One of my favourites...
... is Mr Dickens, although I haven't read all of his works yet.

So far I've read:
Great Expectations,
David Copperfield,
Nicholas Nickleby,
The Pickwick Papers,
Hard Times.

The favourite so far is The Pickwick Papers as I love the characters (Sam Weller is a new literary favourite), and how the book can be so comic, and also so grim.

I've really enjoyed all that I've read of his, and as it's his bicentenary coming up, there are loads of Dickens events/ adaptations going on at the moment- brillo. As part of that, I've been volunteering to proofread his weekly magazines, "Household Words" and "All the Year Round" so they can be available online for the first time. It's interesting stuff.

Next on my list is Martin Chuzzlewit, but I'm currently reading Caitlin Moran (and loving it), then I have the Alan Partidge book to read.

I was given a Kindle for Christmas - although I agree with a previous opinion on here that it's not the same curling up in bed with a Kindle, it's exciting to browse all the books and have them at your fingertips, in your home or on the move.
( awayfromthenumbers, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 12:25, 7 replies)

I, Partridge.
Best title ever.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 12:43, closed)

hang on...
No Christmas Carol? that only takes half an hour to read...
( Ya What Skiddlyboop, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 12:50, closed)

I'm leaving Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist until last as I've seen so many adaptations of each. I know it'll be different reading them, but I feel I know everything that's going to happen!
( awayfromthenumbers, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 13:24, closed)

the muppets version...
although its obviously got muppets in it (making it amazing anyway) is quite accurate to the story, it quotes from the book pretty closely, because of this, when you read it, you'll probably see Kermit, Gonzo etc as the characters.... or is that just me that did that?

Also, while I'm here, Dickens wrote some great songs when you think about it... consider yourself, you've got to pick a pocke, umm pa pa etc... he was well ahead of his time...
( Ya What Skiddlyboop, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 13:51, closed)

Not to mention inventing Flying Monkeys.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 13:53, closed)

I attempted to cultivate a love of Dickens
by reading The Pickwick Papers, chosen because it is widely known for being very funny, and also because it features a reference to my home town.

Probably got halfway through it, before giving up, on account of it being one of the dullest books that I'd ever had the misfortune to pick up. Funny, it most certainly is not.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 13:17, closed)

Indeed. The most Dickens inspires in me (apart from wanting to invoke his name in exclamation)
is a desire to hand him some punctuation marks - a bag of assorted full stops and commae, with a sprinkling of semi colons, to be precise.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 13:44, closed)