"'I dreamed that we were Jews, Gashford. You and I — both of us — Jews with long beards.'"
In the last installment, we learned more about Lord George Gordon, and saw his secretary dealing with some interesting visitors. And, as the quote above demonstrates, that naughty Mr. Dickens hinted at what would happen to the real Lord George Gordon.
This week, read chapters 39 and 40.
Well folks, I’m dropping out of the read. I see why Dickens’ original readers disappeared with each installment! He’s only been talking about Hugh and the other villains!
I may just read the whole thing in a chunk around October. 😉
Awww, that stinks. 🙁 I think you’re almost the only reader we have left!
Yeah, especially since I was sort of the one who proposed reading it this way. 😛 I guess there’s a reason you don’t hear much about this book – and why it’s one of Dickens’ less successful volumes!
Well, if you want to read ahead, feel free. I was sort of suggesting that back at the beginning and then stopped doing it, but the option’s still open, of course. I think we get back to Dolly and Miggs and some of the others just a couple of chapters from now.
I would be last to say that Barnaby Rudge is a masterpiece. It has always been my least favorite Dickens novel. That said, I would still encourage you to finish it. Dickens’ account of the Gordon riots and their aftermath is masterful. The first part of the book can be something of a chore to read, but I actually found it hard to lay it aside once the blood starts flowing in the streets. 😉
I also think you would be better off reading at a faster pace. My guess is that you intended to read at the same pace as the weekly installments were published. But in my view it’s too easy to lose the thread of the action if you take almost a year to get through the whole book.
Welcome to the blog! I will definitely be posting lots of thoughts as it airs, and other commenters might too,…
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Oh hi, I was just scrolling by and came across your blog 🙂 Hope you’ll be posting your thoughts on…
He did an audiobook of A Christmas Carol too.
Yes — wouldn’t it be just lovely if Jaggers was exposed as a fraud/fixer/defaulting trustee etc.? He could be packed…
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