Charles Dickens
made a name for himself with The Pickwick Papers, and established
himself forever as a talented depictor of 19th century England
in all its often-dubious glory. Or was it his idea at all?
Might the original artist, one Robert Seymour not been the
brains behind the tale instead? And if so, why is he not a
household name like Dickens…
You could prop a door open with this tubby
novel, the same size as Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (also
reviewed on this site). There is not a lot of similarity in
their subject matter of course, but a certain meandering,
laid back style in recounting the minutiae of events recalls
the earlier work to mind. Being interested in the Pickwick
Papers helps, as does actually having read it but even if
you haven't you might well be spurred on to do so after reading
this book. I enjoyed the depiction of England (particularly
London) in the 1830s, a decade not often chosen when authors
write about the 19th century. As well as being about the unfortunate
Robert Seymour this is also about the first modern publishing
sensation. People couldn't get enough of Mr. Pickwick and
his friends, and much merchandising was spawned in the tale's
wake in a very contemporary, seeming way. The irony is that
the story depicts a rather rosy, bucolic and gentler past
that was being swept away even as the book was coming out,
in part by a publishing phenomenon like this as much as by
industry. People of all classes and walks of life read and
discussed this book as they do now, eagerly awaiting the next
installment of their nostalgia in a way which we are used
to today, but which was brand new back then. I think it is
this that I took away from the book, as much as the tale of
Seymour vs Dickens, which is based on obscure evidence that
the author must have spent a long time amassing. Readers will
learn a lot about the literary, artistic and gay communities
in early 19th century London and join in with the two fictitious
amateur sleuths who open the book to piece together the true
creator of Mr. Pickwick. How much you enjoy the book will
depend on your interest in the subject matter but then you
can say that about a lot of fiction, and pretty much all non-fiction.
Stays in the mind long after. |
