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    David Copperfield
    David Copperfield
    David Copperfield
    Audiobook33 hours

    David Copperfield

    Written by Charles Dickens

    Narrated by Simon Vance

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    About this audiobook

    David Copperfield is the quintessential novel by England's most beloved novelist. Based in part on Dickens's own life, it is the story of a young man's journey from an unhappy and impoverished childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist. Among its gloriously vivid cast of characters, he encounters his tyrannical stepfather, Mr. Murdstone; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood; the eternally humble yet treacherous Uriah Heep; the frivolous, enchanting Dora; and one of literature's great comic creations, the magnificently impecunious Mr. Micawber-a character resembling Dickens's own father.

    In David Copperfield-the novel he described as his "favorite child"-Dickens drew revealingly on his own experiences to create one of his most exuberant and enduringly popular works, filled with tragedy and comedy in equal measure.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMay 4, 2009
    ISBN9781400181742
    Author

    Charles Dickens

    Charles Dickens was born in 1812 and grew up in poverty. This experience influenced ‘Oliver Twist’, the second of his fourteen major novels, which first appeared in 1837. When he died in 1870, he was buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey as an indication of his huge popularity as a novelist, which endures to this day.

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    Reviews for David Copperfield

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    • 2/5
      Once again, I listened to the audiobook of this classic. Thank goodness for that, as I do not know whether I would have made it through the novel had I been reading it, or, if I did, it would have taken a matter of months. It's funny how though listening to audiobooks is slower than reading it can, at times, be much faster.

      The reason this would have been a really slow novel for me to read was the complete lack of plot. It is the autobiographical fictional biography of the title character. He begins with his childhood and goes into his old age. There is no narrative to speak of. What I expected was that it would be about how David Copperfield overcame the incredibly evil Uriah Heep, since the only thing I knew about the novel was that he was the bad guy, but that's not really how it was.

      While the story wasn't bad, and I am glad that I managed to get through it just because of its fame, I definitely was never anywhere close to loving it. I never connected with the characters and saw a lot of the plot twists coming from a ways away. If interested in Dickens, I would recommend instead the rather less well-known Bleak House (and watching the miniseries...so good!).

      There are a number of audiobook versions of this novel, I do believe. I would certainly recommend this one, although I have not listened to the others, for one determined to get through the classic novel David Copperfield. For one thing, you get to listen to fancy classical music at the beginning and conclusion of each of the 60 chapters. I love that, although I do regret that an already incredibly long book is made longer. The production seems to have been fairly good, although they did miss editing quite a bit of Griffin's breathing.

      Griffin does a really good job as a narrator, as his pompous voice fits quite well to the lofty air of Dickens' writing. He also is remarkable at doing voices, not to Robin Williams' level, but his various characters were generally quite distinct. In fact, many of the voices did not much resemble his his regular voice, so much so that it was sometimes difficult to believe that the whole thing was recorded by this one man.

