About a year ago, I decided to read Bleak House (by Charles Dickens, of course). I’ve read a fair amount of Dickens, and it was time to enjoy what many have called his greatest novel.
Not sure why, but I decided to read it as it was originally published: basically a few chapters a month. Some months are 4 chapters, and the last month, this coming September, will be 8.
Has anyone else here done that?
By complete coincidence, March was the month that the first chapters were published back in 1852. So I started at the same time of the year as the original readers. If you want to do it, start now!
A year later, I’ve just finished chapter 42 (of 67).
Some thoughts:
* I wasn’t sure how I’d like the stop-start, but it’s been pretty good. I haven’t minded picking it up at the expense of whatever else I’m reading, and I haven’t minded putting it back down again.
* It’s a little weird to think and feel as though I’m reading the book, while at the same time I’m definitely NOT reading it for most of my reading time. It’s almost like a cheat, except who am I cheating and what’s the game?
* The characters and story lines have been a little hard to remember at times. Maybe it’s my modern, short-term mind, but when minor characters haven’t been mentioned for a month or two, it takes me a while to figure out who they are and what they’re doing. My strategy has been to let it flow over me until it clicks. So far, so good.
* Although I’m enjoying the book, I do sometimes get the feeling that reading those chapters has become an obligation. Like, “ok, it’s the 4th and I still haven’t read my Bleak House chapters yet.” And when I do finish them, I feel like I’ve accomplished something (small), rather than a normal feeling of just enjoying the story. (I enjoy it while I’m actually reading it.)
* Overall, I think it’s been pretty cool, and I’ll probably do the same thing for Nicholas Nickleby, whenever I get around to it.
by kangareagle