Returned again

David is about to meet Dora (his future wife.)  Unfortunately, I had to return the book, geez!  I've been trying to read this since some time in the summer, and I like it, I've just been busy.  On page 346 or something, about 1/2 through.  It was due, most definitely, today.  I'll have to put another hold on it.  The ironic thing is that I actually have the next three weeks free to read.  C'est la vie.

Silent reading

A friend mentioned this "Silent Book Reading" event at a local hotel happening tonight and I looked it up.  Was still wavering after work, but the next bus that came to the stop went within a block of the hotel, so I caught it and went: 1) I had the evening free; 2) it seemed like an interesting concept; and 3) I needed to catch up on reading.  The event ran from 6-8 pm.  I walked into the lobby a little after 6, and got my bearings.  Straight ahead, I saw people.  Reading.  Not interacting with one another.  It was crowded.  Very quiet.  Harp music playing across the room.  I walked in, and the second empty seat was free, so I sat and took out my book.  Looked around, most people were reading physical books, a couple e-readers.

Emily has found work as a seamstress, it is thought that she thinks that she should be a lady but wasn't born into it.  She is not happy with her station in life.

Meanwhile Steerforth has ingratiated himself with the locals.  He sends for his man.  He buys a boat (he says) and has his man stay behind when he and David depart.  They encounter a Miss Mowcher, who does make-up and hair.  A woman from Emily's past (Martha) appears in the shadows and later at Peggotty's.  She is distraught, they try to comfort her.  In the end, Ham gives Emily his purse, and she gives Martha money to go to London.  Emily says Ham is too good for her; to David's eyes, she seems to warm to Ham.  David gets a letter from Trotwood asking him if he has decided on a profession yet, and offering up the idea of becoming a proctor.  He discusses it with Steerforth on the way back to London.

When he arrives in London, he finds Trotwood there with her girl, Janet.  She is very vulnerable and weak in the city, not the strong woman she has so far been.  She and David set out to the Doctors' Commons, before they arrive they are followed by a man.  Trotwood is afraid of him, but then orders David to order a carriage for her and the man.  David sees her again a little while later, short of money, and minus the man.  They go into the office of Spenlow and Jorkins.  It is agreed that David will try it out for a month.  Trotwood then finds David quarters at Adephi.  He is pleased with the setup.  It will be ready in two days.  They take it.  When the day arrives, he moves in and sends Trotwood and Janet back home. 

David is lonely.  He visits Steerforth's mother.  Imagines he has feelings for Miss Dartle.  Steerforth pays a visit.  David insists on having a dinner party with he and his two friends, they come.  They eat too much and drink too much.  David says too much.  Smokes too much.  They go to the theatre, David is out of control drunk.  He runs into Agnes.  She begs him to leave.  He obliges.  Later, in bed and hungover, he is mortified.  He spends the next day sick.  The following day he receives a letter from Agnes.  She invites him to call on her, to send his reply.  He takes a long time before he sends his answer back with the messenger. 

He loves her but is completely unaware of it.  Calls her his good angel.  She tries to warn him that Steerforth is his bad angel, but he won't hear it.  Uriah Heep is there.  He has insinuated himself into her father's life, he is always lurking near.  Agnes is concerned, she tells David, asks him to befriend Uriah.  He does, because she asked.  At a dinner party full of bores, David encounters Traddles from the same school where he met Steerforth.  He talks to Agnes late into the evening until he can no longer make excuses to stay.  Uriah is there, hovering.  Remembering his promise to her, he invites Uriah home for coffee...it runs late, he is repulsed by him.  Uriah tells of his plan to marry Agnes.  It's too late for him to return home; he sleeps in front of David's fire.  When he departs in the morning, David imagines he watches the night depart, and leaves the windows open to clear the air of him. 

The couple at the next table hold hands under the table, still reading their individual books.  The woman whose table I'm at gets up and leaves.  The harpist stops, I think I hear someone say "lets give a hand..." we clap, he bows.  I see my friend as I get up to leave.  She's across the room on a couch, head down, engrossed in her reading (a script, maybe?)  I feel socially inept, and don't go over to say,"hi." I just leave and walk awkwardly down the hill.  I feel awkward, my bag is banging into my leg and the hill is steep and slick from the rain, I walk so as to not slip.  In the bus tunnel, it's hot and there is a really good french horn player playing up on the mezzanine.  My bus comes.  Someone smelling a little like mildew sits next to me.  I fall asleep anyway.  She falls asleep. Somehow I wake up right before my stop and have to wake her up as well.  The woman nearest the exit is asleep.  It was only slightly after 9 pm when I got off the bus.

