Martin Chuzzlewit

Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The saga of Martin (the younger) Chuzzlewit is a complicated tale of human foibles that includes an American frontier adventure that almost doomed its protagonist. Mixed into this tale are large portions of family intrigue, young love, and disguised villainy. The 19th century language was a personal challenge and those used to modern novel constructs may find the read stilted and obtuse. The author attempts (via spelling) to mimic "lower class" verbalizations that I often found irritating, if not unintelligible. Despite these drawbacks, I found myself absorbed into the Dickensian world carefully constructed over the first fifty chapters as the threads were pulled together in the final four.

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Barnaby Rudge

Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Say "insurrection" in the United States these days, and most will think you are referring to the events in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021. Well, if you think THAT disgraceful Capitol mob scene qualifies as an insurrection, this book may change your opinion.

The underlying theme of Barnaby Rudge are the extraordinary destructive anti-Catholic London riots that occurred in June 1780, and how a simple-minded youth (Barnaby) was swept up in the week-long events. Lord George Gordon was the leader of the Protestant Association that organized a large demonstration march on Parliament designed to force a repeal of the Papists Act of 1778. This act eased restrictions on Catholics, allowing them to join the British armed forces. Like the events of January 6, this crowd got out of control, invaded the Parliament building and roughed up several MPs. However, this was followed by nights of terror that resulted in Catholic churches being sacked, homes of well-known Catholics being invaded, looted, and burned, and other senseless violence against anyone seen as non-Protestant. The nightly Gordon riots were finally brought under control by a massive deployment of military and mass arrests of those leading the rioters.

This Dickensian novel has the hallmarks of his work, and the pacing of a serialized publication. The eighty-two chapters are slow going in the beginning as Dickens fleshes out the characters, but the last half of the book rewards the patient reader with a gripping Mother-Son tale of woe and redemption.

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The Old Curiosity Shop

The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a classic Dickens tale, with an intricate plot and monumental cast of characters 50 chapters in the making. The last 23 chapters closes the extensive plot web to a satisfying, albeit sad, ending.

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