Book info

• Title David Copperfield
• Author Charles Dickens
• Year 1850
• Genre Classic

As David recounts his experience from childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist, Dickens draws openly and revealingly on his own life. Among the gloriously vivid cast of characters are David's tyrannical stepfather, Mr Murdstone; his brilliant, but ultimately unworthy, school-friend Steerforth; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood; the eternally humble, yet treacherous Uriah Heep; frivolous, enchanting Dora; and the magnificently impecunious Micawber, one of literature's great comic creations.

Thoughts

When I read the first chapter of this classic book, it seemed amazingly familiar to me. As I continued to read on, it dawned on me that I must have attempted Copperfield many times, and never got much past Chapter 2. This time I was determined to read on, and at first, it was quite good. The mistreatment as a child, ending with the acceptance of the feared aunt was all quite fascinating, but once David started to grow up, it became less interesting to me.

There was so much detail, boy this book is long. Everything described to within an inch, and many times over. Each time you revisit a place, or a person, it has to be looked over again. I know I often fail at setting the scene when I write, but here there was too much scene setting and not enough content!

I think what really turned me off, though, was how little there is to be happy about. The only character who seemed to inject a bit of joy into the book was Traddles, who really should be given his own spin off novel. Otherwise it was doom, gloom, death and prison. The only truly happy event that occurred to David was confined to the last few pages of the book, and by that time, I was just hoping to reach the end! I did enjoy the beginning a lot, otherwise I wouldn’t have persevered. Some of the coincidences are fun, and there’s snippets of great dialogue here and there. Otherwise, sadly, I’m not sure I got much out of it.

Rating: 2 / 5