Review by Karen Langley
Victorian novelist Charles Dickens is an iconic figure; known for his chunky novels, filled with vivid characters, social commentary and campaigning, he’s also occasionally dismissed because of the perceived sentimentality of some of his writing. However, as this excellent volume from Bodleian Library Press demonstrates, he was an exceptionally witty author and his many books are laced with humour. Here, compiler R.J. Cruikshank takes extracts from Dickens’ best-loved fictions and collects them together in a work which is guaranteed to entertain!
Charles Dickens has remained much read over the years, and it could be argued that a lot of that is down to the eternal popularity of his short book, A Christmas Carol, responsible for creating the Christmas celebrations as we know them today. It’s a strongly moral tale, yet it’s full of witty commentary as demonstrated here by selections covering Mr. Fezziwig’s ball and a sequence where Scrooge’s nephew Fred is demonstrating how contagious laughter is. But there’s much more to Dickens than that novella, and this anthology reveals much to laugh at.
The extracts are not arranged chronologically, which I did wonder about, as the author’s first published novel, The Pickwick Papers, could well be reckoned to be his funniest. There are four very amusing sections from that book reproduced here and they really are enjoyable. However, what is unusual is the number of pieces chosen from his later works which are generally recognised as becoming darker as his writing went on, leading up to his final masterpiece, Our Mutual Friend. There are five extracts from that, and eight from Bleak House, an equally dark and brilliant book, which is perhaps unexpected – but they are very funny.
Much of this comes down to Dickens’ descriptions of persons, and his naming of them. He’s wonderful at pinning down a character, describing their mannerisms and traits, and always with a dry, broad wit, which is very entertaining. Pickwick… is of course riddled with funny situations, and this volume reproduces the seminal scene where Mr. Pickwick mistakes a lady’s bedroom for his own and the subsequent embarrassment. Many of the extracts from The Old Curiosity Shop focus on the wonderfully named Dick Swiveller, and although it could be thought that Dickens’ naming of his characters is somewhat slapstick, it’s still extraordinarily funny.
All in all, there are extracts from each of Dickens major novels except A Tale of Two Cities. It’s a while since I’ve read this, and so maybe there isn’t much humour in it (after all, the subject is revolution, death and decapitation!) – but I did find it slightly strange to think that it was felt impossible to find anything at all funny in the book when much humour is extracted from the later works. There’s also a piece from The Haunted Man, a Dickens title which I think is less well known, and that was really interesting.
As always, it’s hard to pick out favourites from a collection like this, as everyone will have their own preferences. Personally, I particularly enjoyed the selections from Nicholas Nickleby, one of my first Dickens reads and still a favourite. The ‘infant phenomenon’ is a marvellous creation and I must admit that these extracts left me wanting to revisit the book. The selections in this anthology do vary in length from less than a page to several pages long, but each works as a standalone read even if they’re from a Dickens title you don’t know.
The book is enhanced with a lovely selection of line drawings, taken from early editions and by a range of artists including Dickens’ regular illustrator, Phiz. The book was originally issued in 1952 with an introduction by Cruikshank; that’s reproduced here, but the collection is also enhanced by a foreword by author Nick Hornby. As he points out, “It is not hard to write comedy. It is hard, however, to write comedy that will stay funny for generation after generation”, and I’d certainly agree; the humour of Dickens is eternal.
Dickens: The Funny Bits is a thoroughly entertaining read, and ideal to dip into as the darker nights draw in; it may even get you hankering to read one of the great man’s books which you hadn’t thought of picking up before. This volume is nicely presented in hardback, with ribbon bookmark, though I was slightly surprised to see little information provided about its publishing history; all that’s revealed is that the book is based on a volume entitled “The Humour of Dickens” edited by Cruikshank and published in 1952. Therefore, it’s not entirely clear as to whether this selection is the same as the original volume or edited down from that, or by whom, and as a curious reader I would have like to know more!
However, that aside, Dickens: The Funny Bits is a delightful and dippable anthology. It would act as a wonderful introduction to the author if you’ve not read him before, and if you’re an old hand it’s still going to be an enjoyable read by concentrating his humorous bits into one place. Whether presenting slapstick or satire, Dickens really is one of the funniest writers this country has produced, and if you have a sense of humour you’ll love this book.
Karen Langley blogs at kaggsysbookishramblings and hopes not to be visited by any ghosts this Christmas… (www.kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com)
Dickens: The Funny Bits (Bodleian Library Press, 2024). 978-1851246434, 224pp., hardback.
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This sounds absolutely delightful! Dickens did have a way with words, didn’t he? And what a great way to get a perspective on his work, too.
He was a wonderfully inventive writer, and it was fascinating to see how he worked humour into the majority of his books!
This really looks fun!
It is – a real treat! 😀