Something more

David grows up, falls in love several times, finishes school and has difficulty deciding what he should do with himself now that he is an adult. Eventually, Betsey Trotwood decides he should go visit Peggotty.  He visits the Wickmans and the Strongs before taking leave for London.

He encounters Steerforth when leaving London and is persuaded to visit Mrs. Steerforth. There he also encounters Miss Dartle, a viscious, jealous woman. He convinces Steerforth to accompany him to Yarmouth to visit Peggotty and Mr. Peggotty. Mr. Barkis has taken ill with rheumatism. As they enter unannounced into Mr. Peggoty's boathouse, they interrupt a celebration, which we come to find is the engagement of lil Em'ly to Ham. Steerforth makes friendly and wins over all, but on taking leave of the house, he lets forth that he doesn't think Ham is worthy of Emily. Emily is shy around Ham in their company. On taking leave of Yarmouth, Steerforth lets it be known that he has purchased a boat, and re-christianed it "Lil Em'ly." As David sees no wrong in anything he does, he is pleased with the gesture of Steerforths to Mr. Pegotty.

Back to school

Betsey Trotwood renames David "Trotwood Copperfield" and one day she asks if he would like to got to school again, when he says "yes" she says that he will go the following day. In the morning they head into Canterbury, first stopping to meet a Mr. Wickfield, where "Trot" and we meet Uriah Heep for the first time as his cadaverous, ghostliness presents himself at the door, and blows into the horse's nostrils as he holds it's head before moving it to the stable. Trotwood and Wickfield go to check out the school and to look for lodging for David/Trot, when none of the latter is found suitable, it is decided that Trot will stay at the Wickfield home for the time being. David meets Agnes, Wickfield's beloved daughter. Of Agnes as compared to Emily, the latter of whom David believes he loves, David says that Agnes is all things of goodness, peace and truth. Upon taking leave, Betsey leaves the parting words, "Never be mean in anything; never be false; never be cruel. Avoid those three vices, Trot, and I can always be hopeful of you."

The next day, Trot starts school, and meets Dr. and Annie Strong; Dr. Strong runs the school. It is a good school, run by the competent and just Dr. Strong, and the boys are friendly, but David feels foreign to the world of boys having had the rough experiences with the Murdstones, and the working in the wine factory and pawning of the Micawber's possesions for money, that he is afraid of familiarity with them, lest they learn these things, recognize him from when he passed through Canterbury on the way to find Betsey Trotwood, in his ragged state. As time passes, he grows more comfortable with them. He stays on permanently with the Wickfields.

Earlier in his stay, he had made a promise to Uriah, to have tea with him and his mother. He is confronted regarding this, asked if he feels too good for them, he says that he has only waited for an invitation, which he receives. When he goes, they overwhelm him with questions, he remains mute on the subject of the Murdstones. Mr. Micawber happens to pass by and see him. He meets the Heeps, later he is seen in the confidence of Uriah, and David is concerned about what he has told him. The Micawber's have no money and leave town without paying their bills.

Jack Maldon is a ne'er do well, beloved, cousin of Annie Strong. Wickfield and Dr. Strong arrange for him to go to India to make his fortunes. This upsets Annie greatly, she faints on the night that he leaves, gives him the ribbon from her dress in secret. I suspect they were more than cousins.

One last thing, when Wickfield drops David off at school for the first  time, he and Dr. Strong have a discussion regarding Jack Maldon, bringing up the idea that "idleness is the devil's playground." Wickfield responds with, "The busy people achieve their full share of mischief in the world, you may rely on it. What have people been about, who have been the busiest in getting money and in getting power, this century or two?  No mischief?" Still true, but they still get away with it while the poor still are punished.

I get the book back

Just got a notice from my library that my "hold" is ready for pick-up. This would be the book I returned last night. I actually find this amusing, ha-ha. A quirk in the universe. Guess I'll pick it up tomorrow then.

One-quarter done

Read for a few hours and then made the 8 pm closing time for the library. So, hopefully, no added late fee. Let's see, David returns to Blunderstone and the Murdstones, who pretty much ignore him, they feed him and keep a roof over his head (his roof, not theirs, they stole it) but neglect him in every-other way as if they would rather he didn't exist. He is to have no further education, just a lost, young soul wandering the countryside by day. They hardly even allow him friends, Peggotty visits, and once-in-a-rare while he is allowed to visit Mr. Chillup. Eventually he is sent to London to work as a bottle-sorter/label paster for Murdstone's business. Working for a Mr. Quinnon. He is to pay for his food with his earnings there, and Murdstone will pay to have him boarded somewhere, as well as for laundry. He is 10 years old.

