OMF...gettin' good!

I am loving OMF!! It was so amazing to read about what Mr. Rokesmith is doing. As is was confirmed that he was Harmon his next steps were selfless. Clearing Hexam & remaining a secretary for the Boffins' sake (allowing them to keep the money). I do hope he & Bella end up together but I wouldn't put it past Dickens to pair him with Lizzie. I admire Rokesmith for his choices which cannot be easy.  To know that you are someone else but must play the part of a secretary...I cannot imagine.


I must also make some comments about the Wilfers. They are absolutely cracking me up. laughed so hard at the anniversary dinner. I think it's because I've been in those family situations before. It's that tense moment & RW is the only one who continually reminds everyone that mother isn't happy.  He does it so subtly, "My dear, you don't seem to be enjoying yourself." I just LOVE it! The whole family would be so much fun to watch in a sitcom. I also think it's funny that Lavenia is making George pay for choosing Bella first but continues to keep him on the line.


Bella has also impressed me. She is still greedy but is aware of the sin in it. She sees herself as a "monster" and often a "beast" for having such monetary thoughts.  And her talks with herself make me chuckle but also make me proud to "be her friend".  She does understand. Then she becomes aware of the changes in Mr. Boffin. He is disappointing to many people; Bella, Rokesmith, Mrs. Boffin, & myself. He has decided that to have money, he must abide by the social constraints that come with it. He could be the exception to the rule but so far is becoming the norm. I was hoping he would stay the care free, loving man he originally was but it appears he will turn into a terrible man. The optimist in me sees him reverting to himself but the cynic in me believes he will remain a "tyrant".

Bleak House

Dickens' duality at it again!

• Esther: feeling totally alone vs. feeling loved and a part of something
• Dedlock: Sir coming from money and family vs. Mrs. coming from no family and being raised to wealth through marriage
• Opposite sides of the tracks: wealthy vs. poor and scary
• Two cities: London vs. Paris (fashion)
• Weather: the smoky looking fog of London

Poor Esther:

• not having a good birthday 
• being told she wasn't wanted
• having a doll as her only friend until her Godmother dies
• What a moving scene! She buries her doll as she buries her Godmother. I almost cried.

So...I've not really gotten into this work yet.  I'm confused about the Jarndyce connection and only feel connected to one character, Esther.  I did like the comments Kenge made about Miss Rachael.  I really loved his honesty.  The names are funny too...the Jellyby's crack me up every time and it's just the name, not the characters.

A Tale of Two Cities in color

Before getting a copy of the ebook, I had a copy of the text from the library.  I had to return it yesterday but before doing so I flipped through to make sure I didn't leave anything behind.  I'm glad I did.  There were some wonderful coloured illustrations by Rowland Wheelwright.  As I only had my cell phone with me, I did the best I could to get a few shots to share.  There were 16 total but I chose 6.  I didn't put captions to them but I would love to hear your thoughts on them!

 

I feel like a fool

In my last post on ATOTC, I made a comment about the Marquis getting what's coming to him for his lack of concern for the human race.  Somehow, I completely overlooked or maybe just forgot that he was killed so I guess he did get it.  Now don't get me wrong, I am not supporting murder to solve problems but in this work, I can understand why he was killed.  I stand corrected Mr. Dickens and I want to thank you for taking a little vengence out on him.  That is one of the great things about literature...freedom!

ATOTC in 10 minutes

I think my brain is turning to mush.  I find myself reading ATOTC and then not comprehending what I'm reading or maybe I am and I just don't know it.  Let's hope the latter is happening.  Then I hear people discussing it in class and find myself really liking their comments.  Of course, then I kick myself for not seeing that when I read it.  My problem is that I'm enjoying Our Mutual Friend but not ATOTC.  As I admit this, I feel I may be beat up in the back ally on the way to my car.  I started this book over the Christmas break and loved it!  Couldn't put it down.  Now it puts me to sleep.  Why is this?  If anyone has the answer, please, please, please tell me what I'm doing wrong and if it can be fixed.


