....I sort of feel that this sets me apart as an even stranger person than most people already think I am.
I understand that Dickens, to most, is already intimidating as a writer. And "The Pickwick Papers" certainly can make one feel daunted. 800+ pages, depending on which particular edition you're reading. Many chapters are lengthy. If you're unfamiliar with the writing style of Dickens, then you will likely find yourself frustrated trying to keep up with his long sentences and large casts of characters. I know of a few friends that have started and gave up 3-5 chapters in. Another friend didn't make it past chapter one.
Dickens takes incredible patience, and more so in these days we're living in, a very fast paced, I-gotta-have-it-and-understand-it-all-now world.
Probably, most people have heard of "The Pickwick Papers" when reading or watching a movie version of "Little Women" (which is one of my top favorite books, ever). That's where I first heard about it, and I thought it was charming how the March sisters formed their own Pickwick club and paper, so I put it down years ago on my TBR list. Then when I finally decided I wanted to read it, I had a horrible time actually finding it in a bookstore. I finally one day found it in the $5 classics section at Books-a-Million, and I began reading in December of 2019. I wasn't feeling daunted by the length, because the previous spring I had finished "The Lord of the Rings", which hits 1,000+ pages in total, and I'm the kind of reader that has the patience to work through what most would deem obsolete works in today's world. It ended up being my nighttime read (with a flashlight), and while I was doing so I had the biceps to prove it (Bro, do you even lift books?).
Yes. I had my moments of struggling with it, and sometimes I had to pause and go back to remember what was happening. But that was OK! To me, this makes the reading experience better. I felt I took the time to really get to know these characters. When I finally finished reading, it was March 2020, the world was in chaos, and in the midst of struggling with it all, I felt like I had just lost some very dear friends. Mr. Pickwick and company now held a very special place in my heart.
It was with Mr. Pickwick in mind still, that I taught at a recent homeschool group activity an illustrated history lesson on the childhood of Charles Dickens. My favorite part of the day was that I Christmas wrapped and gave each child their own 'Pickwick Notebook'. In the book, the Pickwickian club members are always carrying notebooks in which they take note of the different adventures they have, the travels they make. One member of the club writes poetry in his, another member composes love notes to ladies he meets. But the primary use of their notebooks is to record and pass along their daily adventures, and I love that idea. And so my admonishment to the homeschoolers, a group of all ages, was to use their own Pickwick notebooks to write, draw, scribble, about whatever interests them.
Because at it's core, this is what Mr. Pickwick and his society are about. Curiosity. Learning. An interest in people, in history both old and new and local. Sports. Poetry. Romance. Old books and old papers passed down in families to keep stories and legends alive and discussed. While I loved the characters -so well written- in "The Pickwick Papers"- kind Mr. Pickwick, witty Sam Weller, ladies man Mr. Tupman, I even found myself wondering after villainous Job Trotter and Mr. Jingle, and worried about the health and safety of Joe, the 'fat boy' servant we encounter in many chapters (and for whom the medical term 'Pickwickian Syndrome' is coined)- What resonated so much with me was the very idea behind the Pickwick society... A healthy and unwavering interest in everything.
Because "The Pickwick Papers" showed me that, without knowing it, I have always been a Pickwick at heart. From my earliest memories of walking into the library as a little girl and browsing multiple sections and topics and walking out with an armload of various topics, only to return a week later and repeat the process (I still do this). I have always been an avid note taker and notebook hoarder, and enjoy the process of writing out what I'm learning about or putting my thoughts about a book or topic into words on paper. At times, I have found myself in despair, wondering why I have to be the kind of person interested in everything instead of only one thing at a time.. but, as they say, isn't variety the spice of life? I think Mr. Pickwick would whole-heartedly agree this is so. And that an interest in many subjects, hobbies, and people, is a thing to be encouraged and pursued...to make us more well rounded and interesting individuals.
And so, from one Pickwickian to hopefully another, I just want to encourage you to keep reading. Keep being interested. Find a way to use those interests and interact with people. Become a Pickwickian at heart. The world needs more Pickwickians!!
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