He is miserable in the job, seeing no future prospects nor friends. Luckily for him, the man he is to board with is a Mr. Micawber. The Micawbers take David into their confidence and provide him with the only bright spot of his time in London. Alas, Micawber ends up in debtor's prison, and soon his family joins him. David is set up in a new situation near the prison and regularly visits them. When Micawber is released, the family moves to Portsmouth. When David learns of this, he cannot bear London without them, so he plans his escape. After they depart, he slyly leaves his job, and goes to find Betsey Trotwood, his late father's aunt, in Dover. He walks there over the course of a week. When he finds her, he is a disheveled mess. She brings him in. She learns his story, writes a letter to the Murdstones regarding him and they wait. The Murdstones arrive, Betsey lays into them for their cold, calculated cruelty toward both David and his mother. They are frightened of her. She keeps David and sends them away. That's as far as I've gotten. Am now awaiting my turn with the book again.

Past due

Well, crud. I missed my renewal notice, although I was wondering why it hadn't come up for renewal, and now it's due back because someone else has a hold on it. So I had to put a hold and will have to wait to get it back after I return it...if that makes sense. It'll be awhile. It's a long book. Apparently, there are 11 copies and only 4 holds, including mine, but if there is a hold, you cannot renew. Silly. I'll try to read a little tonight, can't turn it in now anyway.

David goes with Peggotty to stay with her brother. He is excited to see Emily, but when he does, she has changed and is coy toward David, there are questions regarding Steerforth, and it seems Emily might be interested in him. David is as enthralled with her as ever. Barkis, the cart-driver, courts Peggotty. Near the end of David's visit, it is decided that he and Emily will take a holiday with Barkis and Peggotty. On the way, they stop at a church, Barkis and Peggotty go inside leaving David and Emily behind. David makes his move on Emily, and kisses her, confesses that he will always love her. Barkis and Peggotty return and we all find out that they have gotten married. The four spend the day in each other's company before returning late to the ship-home of Mr. Peggotty. Mr and Mrs. Barkis leave them for Barkis' home. Later, when David visits, we learn that Barkis is a miser. David returns to Blunderstone.

Back at school

Two months after returning to school, David is happily awaiting a hamper from home, for his birthday, when he is called into Mr. Creakles' space, told not to hurry. Mrs. Creakles tells him his mother has died. When he takes leave for the funeral, he does not know he will never return. More to follow. (I just wanted to start these three, at least, get something down, to be added to later.)

He is gently brought home. Dropped at a funeral home to have his mourning clothes made. He hears the pounding of nails across the courtyard, it is the coffin. Learns here that not only his mother, but his baby brother has also died. He is utterly alone in the world.

The funeral home people bring him home to Blunderstone. His mother and the baby are buried in the churchyard next to his father. Peggotty tells David about how his mother died, and how she held her and kissed her face at the last breath, that David's mother died in the arms of the one who loved her most, her dearest friend, Peggotty. Her spirit utterly broken by the wicked Murdstones. Peggotty is given notice by the Murdstones.

Holiday

David comes home for holiday. Meets his new baby brother, enjoys time with mother, the baby, and Peggotty, but the Murdstones are awful, cruel to both David and to Clara. They treat her like a child and won't let her love her son, won't let David hold his baby brother, and won't allow Clara to defend David, which makes David feel abandoned. In his last memory of her as he's leaving in the cart back to school, she is desperately standing at the gate with the baby saying good-bye. He never sees her alive again.

Sent away

The awful Murdstones. Mr. Murdstone greatly dislikes David. He attempts to teach David, but punishes him for every mistake so that David does nothing but make mistakes and is written off as stupid and insolent. A fight ensues at some point and David bites Mr. Murdstone in self-defense. He is sent away from his beloved mother and Peggotty to school in London. When he arrives the other boys are on holiday. He is made to wear a placard that says that he bites. He dreads the day of the other boys arrival. James Steerforth charms and befriends him. He ends up thriving there in spite of the near constant beatings of the boys by the headmaster.

Progress in reading, no progress in posting

I have been reading. I actually wrote some thoughts in a notebook, but haven't had the wherewithall to post any of it. There's always so much going on in his writing, it's hard to know what all to say.

Will make an attempt to post tonight, I'm past page 100, but am getting close to my last renewal and am in my really heavy school schedule, still, mornings are currently free during this week. Enjoying a brief feeling of summer vacation, and freedom. Cheers.