The French Revolution and the Austro-Hungarian empire interest me.  I have to pull everything back to the German speakers ;)  I just wish I could do a better job at pulling the FR references out of the book.  I will say this...I REALLY HATE the Marquis.  When he ran over the child and then through money at the father, I wanted to hit him.  In fact, I imagined one of those karma scenes from a movie where he fell in the mud later or lost all of his money.  I would have applauded Dickens for writing that.  Of course, I know why he didn't but it still ran through my mind.  The one thing I did enjoy in this scene was the money being thrown back into the carriage.  While no one took responsibility for it, I felt it was Dickens' way of adding a "karma" scene.  It was that subtle, "We're not gonna take it", situation.  I do hope he gets what's coming to him.


I do, however, enjoy the relationship between Carton and Stryver.  It's just a pleasant read.  I'm not particulary drawn to them outside of their friendship but I like reading their interactions.  There is an understanding between them.  They work together, went to school together, and spend time sharing some thoughts...not too deep but there's an understanding.  I like it!

A golden thread was recalled

There have been two themes we have been looking at in ATOTC:

Recalled to Life:

• Darnay:  He is put on trial as a traitor but is found innocent.  Considering that he had one foot in the grave as this process began and was not convicted in the end, I would say he is most definitely recalled to life.  Even the action of him taking a meal after the process is a symbol of life.  Food is a sustenance for all living.
• Dr. Manette:  His current demeanor is much more lively than when we first met him.  He is no longer attached to his shoe making table and tools but rather lives a more active life.  He has a business and is interacting with the living and not with shoes.
• Wilfer: (OK...I know he's not in ATOTC but...) His interaction with Bella put him in this category for me.  His personality totally changed when she took him out for the day.  I just had to mention this.

Golden Thread:

• A golden thread in law is to prove the prisoner's guilt without a doubt.  This works perfectly in Darnay's case.  At this time in England, if you were questioned, you were pretty much dead.  Darnay, however, got lucky.  They did not find him guilty so he was able to "keep" his head, which proves to be quite valuable for his future endeavors. His love for Lucie also seems to brighten his spirits.  His enthusiasm for life shows through when he is speaking to Dr. Manette.
• Lucie is described as the golden thread by her father.  She is the one that holds everything together and gives her father a reason to live.  This particular thread has nothing to do with law but rather a literal thread which can bind or unite.  Also, I cannot remember exactly which one of the lawyers, Stryver or Carton, says this but he describes her on numerous occasions to have golden hair.  While this is an obvious statement of gold, I think it's worth mentioning on the topic.

I'm looking over a four leaf clover...

As a child, I always loved looking for four leaf clovers with my grandad.  He would always sing, "I'm looking over a four leaf clover that I've overlooked before."  It made the experience so much more memorable & if you've never heard the song, you should check it out on Youtube (the vocals begin at 2 minutes).  Now what does this have to do with Dickens?  Well, I was taking a break during a WAC workshop & decided to go for a quick walk outside.  There were several patches of clovers near the sidewalk & as I am always drawn to do, I began looking for four leaf clovers.  That was Thursday.

On Saturday, I was driving to Montgomery & began to think of the search for clovers as an analogy to reading Dickens.  Why?

Patience:

• In looking for 4 leafs, it takes a great deal of patience.  One could stand or squat over a patch staring at the green clump for hours.  If there is enough patience, the unique green plant will present itself.
• In reading Dickens, it takes quite some time to work your way through the descriptions & characters.  I often find myself staring at the words without really taking in their meaning.

Uniformity:

Clovers

• Clovers look all the same in a patch.  They are all a bright green with a little white line in the center, as seen to the right.
• Dickens characters & their lives appear to be same, especially if you are reading multiple Dickens' works at once.  One character from one work appears the same in another.