      Unfortunately, some of the voices were rather creepy or annoying. Uriah Heep, of course, is intentionally given an irritating, writhing voice, but creepiest by far is the voice he uses for young Davy Copperfield. I will be haunted by this voice for a while.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      A heart-warming story of the struggles of a young boy growing up in England, in the 19th century, without a loving family. This is a good story to teach the history of life and the struggles of growing up in a world where children were not well cared for. Charles Dickens shares the struggles that he faced as a child. Good for teaching that you can become successful even if you have problems as a child.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Having recently read “Demon Copperhead”, reading “David Copperfield”followed easily. I so enjoyed it! Never read it before…
    • 5/5
      Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Dickens!I'm a bit giddy about finishing this most satisfying read. It took me 10 days, and I did a combination of reading it on my Kindle and listening to the Frederick Davidson narration (which was excellent) as I worked out and worked at various projects that didn't require my mind. Yes, it is very long (because he wrote it in serialized form, maybe?), but Dicken's is so melodic in his prose. That man just knew how to write. He makes effortless similes (unlike most contemporary writers who make it very obvious that they are trying to accomplish that feat and overdo it). It stuck me just how funny Dickens is too. Yes, the story has some tragic twists and turns, but David also brings out the joy and laughter in life (Aunt Betsy and the donkeys is one example) too!I read this on the heals of four American tragedies in the Naturalist/Realistic era of literature, and I ran back to Victorian Britain for a good old story where the good guys are really good, and the bad guys are really bad, and good triumphs over evil and true love wins! Rapturous delight. Some people have criticized David as being too good a character, but I disagree. He has his weakness, and he grows and matures through the book. This is often quoted through the book:“There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.” "Annie Strong makes this remark to her husband, Doctor Strong, in Chapter XLV, when Mr. Dick brings the couple together again after Uriah Heep’s deviousness has torn them apart. Annie’s words haunt David in his new marriage to Dora, as he slowly realizes that his and Dora’s characters are irreconcilably different. Dickens indicates that true love must rest on an equality between souls, while equality of age and class is less significant. Equality of purpose is essential for two people to join their lives, fortunes, and futures. Without equality there can be only misunderstanding, and with it a dynamic in which one partner dominates and the other suffers. The most prominent examples of good marriage in David Copperfield are the Strongs’ marriage and David’s marriage to Agnes, both of which exemplify marital bliss in that both couples yearn for mutual happiness and act generously toward each other" (From Sparknotes: David Copperfield).My husband's favorite quote is:"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."- Mr. Micawber, esquire from Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, Ch. 12Too bad our congress can't take Mr. Micawber's advice!
    • 5/5
      I've read this book a dozen times and still find something new. The first novel I really read inside and out.
    • 5/5
      I brought this book along to read on the trans-Pacific flight to China. For some reason, I never bothered to crack it, even though I didn't sleep much. Oh well, I did finally get around to reading it when we got settled and was able to savor it. What can I say? It's a classic. It's the life story of a man in 19th Century England, with a rich variety of supporting characters. A well crafted tale that earned itself a place on my shelf. (Once I get back to my shelf, that is.)--J.
    • 3/5
      Great, memorable characters are the highlight of this book. Those are what I remember.
    • 5/5
      This was the first time Dickens made extended use of the first person but he was effective, particularly expressing both the innocence of youth and wonder of the young David while subtly signifying the older David's narrative voice as he looked back on the events. I was impressed with the relationships David develops in his youth, especially his friendship with Steerforth who is portrayed as a charismatic character with a portent of darkness in his demeanor. As a reader I am not as trusting as the narrator. We are also introduced to the Micawbers, with Mr. Micawber's famous dictum on the nature of happiness and misery. What fun!What is the identity of David Copperfield? David, through the first two dozen chapters of the novel, is called by various names: David by his family; Daisy by Steerforth; Trotwood by his Aunt Betsey; Davey by Mr. McCawber; the list goes on and will be continued and expanded. What is interesting is that David assumes these names as his own. He does this not only in the company of the person who names him but, in the case of Trotwood, in the school he attends as well. The question of David's identity is one theme of this novel that I believe deserves further exploration and attention. For the moment I wonder at the connection, if any, with all of these names and the opening paragraph of the book where David meditates about whether he will be the hero of his own life. As for the question - who is the hero of the novel? - that is another major issue. I should also note the importance of the sea and nature, for example when Steerforth was staying in Yarmouth at the Pegotty’s we see him in meditation by the fire, where he expresses his wish that he “had had a judicious father”. . . “to better guide him”. It is moments like this that also provide a deepening of our understanding of Steerforth’s character.Continuing on his journey, David completes his schooling and with the financial backing of his Aunt Betsey becomes an apprentice "proctor" (a sort of agent). When David was 10 or 11 years old he seemed old for his years, but he has kept much of his child-like innocence and naivety as he enters his late teens and now seems young for his age. His maturation will have to wait for much more experience and a deepening of his thought much later in the novel. He is able to avoid being taken advantage of by his friend Micawber, but he does not avoid Cupid's arrow and he falls in love with Dora Spenlow. This event with other complications provides growing suspense for the reader. In addition, Dickens continues to provide for