Marriage, unfortunate for David

Took day off. Went to coffee shop to try to get some reading done. Two more chapters in before I got too cold from the air conditioning and wandered home. David recalls early childhood memories of Peggotty and his mother. He was happy. Then his mother began to spend time with a man, Mr. Murdstone. David goes away with Peggotty to visit her brother in Yarmouth for a fortnight. He lives in an old, land-locked boat, with two children, Ham and Emily (adopted after his two brothers died at sea and the children were left orphaned) and a Mrs. Gummidge, widowed by the sea. David falls in love with Emily. He is happy there. Longs for his mother and home only when he and Peggotty get in the cart to return. Everything is strange. No one comes out to meet them when they arrive. Peggotty takes him into the kitchen and tells him that he has a new father: the slick jackwagon, Mr. Murdstone. Everything has changed in an instant, the joy of childhood with his mother, shattered.

Watched a DVD of "The Famous Authors Series: Charles Dickens." Gives a brief overview of his biography, he began writing at age 20 and died at 58, wrote continually, and fairly prolifically during those 38 years. Also has a little about his novels, producers seem to be quite taken with "the Pickwick Papers." Maybe I will read it next. Oh, that reminds me, I'm due for my first renewal, and I'm only on page 45.

Nicholas Nickleby

Man, it's muggy here tonight.  Watched movies earlier today, Pride and Prejudice and Nicholas Nickleby. I found a version of the latter that didn't have any actors that are frequently in the tabloids. Kate is played by Sophia Myles, she was also in Patricia Rozema's version of Mansfield Park. I like her. Both the characters of Kate and Madeline are somewhat stronger than in the book. Watching it I remembered how much I like Smike and Noggs. It's because of their amazing capacity to love in spite of all the ways life had beat them down; they could've turned bitter or evil, but they didn't. I read it over a year ago, so I had forgotten a lot of what happens. The movie was relatively close to the novel, though obviously at 600 plus pages, even at over 3 hours, a lot of it had to be cut (such as the theatre troupe in London, and the family Nicholas works as a tutor for.)  One idea that stuck with me is that there is a tipping point where the evil you do comes back to haunt you, even your friends who are equally bad can not be counted on in a pinch.  Ralph Nickleby's world falls apart debt by debt (or exploitation by exploitation) until the truth of his son comes back to haunt him and he kills himself. There is also help in unexpected places (John Brody, Noggs, Peg), and honest ways to make money that don't involve the exploitation of others.

I had to rush to the video store to get them turned in by 9 pm. I think I made it. I was only going to watch the part 1 of Nicholas Nickleby, but I got drawn into it and wanted to finish it. They were officially due at 8 pm, but I called and they said 9.  Stopped at the grocery store and then got ice cream on the way back home, a slight coolness had begun to fill the air, making it a little more comfortable. The mugginess has now turned to outright showers, maybe it will clear the air. Still around 70 degrees out: that's a warm night here.

Warm and damp.

It begins with a birth

David Copperfield is born in Blunderstone, in Suffolk, on a Friday at 12 to a mother who is young, beautiful, timid and weak-minded, and a father who passed away six months prior and who was twice the age of his wife. In the house, at the time of his birth were his mother, the servant, Miss Peggotty, Peggotty's nephew, (presumably) a nurse, a doctor named Mr. Chillip, and an aunt, his father's sister, named Miss Betsey Trotwood (who is determined that the child will be a girl, and should be called "Betsey" after her, and she will be her godmother) but who, upon hearing from Mr. Chillip that the child is indeed a boy, leaves suddenly, never to return.

And the winner is...

Drumroll...David Copperfield.  Chosen by deciding to walk to a random library branch, not near where I live, and choose from whatever they had. They only had this one. Thinly veiled autobiography, wildly successful. Serialized in the late 1840's, published in full in 1850, I think. I believe it was also the author's favorite book. It's the Everyman's Library edition, which with all the appendices and intro, is around 900 pages. This man did not write short novels. I can renew it for up to nine weeks total, so I do have a deadline here. I can usually make deadlines.

Thoughts on Dickens' world

Societies can equate money with morality. Or appearance with morality. Compeyson gets an easier sentence than Magwitch because of his appearance and his background. Both are guilty. Compeyson is probably a sociopath, I think Magwitch proves that he is not, just someone trying to survive and making a lot of bad choices in the process. Pip initially turns his back on his "poorer relations" when he comes into his "great expectations," but grows to value friendship and loyalty over money. Herbert, Biddy, and Joe are all loyal and good-hearted, Mrs. Joe, Pumblechook and most of Havisham's relatives are easily swayed by those with money, tying their loyalties to fortunes. If you are poor, you will go to prison for even a small debt, and if you are extremely wealthy, you get more, even if you did wrong. Cycles around through history.

