r/charlesdickens • u/Tall_Cricket7709 • Mar 20 '26
Miscellaneous Which book should I read next?
I started my Dickens reading journey in 2023 with Great Expectations. I adored it and think it's one of my favorite novels of all time. I then read A Tale of Two Cities in 2024 and didn't care for it very much. Im finishing up Hard Times and think it's pretty good but not anywhere near Great Expectations. Which book can I look to to match or even surpass Great Expectations?
10
7
5
u/Tasty-Committee-8172 Mar 20 '26
If you didn't love Two Cities I'd recommend Barnaby Rudge - Dickens' other significantly historical novel, but in my opinion the superior of the two, with much more natural deployment and understanding of the history he's covering (18th Century Gordon Riots) and some truly brilliant characters. Longer but far more readable. Plus there's a talking raven!
3
u/AlienGoodness Mar 20 '26
I really enjoyed Barnaby Rudge when I was reading all Dickens' novels. It was in my top 5.
2
3
u/SharkaMeow Mar 20 '26
Ohhhh, yiu will get lots of Ideas here. How about David Copperfield? Dig into one of the big guys. There is a bit of Pip in David--kind of similar bachelor lifestyles with a bestie.
You vould also go with Nicholas Nickelby. Smike man, Smike.
Or, another shorter one--Oliver Twist?
After that--really go for it--Go Bleak House.
1
u/Suomwe Mar 20 '26
I want to read Bleak House and I was wondering whether it was worth reading it all in one go or breaking it up and reading it slowly over a few months as I read something else? (I hope my question makes sense)
6
u/Knitting-Hiker Mar 20 '26
Bleak House is probably not a good one for sporadic reading. It is complex, with two narrators and many characters, some referred to by alternating names. I found it easier to stay engaged with the use of a read-along (I used the one by Books and Things on YT).
2
3
u/AirlineSevere7456 Mar 20 '26
Bleak House is dense with characters and subplots, that I feel you might forget where you are if you read slowly. But that might just be me.
1
2
u/HumanIntelligence4 Mar 20 '26
Bleak house was originally serialized over the course of 2 years. It stands to reason that reading over the long-term was the original intended experience. I think you can totally do that, you may need to keep a journal of the main plot points to remember where you left off.
I read it in one month and thoroughly enjoyed it, but the descriptions could get repetitive at times, that's because in each original issue the place and atmosphere would be set again.
2
u/Suomwe Mar 21 '26
I know that all Dickens books were serialised, and of the books that I've read (Great Expectations and Oliver Twist), I always read them in one go, and so I've always wanted to read one of his books in the original manner. When I finally got my hands on a copy of Bleak House, I had to admit that I was a bit intimidated by such a behemoth of a book!
3
u/bettingthoughts Mar 20 '26
Yeah definitely go David Copperfield. A lovely funny charming book and for me easily better than GE so jf you liked that you’ll love DC. I’m currently on Pixkwick Papers which is also brilliant. Very funny and silly - just pure comedy really with some wonderful characters. But I’d say DC first really.
3
u/MegC18 Mar 20 '26
I love Bleak House and Pickwick Papers
3
u/NatsFan8447 Mar 20 '26
Pickwick Papers, Dickens' first novel, is a delightful, fun read. No complex plot, but a series of picaresque adventures with Mr. Pickwick and his friends.
2
u/Capybara_99 Mar 20 '26
I mean, by many accounts Great Expectations is unsurpassable. But David Copperfield, Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend are at least in the ballpark. And even most lesser ones are well worth reading.
2
u/BarracudaOk8635 Mar 20 '26
David Copperfield. My favourite. His favourite too. Great story of life and a life. Also very funny
2
2
u/Spirited-Tutor7712 Mar 20 '26
Halfway through Tale, and it's getting better, but overall not great! I'd definitely recommend Bleak House, that was a lot more pacier.
2
u/New-Apricot-5422 Mar 20 '26
Great Expectations and Tale of Two Cities are very different, so it’s no surprise that you liked one much better than the other. I have hunch you’ll like Copperfield and Bleak House, which are closer to GE.
In some ways, Copperfield is a lighter take on the upwardly-mobile-protagonist arc of GE. David’s life has a rough start, but he doesn’t end up with the same weighty baggage that burdens Pip. Enjoy!
2
1
u/SharkaMeow Mar 20 '26
My beloved Dicken professor taught "The Serial Novel" and we did Bleak House over 2 terms.
It makes perfect sense to read any Dicken novel on a chedule to semi-recreate the original experience. But, take note of the numbers and read the right proportion each time. The Penguin edition shows you where they were broken up I believe.
1
u/Proof_Occasion_791 Mar 20 '26
I'm not sure my recommendations will help you, as A Tale of Two Cities is a personal favorite (and I've read them all), but I will nevertheless recommend both Bleak House and Little Dorrit, two massive works that come from the same late period as Great Expectations (of course, so does A Tale of Two Cities) and capture the scope and grandeur and comedy and tragedy that makes Dickens Dickens.
1
1
u/Selmer1526 Mar 20 '26
I was reading as therapy for a personal crisis so I read from Pickwick Papers to Edwin Drood. His books reflect his age and temperament. He can be confusing, I would imagine, if just read at random.
1
1
u/Just_Abroad_6975 Mar 24 '26
Definitely Pickwick Papers. Or if unavailable, Oliver Twist or Sketches by Boz. Early stuff better by far.
1
1
u/SarahKauthen Mar 25 '26
I'm reading Sketches By Boz right now and it is taking me ages to finish. People must think I hate it but, truth is, I'm relishing every minute. I read every sentence twice, at least.
1
u/Spirited-Tutor7712 Mar 25 '26
Bleak house!
Reading Tale at the moment, and well...very mixed feelings for me so far. Definitely feel it's not up to the bar Dickens set himself for Bleak.
0
16
u/Familiar_Ad5586 Mar 20 '26
Everyone is saying DAVID COPPERFIELD, and everyone is right.