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Title: Master Humphry's Clock
Series: ----------
Author: Charles Dickens
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Classic
Pages: 158
Words: 46K
Series: ----------
Author: Charles Dickens
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Classic
Pages: 158
Words: 46K
Synopsis:
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From Wikipedia
Master
Humphrey's Clock was a weekly periodical edited and written entirely
by Charles Dickens and published from 4 April 1840 to 4 December
1841. It began with a frame story in which Master Humphrey tells
about himself and his small circle of friends (which includes Mr.
Pickwick), and their penchant for telling stories. Several short
stories were included, followed by the novels The Old Curiosity Shop
and Barnaby Rudge. It is generally thought that Dickens originally
intended The Old Curiosity Shop as a short story like the others that
had appeared in Master Humphrey's Clock, but after a few chapters
decided to extend it into a novel. Master Humphrey appears as the
first-person narrator in the first three chapters of The Old
Curiosity Shop but then disappears, stating, "And now that I
have carried this history so far in my own character and introduced
these personages to the reader, I shall for the convenience of the
narrative detach myself from its further course, and leave those who
have prominent and necessary parts in it to speak and act for
themselves."
Master
Humphrey is a lonely man who lives in London. He keeps old
manuscripts in an antique longcase clock by the chimney-corner. One
day, he decides that he would start a little club, called Master
Humphrey's Clock, where the members would read out their manuscripts
to the others. The members include Master Humphrey; a deaf gentleman,
Jack Redburn; retired merchant Owen Miles; and Mr. Pickwick from The
Pickwick Papers. A mirror club in the kitchen, Mr. Weller's Watch,
run by Mr. Weller, has members including Humphrey's maid, the barber
and Sam Weller.
Master
Humphrey's Clock appeared after The Old Curiosity Shop, to introduce
Barnaby Rudge. After Barnaby Rudge, Master Humphrey is left by
himself by the chimney corner in a train of thoughts. Here, the deaf
gentleman continues the narration. Later, the deaf gentleman and his
friends return to Humphrey's house to find him dead. Humphrey has
left money for the barber and the maid (no doubt by traces of love
that they would be married). Redburn and the deaf gentleman look
after the house and the club closes for good.
In
the portion of Master Humphrey's Clock which succeeds The Old
Curiosity Shop, Master Humphrey reveals to his friends that he is the
character referred to as the 'single gentleman' in that story.
My
Thoughts:
|
Although it pains me, and in a sane
world this wouldn't be a negative, I could only give this short book
3 stars. Isn't that just terrible?!?
It wasn't really bad, mind you, just
that the short stories mostly centered around the ghostly and/or
supernatural that Dickens liked and that I don't care for in my
classic historical novels. The other downside was that everything
with Pickwick felt extremely forced. Like Dickens was trying to
emotionally manipulate his readers by introducing a beloved
character from another book so they would love this current book.
Then the whole “I'm from this other book” thing also felt forced.
I know that Dickens was a manipulator
(he would have been at the forefront of the SJW movement today, for
sure and lying through his teeth about any and all) but most of the
time I like it in his stories. I like having my emotions pushed
around. This time though, it felt very cheesy. More like he was
clapping 2 coconuts together and telling me he was riding a horse
while he obviously wasn't.
Recommended for those who really like
Dickens and are completionists. Not really recommended for the casual
Dickens fan. (does such a mythical being even exist? I have my
doubts!)
★★★☆☆
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