I'm a done

more to follow. Someone suggested to me earlier today, that the next book will present itself to me. He also mentioned liking David Lean's version of Oliver Twist and that there was a new version of Great Expectations that had recently been made, not out yet. I had been planning on watching the movie versions after reading the books, but I haven't. None of them appealed to me, mostly due to who was starring in them. Maybe the title of the blog should be "Dickens all decade," that did take about a year.

If I don't get around to writing anything else: Pip means to propose to Biddy, but when he finds her, she has just wed Joe. He leaves the country and takes the job with Herbert, earns his living, pays his debt, is gone for 11 years. He returns to visit Joe and Biddy, and while there walks over to the site of the old Satis house (Havisham's). He encounters someone. It's Estella. Drummles was a bad man, but has since died, due to his cruelty to a horse. She is alone.

The final line (in this version) is "and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed to me, I saw no shadow of another parting from her." (Chapter 59, Great Expectations-Dickens. The original version did not have a chapter 59, and Estella had married a doctor after the death of Drummles.)  I have a couple of other books I'm in the middle of, or rather, have started. Will see which of his I read next, but I'm leaning toward Pickwick Papers.  Which means I'll try saving Bleak House for last. Really not looking forward to A Christmas Carol or Oliver Twist, they've just been so overdone, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. I hope so, the project does involve reading all the novels. Still not decided on the short stories. Maybe...we'll see what year it is by that point.

A pile of closures

Pip tries to pay off his debt but somewhere in the process is overtaken with delirium and sickness. He wakes up days? weeks? later to Joe taking care of him. During this time he learns that Magwitch has died (before he was hung) and Havisham has died. As Pip recovers, Joe grows more distant. Havisham's estate is marked off for auction, piece by piece.  The greater part of her estate was left to Herbert's father, the one thing Pip feels good about, it was because he pleaded their goodness to her earlier. Orlick is jailed for crimes and harassment against Pumblechook. Pip finds a receipt that Joe has paid off his debts in full. Oh, and in his last visit with Magwitch in prison, Pip tells him of Estella, that he loves her, that she is the daughter that Magwitch never saw again.

Everything happens

So, because the time is close to when they need to get Provis out of London, Pip leaves immediately for the marshes. He leaves a note for Herbert saying that he is going to visit Havisham. He catches the afternoon coach, stays at an "inn of minor reputation." Havisham is doing a little better. He hears at the inn that Pumblechook has taken credit for his fortunes. Pip realizes how good Joe has been to him and he is humbled. At nine he heads out into the marsh. The moon is out, so he can see. When he arrives at the sluice house, he knocks, no one answers. He pushes the door open, sees no one. There is a candle lit, but no person. Suddenly, the candle is extinguised and Pip is caught and bound up, tied to the wall. The man is Orlick, angry at Pip for ruining both his chances with Biddy and with his job at Havisham's. We find out over the course of this encounter that it was he that tried to kill Mrs. Joe. He intends to kill Pip. Before he can though, miraculously, Pip is rescued. It is Herbert, Startop (I can't remember who that is, but it's a friend of Pip's and Herbert's and he will row the boat with Provis in it later, since Pip's arm is injured from the fire and the binding from Orlick) and Trabb's boy. Pip had dropped  the letter, Herbert had found it and followed him out to Havisham's with Startop. They cannot find him, but run into Trabb's boy, who has seen him, and somehow make their way to the sluice house. Orlick escapes into the night. The rest return home.

Two days later, they row down to meet Provis and get him in the boat. They find a place to stay the night, but it seems they are being followed. The following day, as the time draws near to catch a steamer ship, they are intercepted by Compeyson and the galley. In a blur of events, the steamer ship cannot stop, their boat goes under, Startop, Herbert and Pip are pulled aboard the galley, but Compeyson and Magwitch go under, locked onto one another. Magwitch is recovered, gravely injured, but alive and taken into custody. Compeyson is not, his body is found later. Pip's heart is softened, so that all he wants is to ease the suffering of Magwitch, to save him if he could.

Jaggers tries to postpone the trial to the next session, but is denied. Magwitch is close to death. On the day he is found guilty, 32 people are also sentenced to death. Wemmick marries Miss Sifkins, Herbert leaves for Cairo, but not before telling Pip he wants to offer him a clerk job, and to live with he and Clara, once they are married. Pip's mind is mostly concerned with Magwitch's fate and says he will let him know. They part company. I'm somewhere in the middle of the chapter where Magwitch is found guilty. More to follow. Less than 30 pages to go.

