Bleak...

Post by **Betty Boop** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:27 am

House by Charles Dickens

Any lovers or haters here?

Week five begins on Monday, Bleak House needs to be read by Week 9, I'm 200 pages in, will I get there? :-3

Guess I have to, I have to make a presentation on it!

theia · Post by **theia** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:36 am

Sorry, Betty, no help from me at all. I studied Dickens for O level (now that is going back a year or two) and I haven't touched a book of his since.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:44 am

theia;1290070 wrote: Sorry, Betty, no help from me at all. I studied Dickens for O level (now that is going back a year or two) and I haven't touched a book of his since.

You disliked him then? Which book/s? We studied Hard Times in the first year.

theia · Post by **theia** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 4:57 am

Betty Boop;1290071 wrote: You disliked him then? Which book/s? We studied Hard Times in the first year.

You're asking me to remember back 46 years???? :wah: It may have been Copperfield.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:05 am

Good luck Betty. Just keep on reading, you will get through it. I've read other works of his, but they are slow reading to get all the nuances of the characters.

Theia, what is an O level?

Post by **Betty Boop** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:35 am

Thanks Chonsi, I will keep plodding along. Also have to get two 1000 word essays done and read 'In Memoriam' by Tennyson, am glad I have already read the three short stories by Lawrence for this week :wah:

theia · Post by **theia** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 11:56 am

chonsigirl;1290119 wrote: Good luck Betty. Just keep on reading, you will get through it. I've read other works of his, but they are slow reading to get all the nuances of the characters.

Theia, what is an O level?

We used to have external examinations when I was a teenager called GCE Ordinary and GCE Advanced Level. I sat my Os at 15 and my As at 17. Students still sit A levels nowadays but I don't know what replaced O levels. I'm really out of touch :wah:

Post by **spot** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:00 pm

chonsigirl;1290119 wrote: Theia, what is an O level?

Theia speaks of a long-distant era in which, had she visited London, she could have called on Mr Dickens and told him exactly what she thought of his novels first-hand.

Thinking about it, there must be people in London alive now who knew people who'd talked to Dickens, it's not that long ago that he died.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:51 pm

:wah: I always remember different letter levels mentioned, my two step-sisters live over there. But I never got what they stood for.

If Charles comes by, I bet he would be enchanted by dear Theia.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:01 pm

theia;1290138 wrote: We used to have external examinations when I was a teenager called GCE Ordinary and GCE Advanced Level. I sat my Os at 15 and my As at 17. Students still sit A levels nowadays but I don't know what replaced O levels. I'm really out of touch :wah:

Were they not CSE's, I was the last year to take either CSE's or O-Levels, after that they became GCSE's and you were tested on coursework alongside exams, not everything rested on just the exam then.

The one person around here I can imagine having a conversation with Charles would be you mate!

Post by **spot** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:37 pm

Betty Boop;1290159 wrote: The one person around here I can imagine having a conversation with Charles would be you mate!

I'm still coming to terms with Theia having done O levels instead of School Certificate.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:39 pm

spot;1290161 wrote: I'm still coming to terms with Theia having done O levels instead of School Certificate.

Never even heard of School Certificate, would Charles have had one of them too then :wah:

Post by **spot** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:56 pm

Betty Boop;1290162 wrote: Never even heard of School Certificate, would Charles have had one of them too then :wah:

Goodness me you've a lot more background reading to do - he was out working at 12 getting six bob a week, the only education he had was reading in his own time.

So was my grandfather, now I think about it, except he got thirteen and sixpence.

theia · Post by **theia** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:59 pm

spot;1290142 wrote: Theia speaks of a long-distant era in which, had she visited London, she could have called on Mr Dickens and told him exactly what she thought of his novels first-hand.

Thinking about it, there must be people in London alive now who knew people who'd talked to Dickens, it's not that long ago that he died.

I did, spot...he didn't like it much

theia · Post by **theia** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:06 pm

chonsigirl;1290158 wrote: :wah: I always remember different letter levels mentioned, my two step-sisters live over there. But I never got what they stood for.

If Charles comes by, I bet he would be enchanted by dear Theia.

He was enchanted, lovely Chonsi, but my ultimatum was the books or me...I've never forgiven him.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:09 pm

Oh, how could he chose books over you!

He must have fallen in love with a librarian or two in his days..............

Post by **Betty Boop** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 11:37 am

I got through it, and in time for Week 9 and my joint presentation with my mate went really well :guitarist

I really enjoyed Bleak House :-6

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 1:36 pm

Which Lawrence stories did you read, Betty?

Post by **Betty Boop** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 1:47 pm

AussiePam;1301121 wrote: Which Lawrence stories did you read, Betty?

The Fox, The Captains Doll and The Ladybird. Enjoyed them all, our tutor is a Lawrence specialist, she is currently in Paris giving a paper on him.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 2:12 pm

Betty Boop;1301124 wrote: The Fox, The Captains Doll and The Ladybird. Enjoyed them all, our tutor is a Lawrence specialist, she is currently in Paris giving a paper on him.

Fantastic, Betty. I used to have several volumes of Lawrence's short stories, but made the mistake of lending them to another enthusiast who went walkabout with the lot. I remember in particular stories like 'The Woman Who Rode Away', 'The Man Who Died', ' Sun'.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 2:31 pm

AussiePam;1301127 wrote: Fantastic, Betty. I used to have several volumes of Lawrence's short stories, but made the mistake of lending them to another enthusiast who went walkabout with the lot. I remember in particular stories like 'The Woman Who Rode Away', 'The Man Who Died', ' Sun'.

Oh dear, that's not good! Hopefully you can replace them and enjoy them again. Lawrence is on my list of books to read for pleasure once I've finished.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 3:33 pm

Betty Boop;1301134 wrote: Oh dear, that's not good! Hopefully you can replace them and enjoy them again. Lawrence is on my list of books to read for pleasure once I've finished.

Yes, I should do that!!! Though, sometimes it's better not to go back. The stories bowled me over at one time, and salient bits stayed with me... got absorbed, customised if you like. Maybe I should leave it at that. :sneaky: