I have launched into my regular autumn challenge of reading a Charles Dickens novel. I'm finally tackling "Barnaby Rudge," one of his lesser-known books. I could have chosen "Bleak House," which I've also not yet read, but I thought it might be interesting to pick one that isn't as famous.
I've had Barnaby on my radar for about ten years. The first year I worked in the library, one of the other librarians tried to weed it because it had never been checked out. I fought to keep it because it's part of a matched set of Dickens that I didn't want to break up, and I've felt ever since that I should give it a try. I've checked it out a few times before with the intention of reading it but never got launched.
It's 634 pages long. I'm on page 27 -- over the first hurdle! The book is set during the Gordon Riots of 1780, a period of anti-Catholic violence that I know nothing about, so this is an educational opportunity as well.
Dave had to go get an MRI on his ear last night, so I had baked beans and peanut butter toast for dinner and watched two episodes of the new season of "Bosch: Legacy." Dave is not a fan of that show but I like it, so whenever he's not here I try to watch an episode or two. I only realized last night that Mimi Rogers, the woman who plays Honey Chandler, was Tom Cruise's first wife (and possibly the person who introduced him to Scientology). I remember being quite jealous of her back in the '80s -- she not only married Cruise but had previously dated Emilio Estevez, two of my most ardent college-age crushes. In retrospect that jealousy was silly for about three dozen reasons, but hey, I was young.
Remember that rosebud I photographed about ten days ago? Well, here's the flower it became. It had a problem known as "balling," which occurs when the outer petals get wet and then dry in the sun, causing them to contract and not allowing the flower to fully open. As you can see, the outer petals are a bit brown. I teased the rest of the blossom apart and brought it inside so we could enjoy the fragrance. It's one of our best-smelling roses and probably one of the last of the season (certainly for that particular plant).
I had a dream last night that Graham Nash got cancelled for signing his autograph on a woman's buttock.
(Top photo: An autumnal tree in Plaistow, East London.)
I admire you tackling Dickens.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very late blooming rose. Do you find the later the bloom the heavier the scent?
I went through a phase when we first arrived in Fuengirola of rereading every Dickens book. Somehow, I don't think I ever read Barnaby Rudge. If I did, I remember nothing about it.
ReplyDeleteIf the owner of the buttock gave Nash permission, there was no reason for cancelling. Go back to sleep and get more details.
Oddly enough I watched an episode of Homestead Rescue last night. It featured Graham Nashes son who needed help making his Homestead in Hawaii livable. Apparently he is estranged from his father and couldn't ask him for help.Very sad when this happens to families. He is very like his father.
ReplyDeleteYou fought to keep "Barnaby Rudge"? Was there much blood? I'm guessing that the other bloke came off worse - unless of course you were fighting with a woman - which is not very chivalrous is it?
ReplyDeleteGraham Nash should be cancelled for being such a self-important twerp.
ReplyDeleteI think novels of an age need to be read aloud...inside your head or out...in the voice of the time.
ReplyDeleteLike Shakespeare's work scanning beautifully in a Black Country accent/dialect.
I wonder how Dickens would sound?
The last rose..worth bringing in and caring for. Pirate is doing that for the last few we have, but unfortunately all those with a good perfume have finished.
Interesting project, a Dickens in the fall. I've read Bleak House, liked it best of all the Dickens I've read. Do students read Dickens, or are they assigned it for class these days? I'm guessing maybe not.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I claim to love Dickens and I do but honestly, I've only read the most well-known of his books. I should remedy that, shouldn't I?
ReplyDeleteI wish I could smell that rose.
That sounds like the kind of dream I have - ha! So random. I love it.
ReplyDeleteI just don't want to read books with so many pages anymore. Good for you for giving it a try,
ReplyDeleteI woke up dreaming about Excel spreadsheets for some reason. Thinking about all of the things I used to be able to do at work and can't even think where I would start if I had to do it now. Getting old, Steve!
That's a Dickens novel I hadn't heard of that I can remember. I'll look forward to your observations.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you coaxed that rose open. It looks pretty and I bet it smells good.
That's a strange dream!
I've read some Dickens but not that one. Your rescued scented rose is lovely. Weird dreams make me laugh and you had a winner.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! Your dream!
ReplyDeleteI had a dream the night before last, that I was riding a bike. I was hit head on by a very large old fashioned boxy cadillac. I flew off my bike and landed on my feet and the police were involved and I was feeling very guilty. Someone pointed out that for the car to have hit me head on, he had to cross the entire road. I was so relieved that it wasn't my fault...and I woke up feeling relieved.
We've started Bosch, it's pretty good. Have you seen the Lewis series? Really good. It's a follow on to Endeavor and Morse. All really good, they keep us up too late because we want to see what happens.
ReplyDeleteI love police procedurals and detective series so I've watched Bosch but for whatever reason lost interest. I do enjoy the books though! I'm also reading an over 700 page book, "The Covenant of Water."
ReplyDeleteSix-hundred pages sounds daunting ...
ReplyDeleteOh Those Dreams - Enjoy Your Upcoming Weekend Walks With Olga Girl
ReplyDeleteCheers
I missed the rose between the onion and applesauce.
ReplyDeleteThose are the two Dickens novels that are on my Classics Club list! I have three more years to complete it, so I'll try to get to one of them next year. I'm thinking Bleak House is shorter.
ReplyDeleteThe Gordon Riots have interested me for a long time for one reason amongst others that at least 50,000 people took part and the population of London was not much over 500,000 at the time. It also interests me greatly in terms of politics when people speak of political turmoil and unrest in Britain (I say this as a British person and not speaking for other countries) as if it is something new and never heard of before. I have quoted the Gordon Riots on my blog in the past although nobody has ever taken me up on it which I assume to be because nobody has known what I am talking about. Dickens is a great writer and I have been known to recommend his books to a young intern that we had in our office who didn't have a clue how to construct a sentence even though he was a university graduate.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it before but as a librarian, you get sort of a unique perspective on the reading world. Not only titles long forgotten from famous authors, I haven't read either Dickens book either, but also what is popular these days. My only source is Amazon who posts a list of books below one I have selected and tells me those that looked at the book I'm looking at also looked at these books. It can be a bit hit or miss.
ReplyDeleteDickens is a big nope for me; he's even wordier than I am and life's too short :D Good on you for having the fortitude - or maybe it's a case of truly enjoying his work? I love the fragrance of a real rose but haven't had the pleasure for many years. My mother always said they are hard to grow. Do you find that to be true?
ReplyDeleteThe rose is beautiful. I thought Tom Cruise was raised in Scientology?
ReplyDeleteI don't have Bosch Legacy yet, but it's on my list.
When I have a book that's quite long I read the first chapter to "guage" the story, then check the back page to see the total and ivide that into thirds or quarters and try to reach that goal with each reading. Unless it's one of those books that sre impossible to put down because the story is so good!
That's a gorgeous rose -- and fragrant, too. You opened it beautifully (and now I know what to do next time!)
ReplyDeleteI should check out the Bosch series -- it sounds like my thing!
That rose is a beauty, and fragrant too. You opened it up so nicely -- I'll have to remember that trick.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd like Bosch. I should explore.
Snap, on Emilio. I think he was one of the Brat Pack?
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever read a single book by Dickens.
ReplyDelete