David's intermittent commentary from the perspective of his older self. This provides the reader with curious suggestions of the action that will ensue in the rest of the novel.I find Dicken's notion of marriage somewhat strange. David continues to dote on Dora after his marriage and a first year where they discover their inability to maintain there household. Dora , whose complete lack of common sense is irritating (at least to this reader), provokes David with her innumeracy. The situation does provide Dickens with an opportunity for a humorous set-piece when David tries to "form" Dora's mind by reading Shakespeare to her. Needless to say the project flounders on the rock that is located where her mind should be. In a book that is Dickens's best to date (greater novels loom on the horizon) it does disappoint in the use of coincidence and just a bit of melodrama in the saga of L'il Emily who returns to Mr. Peggoty with the help of mysterious Martha. That aside, David does seem to be maturing just in time to become a successful writer just like the author of his story. As the novel closes David's story ends and his new journey, with Agnes by his side, begins. Dickens deftly brings the novel to a climax, as David narrates the resolution of each of the novels main characters' fates. But I was most impressed by Dickens's use of the theme of nature and how it signals the final true maturation of David. While nature and the sea have been recurring motifs throughout the novel (see above), in the final section we have nature brought home to David as he meditates on his life (following the deaths of Dora and Steerforth). We get the first intimation of this in Chapter LII(p. 747):Early in the morning, I sauntered through the dear old tranquil streets . . . The rooks were sailing about the cathedral towers ; and the towers themselves , overlooking many a long unaltered mile of the rich country and its pleasant streams, were cutting the bright morning air, as if there were no such thing as change on earth.Then in Chapter LV, Tempest, natures brews a storm leading to the shipwreck and discovery of Steerforth's dead body. But it is three chapters later while David is travelling in Switzerland that he narrates (p. 821):I think some long-unwonted sense of beauty and tranquillity, some softening influence awakened by its peace, moved faintly in my breast.I believe David's feeling here which is followed swiftly by a reassuring letter from Agnes, allows him to regain his artistic vigor leading him to write once again after a hiatus. It also signals his final maturation; and the reader delights in his return to England and the ultimate moment when he and Agnes share their long delayed testaments of love for each other.
    • 4/5
      Fantastic book from page one. In the beginning, I had to adjust to the language barrior. I speak English but England has a different english than what I am use to. Though at times, I was lost due to the inablity to understand their meanings I still found the story well written and interesting.
    • 5/5
      Dickens characters still live, as Uriah Heep penetrates every organization in the world today. Still a great and fabulous story.
    • 5/5
      “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”This novel is a great example of what Dickens does best. He writes about a young man, orphaned and surrounded by dozens of colorful characters as he tries to make his way in the world. My favorite part of this particular Dickens’ tapestry is the varied people he brings into his protagonists’ life. They’re never boring and tend to have fantastic names. There’s the eccentric aunt, Betsey Trotwood, who is convinced Copperfield’s mother is going to have a girl. Then David is born and she’s so disappointed she leaves the house immediately and never talks to her again. There’s Mr. and Mrs. Macawber, a curious pair who are devoted to each other, despite the mister’s tendency to get them into debt. Copperfield’s step-father, Mr. Murdstone and his sister are an obviously sinister pair, while Steerforth, David’s schoolmate, just makes you a bit uneasy at first. Peggotty is David’s servant and dear friend and her courtship is hilarious. Without giving anything away, I would add that I didn’t love the character of Dora. You meet her about half way through the book and she’s the equivalent of a dizzy blonde. No offense to blondes out there, but you know what I mean. I just found her incredibly annoying. On the flip side we have Agnes, Copperfield’s close friend. She’s clever and kind and I loved her.This book feels a bit light-hearted at first, but it takes a darker turn as the characters are forced to deal with some horrible things. Apparently Leo Tolstoy once said that chapter 55, The Tempest, “is the standard by which the world's great fiction should be judged,” high praise from Mr. War and Peace himself. There are also some wonderfully funny parts in the books, with lines like… “He was always doing something or another to annoy me, or I felt as if he were, which is the same thing.”One section gives a detailed account of David Copperfield getting wasted with his friends. It’s not something you ever think you’ll stumble upon while reading classic literature and because of that it’s even more delightful when you do. After a few rocky years, I think I can officially say I’m a big fan of Dickens’ work. I haven’t loved everything he’s written, but the deeper I go into his lesser known works, the more I enjoy them. I think the key, for me at least, is to pace myself. His books are too similar to each other to read in a binge. If I read only one a year instead, I find myself eagerly anticipating the next one.
    • 4/5
      The first time I've read a book on the recommendation of a fictional character in another novel. The main character in Per Petterson's 'Out Stealing Horses' re-reads David Copperfield regularly and finds it inspiring for his approach to life. I hadn't read any Dickens since school days so when I saw it in a charity shop I thought 'why not?'. And I'm glad I did. A 700 odd page meander through the life of David Copperfield is known to be a heavily fictionalised and romanticised autobiographical novel by Dickens. What a pleasure it is to wade through the high Victorian mannered and florid language at such a leisurely pace. Characters sculptured rather than sketched so it's no wonder they have endured as much as those in Shakespeare. Great also to get a view of life in the mid 19th century. Pre-electronic and pre-motor car life was nevertheless full and varied. But with it a clue to the sytle of writing. Long and leisurely. How else to fill the evenings?
    • 3/5
