David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

 I have been so disappointed in my books lately that I returned to a classic for relief. I had heard that Dickens was a master storyteller, and I vaguely remember reading Great Expectations in high school and enjoying it, and...I knew that one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver, had modeled her Demon Copperhead on David Copperfield...So, I decided to take it on, all 1001 pages of it! I was going to order it on Amazon, but people complained about the size of the print, so I thought, maybe I could borrow a copy. So I put the word out on the Picturesque Ward Facebook page, and Ricqui Griffiths responded right away to offer to lend me her copy. She had read it in high school and really liked it, and was willing to give her copy up for as long as I needed it. And so...I borrowed it, taped it's loose front pages back into place and dug in!

I'm so happy I did! I cannot count the happy hours I spent deep in London and Canterbury and the surrounding communities, learning about child labor, life in the nineteenth century, and getting to know absolutely wonderful and interesting characters. There were fascinating themes that were so different to our lives here and now. For example, the absolutely seemingly worthless lives of women, the cruel discregard for the welfare of children, and of course, the differences in class. There was a rigid class structure that I'd read about before, but this added to my knowledge and understanding.

Usually I resent it when characters are all good or all bad, but it didn't bother me so much in Dickens' world. There were clearly evil people with no redeeming thoughts or actions, and good ones who did no wrong. But they were so interesting and diverse that it was not annoying to me. 

I especially enjoyed Dickens' relationship to his star character. He described his David Copperfield with great affection and gentle humor. He could see the foibles of his youth and described them eloquently. It was a joy to read his description of the angel Agnes. It was also delightful to watch the development of David's love and respect for Agnes. It was delightful to watch his Aunt develop from a crusty cranky woman into one of great heart and affection. The Pegotty family was also a treasue to learn about, and the simple way they lived. The story drew me in and kept me engaged for a couple of weeks. 

Dickens' description of his love for Dora and the way he tried to change her and then finally accept her was heart-breaking and yet reassuring. He kept his love strong by his will and integrity, despite his disappointment in her lack of development. I love that he eventually got "his reward" by enjoying a richer relationship with the mature and angelic Agnes. It was a beautiful example of a youthful, immature choice of a companion, and yet staying true to her. I found that so admirable and also so heart breaking, especially for Dora, who clearly understood she had married someone who would have welcomed more intellectual stimulation. So sad, and yet so sweet that they made it work for as long as she lived. Very instructive!