120. Bleak House, Part 2

The Public Square
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Originally published at: 120. Bleak House, Part 2 - Warhorn Media

Our heroes discuss Bleak House with pal Dani.

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It was mentioned that Dickens wants to be read aloud – YMMV.

When the Bookening did A Christmas Carol, I thought it would be a fun read aloud. My kids – used to being read to, and perfect age (from 5 to 12 probably) – HATED IT

To this day, I can’t think of anything that we have read aloud that they could not enjoy at all.

(They enjoy Milne though, so I’m sure they aren’t to be trusted … I just have the wrong sort of children.)

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We’ll be praying for them obviously :sob::sob::sob:

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We have an abridged copy that makes for easy reading and has fun pictures. Not sure it would make a big difference with older kids. At any rate, our kids seem to enjoy it.

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Yikes! I haven’t tried reading it to my children yet, but I’m a little suspicious that they would not enjoy it. I love it and want to read it to them.

@jtbayly can you share a link to the version you use?

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I’ve been reading A Christmas Carol to my kids (oldest is 7), an unabridged illustrated version. It’s harder than I anticipated, but they know the Muppets’ version so well that they’re enjoying it.

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Curtis Cook used to read A Christmas Carol out loud to our smallgroup. He’d separate it out over a few Sundays, and the kids all seemed to love hearing his voices for Scrooge, the ghosts, etc. The more I read Dickens, the more I’m convinced he begs to be read aloud.

And, the Muppets’ version is the best adaptation. I think Dickens would have loved it.

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Of course, Curtis could make the reading of a EULA entertaining, not exactly a measure of literary quality. :slight_smile:

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True, but the counterargument: Dickens would want us all to read like Curtis Cook.

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Was all of his stuff written serially? It makes sense that it would be read aloud (or maybe it only makes sense to me…).

Major Brown (of Gaskell’s Cranford) enjoyed reading the new installments of Pickwick aloud to whomever was handy of an evening. One of those little touches that makes Gaskell so fun to read. :slight_smile:

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I’d like to sing like Curtis too, right? Meet me where I am, don’t ask me to be amazing.

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@EricWilson I’m not saying you have to train as an opera singer.

I am saying children “catch” their parents’ enthusiams. They’re contagious.

Between you and me, I’m willing to admit that, had I read Winnie the Pooh with less reserve, my children may have loved it better. They probably picked up on a vibe I couldn’t hear or see.

Maybe we’ll get to test the theory in a later season of The Bookening. Maybe.

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He published all his major works serially. And, yes, the anticipation of getting the newest chapters from Dickens resulted in many families and friends gathered around a living room fire, listening together.

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If I read him poorly, it was because I was dismayed at how little fun it was to read what I thought was a fun story.

I’m sorry I can’t seem to love Dickens. I tried.

But I do love Tolstoy, so we have that.

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I love Christmas Carol. I read it every year. Finished Stave the Third just earlier today. But I had the same experience last year when I tried to read it to my boys (7 & 5). They hated it. I dont think we got through the first stave. I’ve been slowly working on my own abridgement ever since. I’m still on Marley’s Ghost. I guess you could say its coming along slowly… if you were being generous :slight_smile:

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Ok. I found the version we’ve read with our kids:

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Thanks. I’ll probably pick it up for next year.

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