More

Went to a performance showcase earlier tonight, got a lot of reading done on the bus, but ended up walking a couple of miles to the venue, in silly heels no less, because the bus was taking forever and the woman sitting next to me on the bus said the term "wi-fi" about 20 times in a row into her phone and I thought I was going to lose my mind. Made it in time. It was amazing.

Okay. Pip goes to visit Havisham, who gives him a note for 900 pounds to give to Jaggers so that Pip can secure a partnership for Herbert. Then, as something softened in her during the previous visit when she saw Pip's pain in regards to Estella, she prostrates herself in front of him and begs forgiveness. She also asks if he would like anything for himself, he declines. He takes a walk through the grounds, full of memories of Estella and also when he fought Herbert. He gasps when he thinks he sees the specter of Havisham in the rafters again (as he also did when he was a boy.) When he is about to leave the grounds, he has a premonition to go check up on her. He looks into the room, she is very close to the fire, as he turns to leave, she comes running, flames billowing off her old wedding dress. He tackles her and throws his two heavy coats and the old tablecloth upon her to put out the flames, and holds her until help arrives, and then until the surgeon arrives. A bed is set up for her on the table where the wedding cake sat for years, the insects having scurried away when Pip pulled off the cloth. The burning remnants of the dress, settling down through the air. Pip is also badly burned on his arms, but he didn't realize it until later. He kisses her and forgives her in the morning. (Also, he had earlier secured the knowledge that Jagger's servant was indeed Estella's mother, and also how she came to be adopted by Havisham.)

He leaves early back to London and is nursed by Herbert. Provis remains safely hidden, but with the burns, Pip will not be able to row the boat out of London. Another plan must be devised. Herbert tells Pip a story about Provis, how he had had a child with a woman, and the woman had murdered another woman out of jealousy. Provis is Estella's father, only Herbert and Pip know this.  Pip goes to visit Jaggers and Wemmick in Little Britain. He gets the money for Herbert. Then questions Jaggers regarding Estella, and makes it known that Provis is the father. Jaggers advises not telling any of the parties concerned, the truth.

At home again, Pip receives a mysterious note asking him to meet the writer at the sluice-house. It is in regards to Provis. Someone else knows he is here. Pip goes. I haven't finished the chapter yet, I started to get sleepy on the bus. Saw Orlick's name later on the page. Certainly, more trouble brewing, and less than 70 pages until the end (which was rewritten by Dickens, he originally had things a different outcome altogether.)

100 or so pages left

(Previous posts edited to correct for Magwitch's actual name.) Heeding Wemmick's warning, Pip spends a mostly sleepless night in a borrowed bed. In the morning he goes to visit Wemmick at his Walworth home. While there he learns of Compeyson's (the scoundrel) looking for Magwitch. Magwitch has been removed to a new place for safety. Wemmick has advised laying low in London for the time being, as it being a large city, is a better place to disappear in for now. Magwitch/Provis/Mr. Campbell is now with Clara, her gouty father (Mr. Barley) and a Mrs. Wimple. Clara is lovely and charming and Pip is happy for her and Herbert's engagement. A plan is devised. Pip should buy a boat and practice rowing on the Thames, when no one suspects anything strange in this, and when Wemmick gives a signal, Pip and Herbert will remove Magwitch from London by boat.  This is begun. (Pip develops protective sentiments for Magwitch.)

One foggy night in February, walking home from the river, Pip goes to the theatre and encounters Mr. Wopsles. Wopsles tell him of recognizing the younger-looking prisoner from the marshes long ago, sitting behind Pip in the theatre, like a ghost. Compeyson was there, following him, and Pip didn't know it. Later that night, Herbert and Pip resolve to be even more careful, and to communicate this urgent info to Wemmick via post. Later that week, Pip, again wandering home from the river, is accosted by Jaggers and convinced to dine with him. They go to Jaggers' place, along with Wemmick, and Pip learns 1) Estella has married Drummles; 2) Havisham wishes for Pip to visit, presumably to discuss the support of Herbert; and 3) Jagger's maid Molly, is Estella's mother.

Close to the end now

Herbert and Pip are devising a plan to get Magwitch out of London. Pip says he doesn't want the money (to Herbert), and Magwitch has told his life tale of how he ended up as he has, a wanted man. Pip goes to speak to Estella in London, she is at Havisham's. Pip goes there, has an encounter with Drummles, then when he sees Estella he finds out that she is going to marry Drummles, and never returned any of Pip's affection. Havisham begins to show signs of having a soul. Estella's only response to Pip is that he will have her out of his thoughts in a week, as if forgetting someone you loved constantly from the first day you met could be so easily done. Pip responds, "Out of my thoughts! You are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read since I first came here, the rough common boy whose poor heart you wounded even then. You have been in every prospect I have ever seen since - on the river, on the sails of the ships, on the marshes, in  the clouds, in the light, in the darkness, in the wind, in the woods, in the sea, in the streets. You have been the embodiment of every graceful fancy that my mind has ever become acquainted with. ...to the last hour of my life, you cannot choose but remain part of my character, part of the little good in me, part of the evil. ...you must have done me far more good than harm, let me feel now what sharp distress I may."-Dickens, Charles Great Expectations, chapter 44.