Uniqueness:

• If you can be patient & continue to look in a clover patch, a four leaf will soon appear.  It is a small thrill to find one after the search.  You then begin to notice the unique attributes of the entire patch.  There are different leaf sizes & slight variations in color.  If you're lucky, you'll find 5 & 6 leafs on one clover.  Once you find one, they appear quite easily.  Almost as if you've trained your eye to the clover.
• Dickens does this with his characters.  If you are willing to remain patient, the characters will take on unique qualities.  It will become a small thrill to find that uniqueness.  It draws you into the work even further & you want to continue reading to find other rare character traits.  These traits will present themselves more easily.

Dickens celebrated outside England

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! Joyeux Anniversaire! 
Shēngrì Kuàilè! Všechno Nejlepší k Narozeninám!


Charles Dickens turned 200 and the world noticed.  The main celebration was naturally held in England but the celebration made headlines around the world.


England:

• Prince Charles leads celebrations in England.  He visits the museum to look through original manuscripts & also visits the grave of the author.  Telegraph Article

The United States:

• AUM's literature course had a "chat & chew" session to celebrate his life & works
• CBS discusses this special day on the nightly news. CBS News footage

Switzerland:

• Zürich is also getting in on the "Dickens action".  The Museum Strauhof Zürich's current exhibition is on the life of Charles Dickens.
• The Swiss news also covered his 200th birthday in their news broadcast. Swiss Television broadcast

Online:

• Even Google celebrates.  Their logo turns Victorian with a mash up of various Dickens' characters.  Based on the article from Huffington Post this is the first logo to "specifically promote a product service".  This says a lot in regards to the importance of the British author.

A Tale of Two Cities...the beginnings

History in fiction:

•  As I looked over my notes for 2 Cities, my first comments were on the descriptions of the Kings and Queens of England and France.  The French description was, "large jaw king" and a "fair face queen" while the English description was, "large jaw king" and a "plain face queen".  It was intriguing to see the same description for the kings but slightly different ones for the queens so I decided to look up pictures for the two.  The king and queen of France in 1775 were Louis XVI and Marie Antionette.  The king and queen of England were George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  Based on the pictures, I can understand why Dickens chose such a description.  I’ve heard of all of these figures but French and English history were never my strong suit.  I’m looking to Dickens to guide me in this.

Louis XVI King of France

Marie Antionette Queen of France

   Charlotte Queen of England   

George III King of England

• He did make an interesting comment on religion in England at this time.  The country was big on religion.  There was a witness of a youth tortured and killed for not kneeling to monks. 
• There was also a social statement, in true Dickens style, that of someone being sentenced to death for stealing a sixpence.  As I read this, I felt this was an extremely harsh punishment for a crime of this nature.
• With the relationship of France and England at the time this was written, it can certainly be read as a semi-fictional/semi-nonfictional recount of history.  With Dickens in charge of the story line, I am certain there will be more history lessons to come.

“Recalled to Life”: Can it be done?

• The phrase, “recalled to life”, continually comes up throughout book the first.  The first time I read the phrase I, much like the messenger, was puzzled at its meaning.  Was it some sort of philosophical code that I was supposed to understand immediately?  I continued to read in search of the reason for this statement and whala, it was finally revealed.  Well, maybe not whala, but at least there was a connection.  The vague description of the characters now begins to become a little clearer and more complexly connected.
• There are many ways in which this happens in the work:
• Miss Manette’s father is released from prison and introduced back into society.  He has been locked in a room making shoes without any outside contact other than the “sight seers”.
• Manette is reintroduced to her father, whom she thought was dead.  This is also noted in the description of her hotel room as “funeral attire”.
• Mr. Lorry is put back into contact with Manette, whom he brought from Paris to England so many years ago.  Dickens doesn’t over do the description of their interactions but I am left with the feeling that Mr. Lorry has some regrets in the development or lack there of of this relationship. 

