To Dickens, With Love

The Shades of Dickens I got Painted Over

I was introduced to ‘The Sparkler of Albion’ as Charles Dickens jokingly referred to himself by David Copperfield. No, I didn’t know the great illusionist, nor did both of us exist in this pulchritudinous world when Dickens was breathing.

I am merely referring to his classic, ‘David Copperfield’ which was gifted to me when I was 9, as a substitute for the book I’d actually asked for, ‘101 Magic Tricks’. *Sensing a pattern here*.
Well, moving on from what I was reading before that happened, ‘Shikhari Sambhu’^, ‘Suppandi’^ and 101 Fairy Tales (*ewww*), I was surprised that this whole book contained only one story and realized that the short/children story-reading time was over for me. I remember setting out to read it, in bits and pieces but right from the beginning. Obviously, it didn’t make sense as a complete story back then, but nothing better to do just kept me on it. I have always had that book, and Yes! It did make sense and the story was touching and heart-warming as I went on to read it for the second, third and fourth times. No, wonder he was/is popular right!?

(A small disclaimer here, I wasn’t reading the complete 624 page novel, it was the abridged version. I was nine and believed that the book I had, was the one. Although, any of my further present day promises to read ‘the complete unabridged works of Dickens’ lie unfulfilled in this hyper-busy life whilst staring at screens.)

I had discovered an author and any other Dickens book that I got hold of in the later years, I was sure to finish. It went to ‘Oliver Twist’ and then on to ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. Yes! My very early growing up years were not captivated by Macondo* and Magic Realism (though much later I was introduced to it) but rather by Dickens portrayal of the everyday world and human emotions in all form revolving around his innumerable characters.

Today’s millennial population are unfortunate because of the whole “Who reads the classics anyways? I would rather look at memes” and Yes! We are missing out on so much. My mind was painted with Ideas, I got to know of the villains and the heroes and of sadness and love and those ideas were in part planted by all of those not-so-thick books that I had. A few years later, although very late for my age but in the correct hierarchy of time I went on read these words,

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my childhood was like………and all that David Copperfield kind of crap…(Salinger J.D, The Catcher in the Rye).

No! I was not offended but rather the quoted line bought a wide smile to my face laced with nostalgia and even more reiterated love for Dickens.

All of Dickens works that I have read, through the years has stayed with me and also with all that, I have learned that the endings can be both happy or sad, but the journey is what makes what it is, and the journey is always beautiful.

-Hrishikesh Kayshap

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^Popular comic characters from the Indian comic magazine for Children ‘Tinkle’.             
*An allusion to the fictional land of Macondo from Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’.

My early encounters with Dickensian Drama

Having read Dickens’ novels the same way most of my peers have – reading the abridged versions in childhood and then growing up only to feel too lazy to pick up the original ones – I must admit that all the minuscule details have blurred out by now. For instance, I can’t recall what Oliver Twist’s aunt was named (well, Google tells me it’s Rose so that must be it). If you point out one particular scene from a novel, there’s a very reasonable chance of me being unable to tell you what happens next. But while I don’t have a clear picture of what transpired in every page of his vivid, eloquent works of fiction; I certainly have one of how they made me feel.

My favorite work of Charles Dickens would be Great Expectations. I remember being thrilled to the bone whenever Pip, the lead character, would enter the rich creepy lady’s house (brilliantly written character, have to admit). I loved the character of Estella, and rooted for her and Pip to end up together. All in all, the mystique engulfing the novel was way too much for the twelve year old me to handle: I just could not put it down. A Tale of Two Cities was almost as great, with overwhelming poignancy and rich historical context. Dickens executed a devastating tragedy with that one, and I’d say his prowess was quite the level of William Shakespeare’s. That novel taught me more about French revolution than ninth grade history ever did. David Copperfield and Oliver Twist are masterpieces in their own right, both of which have been said to draw inspiration from Dickens’ personal life; which was full of struggles and occasionally as dramatic as his stories. Those two novels made me realize as a child how fortunate I was to have parents, friends and everything else an average kid would like to have around while growing up. I cringed thinking how dreadful it would be to have a childhood like David Copperfield’s or Oliver Twist’s (although it would be totally cool if a wealthy relative pops out of nowhere and leaves me behind all of their riches).

I’m yet to read A Christmas Carol and other notable works of Dickens, but I fully intend to, someday. And as to the four that I’ve already read, they’ll live on with me; the lushness of words and memories flooding and beguiling every time I sit down to ponder on them.

-Ramyata Purab

P.S- Any suggestions, reviews, your point of view or criticism is welcome in the comments below and will be held in regard. You can also mail me at hrishikeshkayshap@gmail.com 

This article has been co-authored by an extremely talented guest blogger.
Go check out her blog, thewalkingdread.wordpress.com.
Also, while you are in awe of her awesome blog, please don't desert me. ;)

Hasta Luego!!