Introducing Dombey and Son | Mega Dickens Readalong

[@fortheloveofclassics03]

I agree that Barnaby Rudge has been my favorite of Dickens' earlier works and can NOT wait to read Dombey and Son! Thank you so much for sharing your love and enthusiasm for Dickens. ❤❤

[@mandyandrews6083]

Hi Katie I stumbled across your channel 6 months ago. My only real experience of Literary classics was the “standard readings” in school taught in a way solely to pass exams. The timing was wrong and I hated Dickens for being ‘so boring’ and Hardy ‘so depressing’. Move on to my 60s and I discover your channel. Wow! your enthusiasm for Dickens ‘et al’ is so infectious that thanks solely to you I have in 6 short months read books by Trollope, Forster, Virginia Wolf, Wilkie Collins and Hardy. And am joining in with your read along currently on my 6th Dickens! Sadly when I recently commented on the very small shelf of classics in my local library I was told ‘no one wants to read the ‘old classics’ - they’re just too difficult!

[@andreabauer4711]

This describes me too! I read a lot of science fiction and nonfiction. But Katie's videos have drawn me in. I have already bought A Tale of Two Cities, Our Mutual Friend, and Barnaby Rudge, though I have yet to read them. I think I will jump in now and get Dombey and Son from the library.

[@dqan7372]

Sounds like an amazing six months of reading. The small amount of classics at your library is very unfortunate, but kind of understandable. Most of the books I order from my library come from 'deep storage'. I keep hoping for a literary revival.

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks so much! Sounds like a great six months of reading :) My local library is pretty decent on classics, so I think it's very varied. My local library service, surprisingly, has a ton of Anthony Trollope novels, including lots of lesser-known ones, but I'm not sure why!

[@AngelineProductions]

I’ve come to love Dickens, but really dislike Hardy. Maybe when I’m older I’ll come to love him, too. We’ll see…

[@mo_z-gb2ti]

love your passion when it comes to Charles Dickens !! ❤❤

[@DebMcDonald]

So excited to read this. Thanks again for taking on this project. I’m not quite finished with Martin C. but am keeping up with the readalong and have been surprised by several of the novels. Onward and upward!

[@keretaman]

Also, haven't been on your channel for a long time. I'm trying to finish The Old Curiosity Shop this year. I'm glad to find that you're still actively posting 😊

[@lihayes5046]

Thank you so much for your wonderful channel! I read your book (WONDERFUL!) and absolutely can't wait for your next one! I'm going to begin your Dickens read-along and, after hearing what you've said about Dombey and Son, it seems like a great place to start. I just inherited a complete anniversary set of Dickens novels published in 1911 from my father (handed down by his father), so a love of Dickens runs in my family. I so look forward to reading the rest of the novels with you! I find your comments so enlightening and interesting. Again, thanks for all the time you take creating your videos - you've really gotten me back into reading!

[@fortheloveofclassics03]

What an amazing inheritance to receive! That is wonderful

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks so much! Those 1911 editions must be beautiful!

[@jillybeanh67]

You've convinced me! I'm now listening to dombey and sons. Wasn't sure I'd pick up another classic until victober as I'm reading for WIT. Month at the moment but your enthusiasm for this Dickens, which I'll admit I had completely overlooked previously, has convinced me to have this as my audio book at the moment. Really looking forward to getting into the story. Thanks!

[@katiejlumsden]

Dombey and Son really is wonderful :)

[@LizziebelleXOX]

Katie you’ve convinced me to pick up dombey & son. 😊it Sounds great 📖🌠

[@AmalijaKomar]

You really inspire me to think about Dickens and how good he wrote. Only read David Copperfield and Great Expectations Those two were brilliant, true classics. I was worried about how long D.C. is and take me some time to understand it. Planing to read more of him, like Bleak House and Dombey and Son. Thank you for this video.

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks very much! Bleak House and Dombey and Son are wonderful :)

[@classicswithbonnie]

I really enjoyed Dombey and Son! I would say it's in my top 5 as well.

[@areadersalmanacwithceleste1366]

This one sounds really good! Based upon your comments I bought this for a friend and he's been enjoying it! And I'll definitely be joining you for some of Dickens' other novels, as well. Perhaps David Copperfield, Bleak House, Great Expectations, and Our Mutual Friend. Always look forward to these videos, Katie! 😊

[@JohnSaxon-vw5vi]

Can see you no problem and looking forward to reading this one please stay safe and healthy and prayers and blessings for you and your family love your Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤

[@madebylora]

KZbin only recommended this to me today (probably because I commented on one of your older Dickens videos earlier today). I notice that you actually posted this video on the same day that I bought a second hand copy of Dombey and son! That coincidence, plus your enthusiasm, has made my decision about which book to read!