      This was both exasperating and charming. At the same time, tedious and compelling. Some of the characters I lose patience with, but others are delightful. There were moments I laughed out loud and I don't think I will ever think of Uriah Heep without a shudder. I will certainly never forget him.
    • 5/5
      David Copperfield is the narrator of his life from boyhood through young adulthood, an account that in some ways mirrors Dickens' own life. It begins with David's own birth and his Aunt Betsey Trotwood's disappointment that he was not a girl. David's father was already dead, and his mother eventually remarried a man who believed in "firmness." So begins Master Copperfield's tale.This is one of those books I've been meaning to read for years, those classics that I enjoy but only seem to get a chance to read over the summer. The length is daunting and the story starts slowly, which was much of the reason the book took me so long to finish. It was well worth it, however, as I was introduced to some of the most memorable characters - Mr. and Mrs. Micawber, Mr. Dick, Uriah Heep, and my personal favorite Miss Betsey Trotwood - that I have ever encountered. I'm sure I will read it again.
    • 5/5
      Probably my favourite novel of the 19th century. I think this is the most skilful of Dickens' works and re-read it frequently.
    • 3/5
      Lots of interesting characters along the route of David's life which is why I always enjoy reading this book.
    • 5/5
      One of Dickens’ best and close to his own heart; the story is essentially the life of f D.C. (David Copperfield), and a loose autobiography of C.D. (Charles Dickens). It’s ultimately a happy novel, as David perseveres through a difficult childhood, and with hard work and a little bit of luck, achieves success in his occupation and happiness in his marriage. It’s interesting to compare David Copperfield (1850) to the darker Great Expectations (1860); some prefer the latter for being more balanced but while I think both are great books, it’s hard to resist the brightness of David Copperfield.Quotes:On home:“Ah, what a strange feeling it was to be going home when it was not home, and to find that every object I looked at, reminded me of the happy old home, which was like a dream I could never dream again!"On solitude:“The old unhappy feeling pervaded my life. It was deepened, if it were changed at all; but it was as undefined as ever, and addressed me like a strain of sorrowful music faintly heard in the night. I loved my wife dearly, and I was happy; but the happiness I had vaguely anticipated, once, was not the happiness I enjoyed, and there was always something wanting. ... What I missed, I still regarded – I always regarded – as something that had been a dream of my youthful fancy; that was incapable of realisation: that I was now discovering to be so, with some natural pain, as all men did. But that it would have been better for me if my wife could have helped me more, and shared the many thoughts in which I had no partner...”On the transience of life:”The rooks were sailing about the cathedral towers; and the towers themselves, overlooking many a long unaltered mile of the rich country and its pleasant streams, were cutting the bright morning air, as if there were no such thing as change on earth. Yet the bells, when they sounded, told me sorrowfully of change in everything; told me of their own age, and my pretty Dora’s youth; and of the many, never old, who had lived and loved and died, while the reverberations of the bells had hummed through the rusty armour of the Black Prince hanging up within, and, motes upon the deep of Time, had lost themselves in air, as circles do in water.”On virtue:“Dear me!” said Mr. Omer, “when a man is drawing on to a time of life, where the two ends of life meet; when he finds himself, however hearty he is, being wheeled about for the second time, in a speeches of go-cart; he should be over-rejoiced to do a kindness if he can. He wants plenty. And I don’t speak of myself, particular,” said Mr. Omer, “because, sir, the way I look at it is, that we are all drawing on to the bottom of the hill, whatever age we are, on account of time never standing still for a single moment. So let us always do a kindness, and be over-rejoiced. To be sure!"On life:“From babies who had but a week or two of life behind them, to crooked old men and women who seemed to have but a week or two of life before them; and from the ploughmen bodily carrying out soil of England on their boots, to smiths taking away samples of its soot and smoke upon their skins; every age and occupation appeared to be crammed into the narrow compass of the ‘tween decks.”On living an examined life:“The man who reviews his own life, as I do mine, in going on here, from page to page, had need to have been a good man indeed, if he would be spared the sharp consciousness of many talents neglected, many opportunities wasted, many erratic and perverted feelings constantly at war within his breast, and defeating him. I do not hold one natural gift, I dare say, that I have not abused. My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely, that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest. ... Never to put one hand to anything on which I could throw my whole self; and never to affect depreciation of my work, whatever it was; I find, now, to have been my golden rules.”On marriage:“...I am not delivering a lecture – to estimate her (as you chose her) by the qualities she has, and not by the qualities she may not have. The latter you must develop in her, if you can. And if you cannot, child,” here my aunt rubbed her nose, “you must just accustom yourself to do without ‘em. But remember, my dear, your future is between you two. No one can assist you; you are to work it out for yourselves. This is marriage, Trot: and Heaven bless you both in it, for a pair of babes in the wood as you are!”Lastly this one on Déjà vu:“We have all some experience of a feeling, that comes over us occasionally, of what we are saying and doing having been said and done before, in a remote time – of our having been surrounded, dim ages ago, by the same faces, objects, and circumstances – of our knowing perfectly what will be said next, as if we suddenly remembered it! I never had this mysterious impression more strongly in my life, than before he uttered those words.”
    • 5/5
      A beautiful edition of a great old story.
    • 4/5
      It took me a long time to read David Copperfield -- because I stalled in the middle for... well, about three months. It's hard for me to review it as a whole, in that light. I remember reading it when I was younger quite vividly, but I'm not sure I ever got past the first few chapters, back then. It's contrived to get tangled up in my mind with Great Expectations, somehow.

