Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Entertaining and Comic July 3, 2008
Lets be clear - this is a comic novel played for laughs with little of Dickens renowned social commentary.
The characters are larger than life, exaggerated for comic effect, read the novel at that level and it is a highly enjoyable and amusing romp.
 Improves on re-reading (and it was entertaining before) April 18, 2008
I read the Pickwick Papers a long time ago, followed by quite a few other of Dickens' novels and then moved on to other things. Then an accident with a blocked drain, a high pressure hose and an internal drain cover led to my entire collection of Dickens novels being rendered aromatic and unreadable. Casting around for something to read recently I decided it was time to start rebuilding my collection, and thought Pickwick would be a good place to start.
I was not wrong. In many ways I appreciate Dickens' humour far more nowadays, and the illustrations of the collection of grotesques that people this epic work really emphasise it. I particularly love the picture of Mr Tupman dressed as a brigand to attend a fancy-dress dejeune (which costume Mr Pickwick considered him to be too old and too fat to wear). Some of the embedded tales I find a bit intrusive (and play to the Victorian love of melodrama - "he fell back - dead!" type of things) but one forgives Dickens that since he was, after all, writing a part-work and needed to keep the punters coming back by giving them both something complete in each edition, and a continuing narrative. It's amazing, in fact, that it hangs together as a novel, given its origins - but it does, and a very funny one at that. You can clearly see Dickens' narrative skills coming together that come into full flower in his later novels that were written as novels.
Consummately written by the great young (24) writer February 2, 2008
A light hearted romp through middle England with all its foibles and idiocynrasies written with real insight by the young Dickens, clearly having a ball while developing his craft. A big book, but quite easy to read, the man's gift for characterisation and colloquial dialogue is truly astonishing. And you can't really go wrong with an Oxford Classic publication, these are great editions.
 Worthy Gentlemen May 26, 2006
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Amazing to think that he was just 24 years old when he wrote this. A comic book of course, the laughs are not obvious but here is a great situational comedy. The gang of four are Mr Pickwick, Mr Tupman, Mr Snodgrass and Mr Winkle. The worthy gentlemen venture forth from the Pickwick club to inquire through travel and record their adventures - hence `The Pickwick Papers'. There are lots of characters which come and go, and it is really quite difficult to keep track of them all - big characters such as Mr Pickwick, Sam Weller and Jingle are easily etched upon the reader. Mr Pickwick is unjustly accused and condemned for breach of promise - the Bardel v Pickwick trial is very funny. The book despite its many reaching branches dwells overly on coaching, eating and drinking which can be tiresome. Also there are several stand alone weaker tales of lesser quality within it (`The Bagman's Tale' is perhaps the best of them) which at times make reading a chore. Not withstanding the latter, it is over all a delightful read.
A masterclass in comedy and cure for the blues March 2, 2004
30 out of 30 found this review helpful
The Pickwick Papers was my first real encounter with a Charles Dickens novel. Before I started reading this epic comedy, my only experience of Dickens was having read the seasonal Christmas Books (mini-masterpieces in themselves)and seen the various cinematic adaptations that we are all bought up on. I will confess at this point that I had already seen Noel Langley's 1952 film version of the book, which I deem to be one of the most hilarious films i've ever had the pleasure of seeing, and so I was a bit biased when I started reading. However, from the first chapter I was hooked and can safely say that the novel surpassed any expectations the film had given me. Never before have I encountered a piece of literature that has made me laugh so much. The novel depicts the adventures of Mr Pickwick and his friends as they travel the country in order to observe human nature. Beyond this, there is only the faintest notion of a plot but this is the intention of the author due to the monthly form in which the book was published. The novel pretends to be nothing more than it is. And what the novel IS, is jolly good fun. It does not take itself seriously and spans all kinds of humour, ranging from the verbal kind to memorable scenes of slapstick.This is the book by which all other comedies, be they written or cinematic, should be judged! Each new situation is unique and virtually all the characters, be they major ones or minor, are so vividly drawn that they remain with the reader a long while after the novel ends. Each of them from Mr Pickwick to Dodson and Fog are distinct, and what is even more wonderful is that the reader can laugh both at, and with, the characters. In my view, The Pickwickians and Sam Weller became like good friends, whom I knew I could have a good time with, and indeed I felt surprisingly sad at having to leave them at the end of the book. Also, The Pickwick Papers is a must for anyone interested in the later works of Charles Dickens, since it contains important precursors to themes which he was to focus on in his following novels. The Christmas chapter, for example, which contains a story that appears to be an early version of A Christmas Carol, and the references to the poor and destitute who are depicted through tales told by the characters. On the whole though this novel is an uplifting read, with plenty of loveable and more importantly realistic characters, that encompasses all areas of human life, from politics to relationships, from sport to the media. A sheer comic masterpiece to raise a smile, no matter how low the reader maybe feeling.
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