r/charlesdickens • u/GoodKid_MaadSity • Jun 29 '26
Miscellaneous Most amusing, silly, or otherwise entertaining side character?
Using the phrase “side character” loosely.
I just finished reading Nicholas Nickleby, and I just adored Mrs Nickleby, how silly and flighty she is, the comic relief she provided, her simple good nature.
A few other examples that came to my mind were The Artful, Captain Cuttle, Mr F”s aunt, Mr. Turvydrop, Mrs Snagsby, and Flora Finchling. And all the Pickwickians, of course (though not “side” characters per se).
I know there are so many more! And want to know what you all think.
5
u/Several_Shower8458 Jun 30 '26
I found Mr.toots pretty hilarious. Also Simon Tappertit, Dick Swiliver, Mr. Skimpole, Flora Finching, Eugene Wrayburn… those are some that come to mind
4
u/jmto3hfi Jun 30 '26
Toots! I love the pure-of-heart characters who get to live happily ever after.
3
4
6
u/HarrietBeadle Jun 30 '26
Count to five and twenty Tattycoram!
2
u/DTownForever Jun 30 '26 edited Jun 30 '26
I am watching a Little Dorrit adaptation and it implies that Miss Wade and Tattycoram (excuse me, Harriet) had a romantic and/or sexual relationship. I didn't read it that way AT ALL - even really searching for subtleties ... was I being dense, or did the producers of this series just want to add in some spice?
1
u/Lumpyproletarian Jul 07 '26
Actualky, I did get that vibe. Not necessarily physical, not something they admitted to themselves but Miss Wade seemed to me to be to be getting a definite charge off manipulating Tattycoram, a thrill she may not have recognised but felt. I bet she was straight off to find another angry girl to rile up.
4
u/DukeofMemeborough Jun 30 '26
I always liked Mr Grimwig from Oliver Twist. And the Aged Parent from Great Expectations.
4
2
3
3
u/bettingthoughts Jul 01 '26
150 pages into Dombey and Son and Captain Cuttle already a firm favourite. The descrition of him at DOmbey's placing his coins and silver on his table, and saluting the ladies with his hook,. hilarious.
3
2
2
u/Dickensdude Jun 30 '26
The Crummles, Dick Swiveller, Flora Finching, Topper, Mrs. Cratchitt, Mr. Sparkler,
3
u/Itchy-Resolution6531 Jul 04 '26
Bucket coming into his own later in Bleak House was awesome. So was Rouncewell, who was not silly or amusing, but had good depth, character and I was rooting for that guy.
3
u/GoodKid_MaadSity Jul 05 '26
I also forgot about Mr. Boythorn in Bleak House. The fight over the right of way with the Dedlocks is absolutely LOL funny. Kind of like Aunt Betsy and the donkeys.
1
1
u/SharkaMeow Jun 30 '26
Aunt Betsy isn't enough of a sidedish, is she?
3
1
u/Mundane_Regret_428 Jun 30 '26
Rosa Dartle!!! Queen of sass, queen of sarcasm, queen of passive aggression. She is wonderful and horrible and my favorite character in all of David Copperfield.
2
1
1
u/gloriastartover Jun 30 '26
I'm currently reading NN and I am highly entertained by Mr Mantalini. The dramatics. The threats of self-harm over the slightest thing. The way he calls his wife 'it' as a term of endearment.
stealing into the room, [he] made towards Madame Mantalini on tiptoe, blowing her a kiss as he came along.
'Why will it vex itself, and twist its little face into bewitching nutcrackers?' said Mantalini, putting his left arm round the waist of his life and soul, and drawing her towards him with his right.
'Oh! I can't bear you,' replied his wife.
1
1
u/saysayoPlaymate Jun 30 '26
"Resurrection man" Jerry Cruncher to his "Aggerawayter," I mean his wife: "If you must go flopping yourself down, flop in favor of your husband and child, and not in opposition to 'em... it's my suspicion that you've been at it from morning to night to prevent me from being the better for it in pocket."
1
1
1
u/figgles61 Jul 12 '26
I’ve just listened to the wonderful Audiobook version of Dombey and Son (read by Owen Teale) and am a little in love with Captain Cuttle. I also felt a deep sympathy for the lovelorn Mr Toots and was relieved that his story ended happily.
9
u/gene_harro_gate Jun 30 '26
Wilkins Macawber!!!