David Copperfield came roughly in the middle of Charles Dickens' career, and it is unsurprisingly transitional in many ways. It is also perhaps his most controversial novel in relative merit terms. Many critics, perhaps most, put it with or near his mature, fully-realized later novels, significantly ahead of early efforts; many others think it significantly ahead of the latter but not far enough to go with the former. Readers of course have no such scruples; it has long been one of Dickens' most popular novels - which truly says something -, and its appeal has hardly lessened after more than a century and a half. Also, for what it is worth, it was Dickens' own favorite. The bottomline is of course that everyone should read it anyway, because Dickens' storytelling power is such that even his lesser novels are far above most writers' best.
There is certainly no denying the power of the story as a story; Dickens is hardly bettered in pure storytelling terms, and this is one of his preeminent examples. Virginia Woolf, not generally a Dickens fan, thought it one of English fiction's greatest works, and no less than Leo Tolstoy thought the famous shipwreck chapter the greatest ever written and the example for all novelists to aspire to. After a (by our standards) somewhat slow start, the book quickly becomes engrossing, and we are hooked until the end. As always, Dickens deftly guides us through various styles and sentiments; the book is often comic but also has much tragedy and hits practically every spot between the two. There is no great mystery or plot twist as in some of his later books, but we see a definite breaking away from prior works in plot structure terms. Dickens' essentially episodic style was ideal for an era when serialization was obligatory and lengthy novels expected, but many later critics say it keeps him from true greatness. The trend is most noticeable in early works and still here to a certain extent, but this is clearly the seed of more concerted later plotting.
The plot is of course dependent on the eponymous narrator and central character, and the novel is one of the all-time great bildungsromans - perhaps even the greatest and certainly the most famous. Those who highly value tight plots may still be unsatisfied, as David's life is not much less uneven than most, but the fact of being tied to a single life gives considerably more structure than some early Dickens. Essentially a fictional autobiography, the novel charts David's progress literally from birth, ending in what seems to be middle age. Though not quite a rags to riches story, his long and troubled path from obscurity to fame may make the cynical scoff, but it is important to remember that this is after all one of the template's founding texts. We must also keep in mind that Dickens' own story was much the same; some have even called this his disguised autobiography, and there are indeed many fascinating parallels. His knowledge of and sympathy with young men growing up in his era at any rate gives the book a great lifelikeness that made many of them strongly identify with it. Along with Dickens' usual precise attention to nearly all details of everyday life and his keen eye for social life and other cultural aspects, this makes the novel invaluable as a peek into early nineteenth-century English life.
Far more important, though, is how forcefully the novel transcends time and place. Because so many aspects of growing up are universal, it is easy for nearly anyone to identify with David, and many have. We share his exultant joy at childhood's carefree moments and suffer along with his first tastes of pain, disappointment, and regret. We recall along with him adolescence's exuberances as well as its challenges. His first experiences of education, love, friendship, work and many other rites of passage are familiar to nearly all, as are his adult interactions. Dickens portrays all this realistically and empathetically, letting us relive much of our lives through David. He runs us through nearly every emotion along the way; the book has almost as many tears as laughs. David's story would of course be interesting in only a very limited way if his life were just like most, but Dickens makes sure to include many interesting narrative experiences. These are so well told that we feel for David as he moves through life's ups and downs, changing and growing in ways both familiar and unfamiliar.
This alone would make the book more than enough for most, but there is plenty more. Dickens' typically great characters are perhaps most notable. He may be unequaled for consistently depicting unique and memorable characters, and this has some of his most enduring. It is often said that David is the least interesting, and it may well be true - not because he is dull but because the rest are so fascinating. This is usually called a defect, but is in this way quite a virtue. It is after all hard to argue with the characters for wealth of human interest and sheer entertainment value. As always in Dickens novels, there are so many characters - nearly all with distinct and usually eccentrically memorable personalities - that no review of anywhere near normal length could possibly hope to do them justice. However, several are absolutely unforgettable: the melodramatically mercurial Mr. Micawber and his eminently practical but naïve wife; the thoroughly despicable hypocrite Uriah Heep; the low-key but ever reliable Traddles; David's hilariously short-tempered but genuinely kind aunt; the dignified and strong-willed but fundamentally selfish Steerforth; the lovely but almost childishly hapless Dora; the industrious penny pincher Mr. Barkis; Mr. Dick, the madman with flashes of brilliance - and enough others to populate most authors' whole canons. Dickens' characters have entertained millions of readers all over the world for nearly two hundred years and are certainly notable for strength of characterization and sheer imaginative reach. However, a minority has long objected to them as hopelessly quirky to the point of being unrealistic and annoying. This certainly will not convince them, but the vast majority who take the characters to heart will find many to love.
This gets to the central critical debate about Dickens' work generally and this novel particularly - is it great art, or simply very well-written and astoundingly entertaining? Dickens' essentially unparalleled characterization and storytelling are more than enough great art for most, but some decry a supposed lack of deeper meaning and serious themes. Yet Dickens is at least as sociopolitically aware as most great authors and plenty of lesser ones without succumbing to the nearly always fatal fault of heavy-handedness that few serious writers escape. The story certainly has some serious themes, drawing attention to - and because of Dickens' popularity, raising awareness and sometimes even leading to reform of - problems relating to several overlooked areas. These include unregulated youth schools, previously addressed in Nicholas Nickleby; the plight of parentless children; the working conditions of inner city factories, also addressed in Hard Times; poverty, particularly debt; and more. Also, though there is much in the presentation of female characters for feminists to decry, there is also a highly notable focus on issues of immense importance to women: the delicate position of young widowed women, which made them prey to unscrupulous men because of their enforced ignorance and consequent naïveté; and the sad state of prostitutes, a group so scorned that almost no one looked closely enough at their conditions to see just how miserable they were or inquire about the often surprising causes. There is also thought-provoking commentary on perennial issues like corporal punishment. Readers must decide if such themes are substantial enough. As for the long philosophical discussions in narrative and dialogue that have made so many other nineteenth century greats famous and revered, they are not to be found in Dickens. Some may think this a significant flaw, but his incredibly moving and believable portrait of a representative life will be enough for most. David learns much over the course of his life despite all the struggles and hardships, and if the ending may be too pat for the most cynical, all others will be touched by its paean to love's redemptive power, which has some of Dickens' most beautiful prose, and it is certainly hard to begrudge David's happiness and contentment. However much our lives may differ from David's, the novel will remain popular and worthwhile at least as long as any parallels remain.
As for this edition, it is ideal for most; it is not only inexpensive but has substantial supplemental material. There is an excellent introduction with background on Dickens, the novel, and the historical context as well as some initial analysis; useful notes are also included.
(103 customers reviews)Customers Rating=4.5 / 5.0
More Detail For
David Copperfield Collector s Library - ISBN13: 9781904633839
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
