Thoughts on Dickens

Recently I started reading Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend.

This is the second Dickens book that I’ve actually read, as opposed to watched as a movie. I am surprised by the writing style. It seems as though he often does not write in full sentences. Also, the way he uses verb tenses is also interesting––going back and forth between present and past. I find myself often getting lost, and having to re-read passages to understand what is going on. For example, I don’t understand some of the metaphors, as when Dickens likens a character to a dinner-furniture. I thought he was personifying some furniture (calling a table Twemlow), when he was really objectifying a person (likening a person named Twemlow to a piece of furniture). I think a lot of the things I don’t understand have to do with cultural differences, for example, in terms of phrases that we don’t use or words that take on a certain connotation that I would take literally. “Cut away again” is one of those terms I’m not sure what it means.

All this means that I could re-read this books several times and get something new out of it every time! I like the uncommon words he uses––some long, beautiful words and some short rare ones. He weaves an intricate plot, too, which I enjoy immensely. And his characters are usually quite vivid.

So, those are my thoughts on Dickens…