Tuesday, 19 December 2006
A Dickensian Christmas
Today I have read some more Pickwick, read a couple of papers about stalking and wandered about two graveyards looking at gravestones.
The latter two activities felt very creepy. Walking among gravestones in the dark is particularly unnerving, I feel, and I was glad when we left. Is it just me or does it feel wrong to walk above where people have been laid to rest? I must have looked rather odd trying to jump around the place so as not to step on an actual grave. Especially with my bike light flashing away.
Stalking is not the most comforting of topics to read about, either. The statistics are rather worrying, and I personally don't think enough is being done. But I won't say any more of that here - for now, anyway.
Anyway, these three activities combined have inspired me to read some Christmas stories Dickens wrote, starting with A Christmas Carol. I've only read the first part and wow! This is a vast improvement on Pickwick, or maybe I simply prefer this type of story?
What a fabulous opening line! Read: "Marley was dead: to begin with." That is the kind of opening line I aspire to; it tells the reader so much and yet makes them desperate to know more. This is one of the many reasons why I love Dickens. :)
Now, back to my reading: "When Scrooge awoke, it was so dark..."
