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If you only had time for one Dickens novel?
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My oldest son is in high school and l’d like him to read at least one Dickens novel before graduation. I say only one because I don’t think he’ll be able to read more than one. He is not a strong/fast reader, but he does enjoy reading, and listening to audio books. I’m not putting him down, just trying to stay real.
I’m reading David Copperfield right now and I’m not too sure this one is for him. Any suggestions? He’s not an adventurous, spontaneous or “free- spirited” kind of person. He’s more of an analytical, reserved, “man of few words”, independent and “too old for his age” kind of person.
Normally, I have him choose his lit from the stack I have preselected and I will probably do the same with these ones, but I was hoping for a suggestion or two.
Thanks.
Maybe Great Expectations or A Tale of Two Cities.
Would he have time to listen to a few more, including David Copperfield? All of his books are availabe on audio at http://www.librivox.org.
I’m not sure what kind of person you are determines what novels you read. Otherwise you’d have to pretty much wipe out nineteenth century novels completely for an analytical person. At least until the advent of the grittier realists in the later century. This was, after all, the Romantic century.
David Copperfield is, IMO, the best novel ever written. I think everyone should read it. So.
That said, if he isn’t a strong enough reader for such a long book, then I’d recommend Great Expectations. But it is no more “analytical”. Just shorter.
Thank you, Bookworm.
I think my problem with choosing books for him is, he’s….I don’t know. I think I just need to give it a try and see how it goes.
Reading is a bit exhausting for him so I think I have avoided Dickens for him because of the length of his novels. I have another son who will gobble them up when he gets a bit older….so different.
Thank you all for the encouragement. I needed it. I need to not underestimate my son, as well.
A Christmas Carol is quite short, BTW. If he needs an introduction to Dickens before you choose a longer novel, A Christmas Carol could be a nice fit. (It’s a great read-aloud, too).
IMO, oddly enough, I think David Copperfield is an immensely easier read than A Christmas Carol. I really do. Naturally, there is much, much, much MORE of it, but IMO David Copperfield is Dickens’ most accessible book. (And IMO A Tale of Two Cities is the least accessible.)
I completely forgot that I read A Christmas Carol aloud to my dc a couple of years ago, and, ya, that was tough on the brain. I mentioned to him earlier about reading a Dickens novel, probably when he is finished with his current lit book. He’s ok with it…I did tell him that it’s going to look pretty thick, but I don’t expect it finished in a month. LOL
I don’t know why this has been a burden of mine, but I’m so glad to have this forum to hash things out that whirl around in my head.
I love David Copperfield. It’s taken me awhile to finish it but it’s been worth it.
I should probably not admit that I haven’t read David Copperfield. I love Tale of Two Cities so I re-read that before picking up other Dickens. I also really enjoyed Great Expecations and we read A Christmas Carol every year. It’s probably time to expand my Dickens reading, eh?
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