      It's interesting to know that this book is thought to be based largely on Dickens' own life. I don't know if he ever said that himself, or whether it was deduced by other people. If he did look on David as himself, it's a wonder he wrote about him so frankly. It certainly seems like a lifetime's worth of Dickens' experience went into creating it, anyway.

      I liked it a lot, despite the length and Dickens' tendency to go on a bit. I felt sorry for David a lot, and sometimes wanted to slap him -- which is the way I feel about some of my favourite characters, and shouldn't make you think I didn't like him.
    • 4/5
      From the night of his birth to finally coming together with his real true love, we follow David Copperfield through thick and thin. Copperfield had a very bad hand dealt him from his father dying before he was born to having to take on a vicious stepfather, being motherless, sent away to a factor to work as a very young child and finally running away and living as a vagabond until he reunites with his aunt Betsy Trotwood (who he only met on the night of his birth). But despite his very hard youth he climbs himself out from under it all and gets himself on top, along the way making lots of close friends that most of us would probably try to avoid, but yet we learn they all have something to offer no matter how bizarre or downtrodden. The characters throughout the book are all well built out and all have their own stories to fight through. I found the best to be Mr Micawber and Mr Peggotty. There is plenty of humor especially with Micawber, Aunt Betsy and his wife Dora. Strong relationships with Traddles, Agnes (his true love), Mr Dick and Steerforth (who was more of a user than a true friend). Tragic characters like Ham Peggotty, Mr Wickfield, Mrs Micawber, Little Emily and Martha. But none as sad and tragic as Copperfield's mother Clara. Copperfield meets more than his fair share of villains in the Murdstones, his first headmaster, Rosa Dartle and Uriah Heep. All these characters (and so many more) are interesting, well developed and always left me eager to turn the page and learn more.
    • 5/5
      David Copperfield is wonderful! If you've never tried Dickens I highly recommend it. It is told by David about his life and all of the strange characters that surround him.
    • 4/5
      Well, it is not to be missed, but Dickens was paid by the column inch, and it shows. Still...you need to read it.
    • 2/5
      Required reading for college: See review of Great Expectations. It'd be the same for this one.
    • 5/5
      Finally I am old enough to understand this book. When I was young, I just couldn't get past all the tragedy. Now after the passage of time I see the irony, humor, and passion. I am amazed at how little human nature has changed since the Victorian era.
    • 5/5
      This was a listen and WHAT a listen it was! Richard Armitage narrates, nay, he performs this book better than I ever could have read it for myself, better than any movie or TV series produced. He is astounding in his range, grace, understatement, mirth, and sadness. He acts every character with depth and understanding. Every character. Bravo. A thousand times, Bravo. As for the story, well, I bloody loved it. The last and only Dickens I ever read was Great Expectations in high school. And we all know how that goes. I was indifferent. Knowing David Copperfield makes me want to know them all. With the exception of the Murdstones, whose fate I will simply have to imagine as being of the foulest kind, all the story lines were tied up very satisfactorily. What a ride of emotion and archetype and subtlety! Superb!
    • 5/5
      Life works in mysterious ways... Especially if you happen to be a character out of a Dickens' book! Poor David has to find out this truth more than once. Abandond by his beloved but helpless mother, sent to a boarding school by his spiteful stepfather, littel David decides to take matters in his own capable hands. You just have to love this book! It brimming with life, love, sadness, treachery, honesty ... a cocktail of emotions that will leave you fully satisfied and a trifle sad after you turned the last page. The can be only one remedy, start over right away!
    • 4/5
      Wow, I am pleasantly surprised!I have to admit, when I saw that we were reading David Copperfield in class I was dreading it.However, I was pleased to discover how much I enjoyed it. I had always heard horror stories about how dry and boring Charles Dickens' novels were. Those reviews were very inaccurate to say the least.Admittedly, there are times when the text seems to get a bit wordy and drag on a bit, but overall I thought that this was a very entertaining read. The novel is chock full of wonderfully created characters; each built in with his or her own quirks. I was surprised to find so much humor throughout the novel as well. I had been expecting such a boring read that I was caught off guard and laughed out loud early on in the book. David's adventures (and misadventures) are definitely worth the effort and I will be reading this book (and other Dickens novels) in the near future.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this wacky story of Dickens'. It follows David Copperfield as he goes off on an adventure, in a way, and meets all sorts of crazy characters. Again, Dickens is incredibly clever and his wit can be found on every page, along with rich details and an atmosphere that seeps through the pages.
    • 3/5
      So I finish one of the more tedious reads of my life so far.

