Pickwick Papers and the nasty habit of skimming and "familiarity breeds contempt"

I'm writing in green today. Chalk it up to whimsy. My approach to this book abides by the theory that "familiarity breeds contempt."

 I grew up with a parent who loves Dickens and includes the above volume among her favorites and one she has read multiple times. Combine that with being casted as Scrooge at age eleven for the family Christmas play of Christmas Carol, and the result is someone who doesn't believe they need to read Dickens for themselves - oh and then there's that whole thing about reading abridged versions hence again alleviating the need or seeming need to read the original - which sadly prevented me from reading Jane Eyre until I was 32 and that is a TRAVESTY!!!!

I can't blame my vices on my mother. She and my grandmother(s) exposed me to the love of reading and indulged my bookwormey habit. 

So, I resolved to read a Dickens and she recommended her favorite: Pickwick, and best of all promised to read it with me. I don't know that she knows about this blog, so I will confess that I did exercise that nasty habit of skimming through much of it - in attempting to glean the juice - although the juice is literally in the details of this novel - the humorous descriptions - and the multiple sumptuous feasts. 

There wasn't enough drama or mystery to really pull me in (although I did wonder if Pickwick and his suing landlady would ever get together.) I know, so trite and predictable - but Dickens has no such love story for his hero - he is above such tempests (unlike the author) - I do love to peruse wikipedia biographies... Other pickwickians do succumb to Cupid in their blundering ways. 

My favorite character is Jingle! He's such a delightful character with his rambling run-on random speeches (rivaling even my grammar). My parent ended up convalescing from a knee injury providing ample time for us to watch the 1985 t.v. series - which really captures the essence of the book.

The best parts of the movie are Pickwick's tights (they really embody the term) and the interpretation of Jingle by Patrick Malahide. Here I will indulge with some loves and exclamations. I love this guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had seen him play Rev. Edward Causabon in Middlemarch . a stunning performance. 

I don't recommend Pickwick if you're dieting or if you struggle with alcohol consumption.