June 21, 2011
Where I'm at
Where have I been? For the past week, I’ve been (finally) reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, which is very good because this was one of my new years resolutions. Even better, that I’m enjoying it absolutely, delighting in bits, finding others amusing. Pip has just discovered the identity of his benefactor, and I’m as disgusted as he is at the whole thing in regards to his treatment of Joe Gargery (who I’ve sort of fancied from the start). I have also discovered that I’ve unknowingly modelled my parenting style on Mrs. Pocket, who ignores her children while she lounges and reads, which is pretty much my lifestyle. I’m on page 360 of 536, and still enjoying the ride (and I’m not sure that Dickens creates suspense as much as just making things so incredibly weird, there’s no knowing what happens next [which is kind of something different, no?]).
It’s nice to be reading a long book, and finding the length incidental to the book’s goodness. Though it certainly does cramp my style bit as a person who gets by on reading a lot and writing about it here– I do get impatient as I watch my to-be-read shelf get dusty…
Anyway, the book I’m reading is a battered old paperback whose origins I have no idea of. It was published in 1964, and the spine is bent into a U shape. It has an introduction by someone called Kellogg W. Hunt (and why aren’t more people named Kellogg anymore? Or ever.) The internet seems to be devoid of images of my book’s cover, but in searching for it, I’ve remembered that there exists a modern film adaptation of Great Expectations, and that I’ve even seen it. And that I remember absolutely nothing about the movie, except a scene with explicit oral sex. I don’t think I’ve arrived at that part in the book yet.
Ugh. Read this in Grade 9 and absolutely hated it. Kept falling asleep while reading. Why do they throw books like this at 13-year olds who have little hope in appreciating them?
Glad to hear, though, that you are enjoying it as I love A Christmas Carol and try to re-read it every Xmas.
Of all the novels I read in high school, I have always wanted to revisit this text in particular, from the perspective of the years of maturity and appreciation for fine literature I’ve gained since. 🙂
I’m a big Dickens fan. I LOVE A Tale of Two Cities and remember enjoying this one but it must be time to revisit it because I don’t remember much about it.
But don’t read The Mystery of Edwin Drood because it is unfinished and even though I read it in undergrad I’m STILL wondering what was supposed to happen.
I just read “The Girl in the Blue Dress” which is loosely based on Dickens’ life as told through the perspective of his estranged wife. It’s not the best book ever, but the feeling of being inside some very juicy gossip was compelling enough for me. You might enjoy it.
The last sentence of your post made be laugh out loud enough for me to spell it out.