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mcastello13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’m continuing to work my way through all of Dickens’s novels and was especially curious about this one as it seems like it’s always mentioned in relation to how beloved Dickens was in his own time, even in the US. And I really did find it to be classic Dickens, but somewhat darker and less sophisticated than much of his other work. Still, I enjoyed it overall and think Dick Swiveller, especially, is one of Dickens’s best literary creations.
bergsteiger's review against another edition
3.0
Ah, Dickens. Loved "Great Expectations". Enjoyed "Oliver Twist". I found the only way for me to slog through his painfully verbose style is to do the audio thing. "The Old Curiosity Shop"? Meh. Loved many of the characters and Anton Lesser is an absolute master with the voices. But the story itself was incredibly painful. It went on forever with many extraneous plot lines that reminded me of the equally painfully long Dark Tower series by Stephen King. In both cases the stories could have been half as long (or a third). This is where the serial nature of Dickens' work, trying to squeeze as much money out of a story as he could, comes to light. I am glad I listened to it and it would be unfair to say I didn't enjoy it, it simply meandered and went on for much longer than it should have. If you like Dickens, give it a read (or listen), but if you've never read anything by him then please don't start with this one. It could turn you off to a writer who is actually quite entertaining. Solid 3 stars.
lilytiger94's review against another edition
challenging
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
eclecticlittleadventures's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
weyburn13's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
firefly8041's review against another edition
Dnf after 27%. It just couldn't hold my interest - too many characters for me.
stephaniwithani's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
skyhuckelberry's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This is probably my least favorite Dickens so far. It was super slow, and it lacked the plot twists that usually define his work.
mes91's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a book full of lively characters that could walk off the page. I found this novel to have less plot than some of his others which places it behind those already read, but I was fully invested in the characters and in Dickens fabulous prose.