      Dickens came highly recommended. For years many have told me I'd love Dickens. “Dickens is just your type of author,” the masses (or a few) have said. No, he's really not.

      If Dickens excels at one thing, I'd say that thing is his characters. They can be entertaining, funny, and memorable. Each is unique. Each has his or her own voice. There is such a large cast of characters here and Dickens is not only able to give them each their own identity, even those who have only a couple lines, but also to keep them straight. It's a feat I've never seen accomplished elsewhere.

      And what makes reading Dickens so painful? His characters. Yes, those wonderful, colorful characters gnaw at my increasingly fragile patience. They are gross caricatures of caricatures. Perhaps Dickens invented the caricatures; perhaps every exaggerated human personality was original before Dickens came on the scene. Even if that were the case, which I honestly doubt it was, they are so ludicrous they annoy tolerable little me.

      It certainly doesn't help that while Dickens utilizes many voices, he employs only two basic personality types for his female characters: the shrewd, severe woman, and the helpless damsel. Though each woman Dickens creates is unique in many ways, she is essentially a variation of one of these two.

      And Copperfield himself? Well, he's probably a little bit of the helpless damsel himself. He's so passive in every decision he faces it's a wonder the plot progressed. But, you see, if Copperfield acted on his impulses (like when he feels he should defend the poor girl who is being beaten page after excruciating page) then the reader wouldn't get all secret actions and dialogue Copperfield (as the narrator) wouldn't be privy to. Thank God that Copperfield stood behind that door out of propriety, letting her father handle the situation himself (in fact he was either too scared, or too concerned with his own career as an author to worry whether the girl lived or died). And that would all be fine if David Copperfield were written in a way that the reader was supposed to feel pity for Copperfield, antipathy or wonder. No, Copperfield is a delightful lad who is a hero to all. Blah.

      If you ask me, David Copperfield is too sentimental, too exaggerated, too melodramatic. Perhaps others thought I'd like Dickens because I am a little bit of all these things. There's nothing wrong with these qualities, and if people like to read that sort of thing, I think they should. But me? It was too over the top. Throw in all the conveniences (Ahhh, here comes that character from chapter 4, randomly knocking on a door a hundred miles away) and the pat ending, and it's cloying. Cloying and boring in one (sort of like a Hershey's).

      Dickens was good at what he did, and it's hard to judge his work negatively because of this, but I really had focus to stay with it. I wasn't interested in the story or any of the characters because I couldn't believe in any of them. It was a sort of fairytale coming from the mouth of one with a monotonous voice. It was the sort of story I'll return to in later years when I'm struggling greatly with insomnia. Sorry, Chuck, but your Hershey-flavored story wasn't for me. I'm more of a Ritter Sport or Toblerone kind of man.
    • 3/5
      So, uh...I usually like Dickens but I'm not a fan of books done in the style of biopics unless there is some uniquely amazing tale that ties their biopic together - like the mystery of Pip's wealth in Great Expectations or Oliver's quest to find a place he belongs in Oliver Twist. Only time will tell how I come to feel about this particular book...Update: Nope. Didn't care for this at all. There were a few interesting episodes in David's life, but nothing worthy of a tome of this depth.