Two Cities like ED and OMF:

•  Miss Manette immediately reminds me of Rosa and Miss Podsnap.  They are all three dainty and are often faint. 
• Miss Manette’s father reminds me of Mr. Grewgious due to the fact he still possesses the a lock of Miss Manette’s hair and Mr. Grewgious held the ring.  He also reminds me of Drudles because of his need of a consistent schedule.  Drudles carries his package and is followed by Deputy.  Miss Manette’s father has a set schedule and is gawked at by his visitors.
• Mr. Lorry reminds me of Mr. Honeythunder but only in the sense that he’s all business.  I enjoy reading about Mr. Lorry much more than Mr. Honeythunder.
• Those are the only comparisons I can think of at the moment but I am hoping to find more as I continue to read more about the characters.

OMF! Still

Wait…who was that again?

• It is extremely frustrating to be reading this novel in parts.  I find myself spending the first few pages everytime I sit down with it having to remind myself of the various characters and plots.  Then by the time I’ve gotten my memory back, I have to go back to re-read the pages I just started reading.  As a Victorian, I am sure this would not be such a problem.  They didn’t have internet and tv shows to distract them with other plots and characters.  They were also not trying to keep Edwin Drood, OMF, and A Tale of Two Cities separate from one another.  It’s also hard to focus since ED and OMF have some similar characters (not exact but some similarities).  If I were focusing on OMF and discussing with friends during the Victorian era, I would be overwhelmingly intrigued.  I still enjoy the book but am frustrated with the back and forth of my brain function.  I’ve never been good at reading multiple books from the same author/genre.  And I’ve definitely never read several Dickens works with all of his characters and descriptions. 
• My main complaint with Mr. Dickens is that he doesn’t stick with one name.  Somehow, the character starts as Hexam and then becomes Gaffer and then somewhere along the way gets a nickname.  Love the descriptions and plotlines but am frustrated with my own lack of memory.

I’m noticing…

• I find myself admiring the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Boffin.  They are an interesting pair.  His love for her is true and loyal. 
• I continually want some of my favorite characters to reappear after several chapters of nothing.  When they do, they don’t react/do what I want them to.  
• After discussing dust in ED, I continually look for it in the other works.  Sometimes found and sometimes not.  I just find myself focusing on some of our discusses themes/images and I miss other important topics.

Ramblings:

• I would love to see the following in their own spin off:  the Veneerings, the Lammles, Lizzie & Charley.  I envision the Veneering/Lammle show to be very much like the current hit Revenge (More on IMDB).  Lizzie & Charley’s show would be a heart-warming yet turbulent one.  I would DVR any of those shows. 

Drood's end

Picture it, Cloisterham, Christmas Eve, one year after the disappearance:

• Edwin lives.  After a year of searching, he resurfaces to prove Neville's innocence in his "murder".  He has been hiding in London with Mr. Grewgious until he could mount enough evident against his uncle.  They find the ring in Jasper's home (Datchery was hired, by Grewgious, as a private investigator to find the ring and did so).
• But I digress...
• Jasper attempted to kill Edwin when he and Neville left the river to come home but Edwin was prepared for the attack.  (Jasper thought he had drugged Ned but Ned didn't trust his uncle after the last wine enduced fight.)
• Rosa becomes engaged to Tartar but finds out that he is the father of her dear friend, Helena, and breaks the engagement.
• Neville confesses his love to Rosa but is rejected due to the relationship with Tartar.
• Edwin and Helena become engaged.
• Princess Puffer, before finding out Edwin is NOT dead, attempts to blackmail Jasper but mysteriously winds up dead. 
• The Chinaman's business doubles.
• Jasper goes to jail.
• Rosa returns to Miss Twinkleton and lives the rest of her life with the girls.
• Edwin and Helena marry.  They then go off to Egypt.
• Neville travels with them.
• The three travel into the sunset to the tune of, "Thank you for being a friend.  Travel down the road and back again.  Your heart is true.  You're a pal and a confidant."