Pip ends up leaving Havisham's and walking straight back to London. When he arrives at the gate, he receives a handwritten note from Wemmick warning him not to go home.

Oh, and during the Estella encounter, Pip attempts to arrange with Havisham that she favor Herbert, and begin to support him anonymously, since Pip is planning on denouncing all aid from Magwitch and will no longer be able to do it himself. Pip is also having more stirrings of conscience. (Oh, and we find out that it was the same scoundrel that betrayed both Havisham and Magwitch, leaving her broken at the altar and he a prisoner, now branded for death. He was the other prisoner captured on the marsh at the beginning of the novel.)

Pip finally meets his benefactor

A dark, dreary night, Herbert in France, Pip alone at home, attempting to read. A knock at the door, a stranger enters, eventually we find it is the convict that Pip helped to free when he was a child. Magwitch. A wanted man in England, made his fortune abroad, made it all with the thought of making Pip into a gentleman. His life is in danger being in London, but he wanted to see what became of his work.  Pip is repulsed. Pip is full of regret and self-loathing over thoughts of how Havisham really was using him for amusement, that there is no agreement for him and Estella, and most of all for his ruined relationships with Joe and Biddy because in his fullness of his own new stature (from his "expectations") he believed himself to be better than his old life, and that Joe and Biddy were people he could cast off in order to impress Estella. Now he knows he was wrong, but feels there is no chance to right the wrongs he has done. He goes outside to get a light and bumps into someone crouching on the stairs, but is unable to find out whom this might be. Magwitch is being followed, it seems.

Chickens come home to roost

With Wemmick's help, Pip secretly arranges a business partnership for Herbert.

Estella and Pip. Pip is often called upon to visit Estella. It is a familiarity without intimacy, she uses him to torment and attract other suitors, of which she has many. Again, he laments that he was never happy in her society, and yet imagines that he can only be happy with her "unto death" meaning marriage. She, to her credit, actually tries to warn Pip off of his devotion to her, but he refuses. In time, they go and visit Havisham. Estella and Havisham have their first disagreement. Estella remains unmoved throughout, Havisham almost goes to madness.  She has raised Estella since a very young child to be cold-hearted, Estella calmly states, to the passionately bitter Havisham, that everything she is and has is due to Miss Havisham. And there was never any love, and Estella does not have any love within her to offer.  She has become what Havisham has taught her to be. Pip leaves the room.  Later, he cannot sleep and walking outside encounters Miss Havisham wandering and muttering to herself. This is the only row between the two. Later, it is as if it never happened.

Estella then gets involved with Pip's enemy Drummles, whom he refers to as "the spider." Pip is tortured by this, and speaks to her of it. She asks him, "Do you want me then...to deceive and entrap you?" Which is what she is capable of offering, and is offering to Drummles.

And this reminds me of a conversation I had at the bus stop last night, with someone I used to share a house with.  He had moved away a couple times but had come back to Seattle.  I commented that Seattle was a hard city, that it was like falling over yourself to gain the affection of someone not able or willing to offer it, and yet you keep coming back for more. I have no desire to be anywhere else. And yet, while there is always enough: food, casual affection (not to be mistaken for love), money, talent, etc. to survive, it's not enough to thrive. And is that all that life is about? Are we only born to survive and reproduce, or should our lives be more? Don't just say "oh, you're lucky...it could be worse." When in truth, it could be so much better, and that would benefit everyone.

Quick and dirty update on Pip's expectations

Herbert and Pip go see Wopsle perform Hamlet. Later, Pip receives a post from Estella informing him that she will be coming to London and that he is to meet her and arrange for her further transportation. While haunting the carriage house obsessively early for her arrival, Pip encounters Wemmick and goes with him to Newgate (prison). Pip then meets Estella's carriage, arranges for her further transport through London and tea at the carriage station. She toys with his affection. Pip is complete longing and heartache. Saying (to us) how he would always imagine he would be happy in the future, knowing she was with him even as he realizes he is not happy in this moment with her. Estella gives him enough encouragement to extract the devotion. Pip is miserable, but wants her all the same, it's crumbs to a starving man. Pip and Herbert figure out their debt, which is considerable. Pip has been living large, and Herbert has been following suit, only he has no inheritance, no large income, so dig deeper into debt they do. Pip feels guilty for this, but doesn't change his foolish behavior.

