of the titular shop. But it didn't diminish my enjoyment of this novel at all.
Kit is best boy.
At first, I really wasn't feeling it. I thought that it was going to be incredibly boring, but as I read further this story grew on me. And now, having finished it, I have to say that I really enjoyed it! The characters were so fun and interesting, there were a lot of endearing moments and touching scenes. However, it does feel kind of messy. Many elements that were introduced in the beginning are abandoned shortly after they are introduced (most notably, the narration by Master Humphrey). It's interesting that a novel called "The Old Curiosity Shop" featured surprisingly little of the titular shop. But it didn't diminish my enjoyment of this novel at all.
Kit is best boy.
pbraue13's review against another edition
4.0
I can see why people were killing themselves at shipping ports to get the final conclusion of this story. It's heartbreaking, thrilling, and funny as all hell as Dickens is a master storyteller and honed his craft by this point. He invented the "cliffhanger" as a concept and this book is a perfect example of that.
bkclermont's review against another edition
Couldn’t get into it. The style of writing, as to be expected, was Victorian English and I found myself not enjoying the experience.
sraev19's review
2.5
Skip the first half of the novel. You won’t miss much. Dickens doesn’t come to the meat of the story until over halfway through, where the action turns lively, the characters develop and deepen, and the narrative marches forward with direction. Until then, Dickens flounders about, and the reading of it is a painful going.
The Old Curiosity Shop was first published as a serial, and according to the introduction of my Penguin edition, Dickens wrote each weekly installment just before it was published. This rush to throw together a story explains the wandering feel to the first half of the novel.
For example, a first-person narrator opens the first three chapters to “introduc[e] these personages to the reader” and then bows out so that the main characters can “speak and act for themselves” (p.35). In truth, Dickens had decided by that point that the narrator would not suit his story, and he excuses him in quick order.
Dickens has a tendency to spend time with characters who have a passing role in the story. Paragraphs to pages go by detailing interesting traits and backgrounds of characters who never appear again after those descriptions. While these characters may add richness to the setting, they end up cluttering the story as pointless tangents.
Skip all this in the first half, though, and the novel is okay. Dickens writes with a surprising wit and beauty at times and a narrative voice that colours the prose with personality. His outrageous characters live on exaggeration and yet move with simple motivations. Even an independent-minded pony brings great delight and charm to the story.
Perhaps if Dickens’d had the time to plan out The Old Curiosity Shop before serializing it, the novel would be shorter, sharper, and more focused. I probably would have enjoyed it quite a bit. As it stands, the lively second half of the story doesn't quite redeem its dull and confused counterpart. I can't help but feel relief that it's over.
The Old Curiosity Shop was first published as a serial, and according to the introduction of my Penguin edition, Dickens wrote each weekly installment just before it was published. This rush to throw together a story explains the wandering feel to the first half of the novel.
For example, a first-person narrator opens the first three chapters to “introduc[e] these personages to the reader” and then bows out so that the main characters can “speak and act for themselves” (p.35). In truth, Dickens had decided by that point that the narrator would not suit his story, and he excuses him in quick order.
Dickens has a tendency to spend time with characters who have a passing role in the story. Paragraphs to pages go by detailing interesting traits and backgrounds of characters who never appear again after those descriptions. While these characters may add richness to the setting, they end up cluttering the story as pointless tangents.
Skip all this in the first half, though, and the novel is okay. Dickens writes with a surprising wit and beauty at times and a narrative voice that colours the prose with personality. His outrageous characters live on exaggeration and yet move with simple motivations. Even an independent-minded pony brings great delight and charm to the story.
Perhaps if Dickens’d had the time to plan out The Old Curiosity Shop before serializing it, the novel would be shorter, sharper, and more focused. I probably would have enjoyed it quite a bit. As it stands, the lively second half of the story doesn't quite redeem its dull and confused counterpart. I can't help but feel relief that it's over.
andreakvegh's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
maisiesmom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25