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mercyowls's review against another edition
1.0
Oh, Dickens is really good, but this is really bad. I read it to find out why people stormed the dock to find out what happened to Little Nell. Answer: because the kind of people who storm docks have no taste in literature.
saba_arat's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
nickjonesreadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Review pending discussion. 3 1/2 stars really.
chotzark's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
hollielou's review against another edition
4.0
Apparently considered a lesser Dickens but it has everything. Villains, secrets, waxworks, fog and dogs dressed as humans. Genuinely brought tears to my eyes at times and made me laugh at others. I have been imagining the Netflix shows that Dickens would have been churning out if he’d been alive today.
beachy123's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was made to study Dickens for A level and vowed never to return. However, some forty years later I picked up The Old Curiosity Shop and really enjoyed it. I am told that this isn’t his best novel so I am looking forward to reading some more.
kaelz's review against another edition
3.0
I guess I expect more from Dickens. This is an example of "telling". We are constantly told whether characters are ugly or beautiful, which aligns unerringly with whether they are good or bad.
I know he wrote prolifically and published the chapters each week. This story has an episodic feel as a result and I wonder if he knew where it was going when he started.
The title is also confusing as the story has little to do with the shop.
I know he wrote prolifically and published the chapters each week. This story has an episodic feel as a result and I wonder if he knew where it was going when he started.
The title is also confusing as the story has little to do with the shop.
dwaccs's review against another edition
4.0
"He happens to be one of those 'great authors' who are ladled down everyone's throat in childhood. At the time this causes rebellion and vomiting, but it may have different after-effects in later life", so said George Orwell.
True sentiments. It isn't quite A Tale of Two Cities or Oliver Twist, but it's no bad read.
True sentiments. It isn't quite A Tale of Two Cities or Oliver Twist, but it's no bad read.
sonyaw's review against another edition
4.0
3.5, rounded up to 4, I guess. Certainly not my favourite Dickens (that'd be [b:Bleak House|18172068|Bleak House|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373379910l/18172068._SX50_.jpg|2960365]), but still a fine read, if you're into ginormous casts of characters and dastardly villains and Victorian melodrama, WHICH I AM.