Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins went on a trip around the northwest part of England together, and they wrote up a fictionalized version of their trip to include in Dickens's magazine Household Words. And it's both nonsensical and dull, which is kind of hard to make work, but they do. The most interesting part, for me, was the beginning where they go hiking up a mountain and one of them sprains his ankle. That was humorous and lively, and reminded me a lot of going hiking with my kids. Someone is always lagging behind, someone is always whining, and so on.
There are two ghost stories included in their adventures, one kind of weird and one downright creepy. I'm not a big fan of ghost stories, but I know the Victorians were, so I guess those were supposed to add some thrills?
Anyway. If you are a fan of Dickens or Collins (or both), you might find this interesting just because they did collaborate on it, but I will be selling my copy to the used bookstore forthwith.
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG for those ghost stories, which were too creepy for young kids.
This is my 32nd book read and reviewed for my third Classics Club list and my 49th off my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2021.
"Nonsensical and dull." -- That's exactly how I would characterize Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
ReplyDeleteI could hug you! And here I thought I was the only person who enjoys reading classics but finds Frankenstein a horrible bore.
DeleteHug accepted. I think that very few people actually read it. Instead, they hear someone else praise it for some reason, and simply agree. I never miss an opportunity to gratuitously express my disappointment with that book.
DeleteVery possible. I also feel this way about Wuthering Heights.
DeleteI tried an audio book of Wuthering Heights -- never finished.
DeleteI do not blame you. I just kept hoping it would get exciting. Or at least interesting. Never really did.
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