Audio books. Pfft.
Heathens! 
I just grabbed The Magic Fishbone, thanks for the mention Rhiannon8404!
Oh, fine, when you go blind and a Mr. Dickens shows up at the door wanting to read to you, we’ll be sure to turn him away… out into the blowing snow.
Brains and Brawn. Throw in Monk and you have the upper class getting the lower to do their dirty work- basically just as nasty in spirit but able to keep their hands clean.
I’ve always thought Fagin was one of his most interesting characters. I first learned of him the way many probably did- the musical Oliver, where he’s a criminal but also sorta kinda likable rogue- and was surprised when I read the book as a teenager to learn he’s not quite as Ron Moody-ish in the source material. He’ll charm you, feed you, protect you if it’s in his interest and then cut your throat the moment it’s in his interest.
There’s a major argument in Dickensian scholarship as to how anti semitic Dickens was. Per wiki, he refers to Fagin as “The Jew” almost 300 times in the first half of the book; he hardly calls him that at all in the later chapters due in part to the criticism by Jewish readers. I understand why he made Fagin Jewish- he was based on some actual criminals (Ikey Solomon for one), but any thoughts on why he went to such overkill to impart Fagin was Jewish? (Especially odd since I’d find it hard to believe Fagin gives a rat’s ass about religion.)
My embarrassing confession about Dickens is that while I enjoy his writings I prefer to read condensed versions and long summaries for most of his works, and then read the original source material for favorite parts, for he can get tedious. (No more so than most 19th century literary greats admittedly, but… changes in taste and all.) His life is very interesting to me- his life, his rise, his loves, his relationships with his kids, his mid-life crises, his performances, his snobbery v. his humble origins, etc…
I think it’s time for another miniseries on him; the nice thing is you can work it half the famous people of his time and the United States and other nations due to the people he met as a celebrity and on his tours. Netflix has Dickens of London on streaming but in addition to being very dated it’s inconsistent in quality, plus the opening scene has an inaccuracy that drives me nuts; Dickens is on his 1867 American tour and his manager is putting the money from that night’s box office on the table and it includes several modern $1 bills on the table. That’s such an anachronism- it’s off by almost a century- that it yanks you out of the scene and makes you wonder about the accuracy of other touches.
Of what I have read of Dickens, Great Expectations is my favorite novel. That’s partially because it’s short, but mostly because it’s an interesting psychological study of Pip.
I really love A Christmas Carol, and I either read it from the annotated version or watch the Sim version. The book is simply a masterpiece not just because of its descriptions of place and character but also because it engages us dramatically and emotionally in perfect fashion.
I know Isaac Asimov loved Pickwick and read it every year. I read it once and didn’t care for it. I tried reading it again recently and just gave up. Yet another way in which I’m unlike Asimov.
Yes, I’m American, but I think I can the heat. Please note that I said, “I thought.” It was my opinion.
Mr. Micawber is definitely my favorite character, but I have not read Chuzzlewit.
My favorite Dickens book is a tough one. *Oliver Twist *and David Copperfield are probably tied.
I haven’t yet read Chuzzlewit, but I can’t imagine taking personally any pokes directed at the Americans of the mid-19th century. Those people are hardly less foreign to me than Dickens’s own compatriots.
The Pickwick Papers is definitely a flawed book, but I love it because it has some of the most hilarious scenes written, IMO. The scene of Mr. Weller, his wife and the preacher visiting Sam in debtor’s prison cracks me up every time, as does the “hunting party” chapter.
I think my favorite is Nicholas Nickleby, though, fueled in no small part by the excellent A&E broadcast of the London play back in the 80’s. I have it on DVD and ought to watch it again soon. Smike in particular was well done, but every character was brilliant actually.