Next letter is to inform Pip that Mrs. Gargary has passed on. He goes to the house for the funeral. Makes attempts at mending relations with Biddy and Joe. Promises he will be more in contact. Biddy calls him out on that, both know he will not. Pip and Herbert come of age (21.) Pip meets with Jaggars to discuss his benefactor, inheritance and allowance.  Jaggers questions him on his debt, grants him 500 pounds a year.  Pip arranges to meet Wemmick at the "Castle" he shares with his father in order to ask advice as to whether or not he should provide a business loan to Herbert. Meets Wemmick's lady love.

Pip and Herbert talk about women, I burn my tongue

Pip has returned to London and confessed his feeling for Estella to Herbert. Herbert, in turn tries to play the devil's advocate regarding Estella, but Pip is unable to believe he could ever feel otherwise about her. Herbert then confesses his love for a woman named Clara, whom neither we nor Pip meet yet. And then I fell asleep on the bus, only to wake the two times where the trolley lines became disconnected from their electrical lines and lurched the bus to a hard stop. Got off bus to check out an art opening and then stood outside freezing in order to watch a mobile short film festival on the sidewalk. Later went and got soup at a Mexican joint and burnt my tongue because I tried eat it too soon out of the pot. Maybe back to the book later today.

Estella

So, he does meet with Estella and it does seem that Miss Havisham is trying to set them up, but in her twisted mind, she's probably just setting Pip up to suffer, as a revenge for how she was left to suffer. Also, we find out that Estella's last name is Havisham.  This section is a treasure trove. I'll add to this post. I need to look at it again. Dickens is at the top of his game in understanding relationships and longing here. Estella tells Pip flat out that she doesn't have a heart for love. That she is incapable of loving someone. He also feels beneath her, yet still entranced by her beauty and believing that Miss Havisham has brought them together for marriage, when she is not capable of wishing joy on anyone, particularly not a man. And Estella is a puppet for her to torture men with for her own loss. (And unwillingness to move forward from her earlier betrayal.)

About half-way through now

Joe's purpose for visiting Pip in London was to let him know that Miss Havisham had some news for him about Estella. (And because Joe loves Pip, he also wanted to see him, but even he picked up and Pip's distance.) Of course, Pip perks up at the news and after Joe leaves, hurries to make arrangements to visit Miss Havisham. He doesn't visit the Gargarys, making excuses to himself that they wouldn't be expecting him, blah, blah, blah. He's ashamed of his past because of Estella and because someone gave him money (not Havisham, like he still believes.) He has arrived at the house and found Orlick (formerly working as a blacksmith with Joe) as the new doorman there. I haven't gotten so far as to his meeting with Estella, if such a thing even occurs. Apologies for just a summary, but as I said elsewhere, in another blog, I'm feeling very blank. Cheers. Maybe I should walk to work in the rain, wake up my senses.

I am reading again

just not sure if I have anything to say about it. Pip has had supper with the clerk and Jaggers, was warned of an enemy in Drummles, and Joe has come to visit and Pip is embarrassed by him (he who loved Pip always unconditionally) and has wished that he would not come.

I'll read more

I will read more. Was doing a bunch of personal work over spring break, but as someone is actually reading this, I'll write a bit more.  Thank you.

Into London

Pip has met the younger Mr. Pocket, (Herbet) who turns out to be the pale-boy he fought with in Miss Havisham's yard years back. The young Mr. Pocket sees Estella for the cruel girl, groomed to be so by Miss Havisham's bitterness for her cancelled marriage, that she is. He is free from her spell, unlike Pip, who never will be.

Back to the book!

Almost a year since I started this whole deal.  Finished "Part 1" of Pip's great expectations. He's in London, still believing that Miss Havisham is his fairy godmother. The part where he meets with Mr. Jaggers is a bit of a slog. I want to finish the book! Someone ask me how "David Copperfield" was going yesterday...no, no, it's Great Expectations. Still. Began reading it in July or August or something.  At one point I started over to see how old Pip was, but it never really says, so I read it twice and still don't know.  At any rate, I'm on a break for a couple of weeks, so I have some time.  Kinda' decided that I will attempt the Pickwick Papers next.  See how many years it takes me to finish now.

6 months and counting

and seriously, it really shouldn't take this long to read a book.  I have a health book as well that I'm trying to get through so I can sell it, but it's boring.  I have made progress, Pip has come into his "Great Expectations," and bought a suit, gotten full of himself...more to come.