[@katiejlumsden]

I hope you've enjoyed Dombey and Son - it's great :)

[@madebylora]

@@katiejlumsden I'm really enjoying it so far (I'm slow because I only read a short time each day). I knew I'd like it from the first paragraph about the baby being like a muffin being toasted by the fire haha

[@zaygezunt]

Major Bagstock remains, for me, Dickens's most grotesque and horrifying creation. Every time I read 'Dombey and Son' he is the character that stays with me, against my will - and that is the power of Dickens. ❤

[@Olives-and-wine]

I absolutely love this book, just read it recently. And I only heard about it because of your earlier videos, so thanks! I think I’ll head over to that Discord now.

[@katiejlumsden]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@rebeccabsomanybooks3558]

I loved Barnaby Rudge so much and exploration of treatment of mentally ill during Victorian times. It is one of my favorite Dickens novels. Looking forward to Dombey and Son.

[@lw3646]

I did struggle a bit with this book because I found Mr Dombey so detached and hard to know and as he seemed to be the main character that can be hard to overcome as a reader. The passage of the journey through France though I thought was really well written and that final section of the book was surprisingly moving, it caught me off guard. I think its got to be one of his more mature novels, no ghosts or christmas puddings or tiny orphans to pull at our heartstrings or grotesque villains dancing up and down in delight at their misdeeds... Florence Dombey is written as being pretty angelic and devoted much like his other earlier female heroines despite their circumstances or treatment by others.

[@GilbertHorn1]

I'm looking forward to a long overdue reread of Dombey & Son.

[@Dinadoesyoga]

So, I'm halfway and thus far one of the few jabbering about it on Discord, but I love it so, so much. The characters are all amazing, and it has some incredibly written scenes - the ball and a train ride, to name a few. Captain Cuttle! This is in a whole different league as far as literature goes, imo and quite frankly, I don't know how I am going to move on with my life after. Might have to just start over. 😅

[@kimhoot2044]

I read Dombey and Son for the first time just last Victober so I was having a little trouble getting excited about rereading it already. Your enthusiasm has aroused my interest so now I'm looking forward to it.

[@davebonello1944]

(Melanie here) Re-reading Dombey and Sons. I am loving it!

[@launchedathousand]

When you first announced the readathon this book and Little Dorritt were the 2 I was most excited to get to.

[@katiejlumsden]

Little Dorrit is my third favourite Dickens :)

[@keretaman]

Which do you think are the funniest Dickens novels? Also, perhaps it went over my head but I didn't find Mr Dombey's change of heart towards Florence to be very convincing in the sense where it felt contrived. I still do like the book a lot! Especially Florence and Edith, and of course Captain Cuttle. The other sea captain was also hilarious.

[@gracetaylor7351]

I think really want to read this or listen to it on audio !! It’s one I haven’t yet .

[@betinaceciliafeld9854]

Yay! I'm so excited for this one! 🥳

[@katietatey]

I had Hard Times on my August TBR, and I just swapped Dombey and Son in its place! :) The only 2 I've read are A Tale of Two Cities and Our Mutual Friend, but I hope to eventually read them all.

[@MartinDSmith]

There are more than ten reasons to read Dombey And Son,but I'll just give you one of them:"rose coloured curtains...rose coloured curtains for doctors".😁By the way Kate,G K Chesterton wrote that Toots was Dickens's greatest character in that everything that was wrong about him was on the outside while everything right about him was on the inside.

[@fortheloveofclassics03]

Just ordered Chesterton's book on Dickens today!

[@MartinDSmith]

@@fortheloveofclassics03 I haven't read Chesterton's book but I picked up A N Wilson's The Mystery Of Charles Dickens a while back to add to my tbr.😎

[@katiejlumsden]

What a great description of Mr Toots.

[@JohnSaxon-vw5vi]

I totally understand and agree with you about EDITH in Charles dickens books 📚

[@katiejlumsden]

Edith is just so interesting, isn't she?!

[@JohnSaxon-vw5vi]

@@katiejlumsden you said it

[@stephenn3727]

Thank you!

[@keretaman]

Dombey and Son was a bit like Hard Times when it comes to how the Victorian father in question view their daughter(s).

[@dqan7372]

You make a good case for Dombey.

[@clarepotter7584]

It has an excellent villain. Along with the business focus, there's an interesting look at colonialism. I was particularly amused by the sailors singing "Rule Britannia' (ironic, given the situation), Major Bagstock is interesting from that point of view. Personally I don't like the sentimentality in Dickens, a scene that should have upset me (and Thackeray said something along the lines of - I may as well throw in the towel) didn't -that's just me. There used to be a brilliant audio book (unfortunately abridged) by Andrew Sachs.