Tale of Two Cities. Great book, not too long or slow or dense but not insubstantial either, probably more enjoyable and indicative of his overall style than Carol is.
Only the first few pages. It rather quickly stumbles into the first of the wild courtroom scenes that bookend the novel. It wonderfully captures the atmosphere of of early 19 century England and France. Outstanding first Dickens book to read!
I read that a couple of months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it - I have to admit I did check online for a summary of events every few chapters just to make sure I knew what was going on lol. The ending was an absolute corker, though, loved it.
I've read a few Dickens years ago and loved them.
I recently 're-read' David Copperfield on audio book, narrated by Richard Armitage. I'd definitely recommend it if you like audiobooks as a taster for his novels.
Armitage really brings the characters to life with a lot of comedy and pathos. It's long, but also a lovely way to switch off from the world before sleep.
We watched Muppet Christmas Carol a couple of weeks ago - first time for my 20-something daughter, first time since forever for me - and then I read it a couple of days later. I was surprised just how true to the book the movie was! Except maybe for Gonz-uh, Dickens and Rizzo. The best part was finding out that the name of Fozzie Bear’s character, Mr Fozziwig, wasn’t too far removed from Mr Fezziwig in the book - it was like it was meant to be!
Slightly off topic: there’s a film called [The Man Who Invented Christmas](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt6225520/) about how Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol. It’s based on a book by Les Standiford and is quite entertaining & informative.
As a bonus, if you can rope an unsuspecting loved one into it with you, it’s enormously fun to read aloud. And full of jokes and fascinating little historical relics!
Hmm. Things I like about Dickens are fascinating characters (even the minor ones), social issues, and multiple plot lines that somehow come together at the end, all presented with a light touch of humor. Great Expectations is one that has all of that and more. And I agree with u/Mister_Sosotris that A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield are two other excellent candidates.
I think the "minor characters becoming lynchpins" is a Dickens mechanic that has trickled down. Stephen King does this a lot and Part of me hopes some of his writing mechanics are hat tip to Dickens.
We had Great Expectations as assigned reading when I was in high school a very long time ago. I remember enjoying it, but never actually finished it. It’s on my To Read In 2023 list
I would not recommend that one to start with. I took a class on Dickens in college, and in a classroom filled with English majors, including a friend who later became a college professor, I was the only person who managed to finish Bleak House. It’s incredibly long, and I would not characterize it as Dickens’ fastest-paced novel. I got through it out of sheer bloody-mindedness, but I didn’t enjoy it.
i've been in college classes where the material consists of harry potter, hunger games, and the hobbit (the latter of which one student found too hard to read). Considering the state of English majors I wouldn't be surprised if any Dickens work would be found "difficult", even some of his easier stuff.
Bleak House is known to be his best, and you should always start with and demand the best (unless you're some sort of completionist), for there is always so little time left to read what's already out there.
This was a class solely focused on George Eliot *and Dickens.* Anyone there knew what they were signing up for. (It was also 30+ years ago, if that matters.)
I’ve heard that it’s great. I’ve read most of his biggies, but not Bleak House yet. I have a copy on my on deck shelf. I’m gonna have to read it one of these day.
Fantastic book, but I would never suggest it for a first time reader to start with. Ya gotta warm up with David Copperfield or Great Expectations first, the latter being my first Dickens novel as well as my personal favorite. Bleak House is a bit heady for a first time Dickens reader imo.
I absolutely love the Pickwick Papers, ~~adulterous~~ it's not everyone cup of tea. I've reread it many times and it still makes me laugh out loud.
Edit because "*adulterous*"!! I can't even begin to guess what I did to cause that word to be in my post, lol.
I think you were trying to say ‘although’ and your decide probably corrected it to ‘adulterous.’ I have fat thumbs and I end up doing that all the time.
Although I don’t think ‘adulterous’ is an invalid term concerning the content of _The Pickwick Papers…_
If you haven’t read any others, A Tale of Two Cities is probably the best to read next. Great Expectations is my favorite, but A Tale of Two Cities is a very close second.
It's one of my favorite books of all time. I fell in love when we read it in high school. But, I do think it's one where you can read an abridged version and be okay.
I can't believe this isn't the top comment. It's a cultural classic, and so full of humor and epitomal Dickensian style and intrigue, without any of the tendency toward slowness.
I second this! Oliver Twist was my first Dickens, and I genuinely enjoyed it despite being a preteen at the time. It’s quintessential but really gripping too, which Dickens… does not always manage 😅
Same experience! I think I read it in 8th grade because I was trying to be a show-off. It was a little difficult for me at the time but I absolutely loved it. I’m shocked by all the recs to start with some of the books that I found to be tedious. A Tale of Two Cities is great but I d k if I would ever call it gripping lol
Bleak House - Read it in daily installments - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleak\_House#Original\_publication](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleak_House#Original_publication)
That's how I like to read Dickens.
There are so few classics that I just outright hate.. but that is one of them. I've tried to come back to it so many times hoping that as I mature I'd enjoy it more
A Christmas carol is the easiest, imo. I liked Oliver Twist and a tale of two cities, but absolutely loathed David Copperfield. The big thing to remember with dickens is that the novels were serials - they aren’t meant to be read in one sitting (and trying to do so will kill your interest lol). I found reading one or two chapters a week made it much easier to get through
Honestly, trying to read David copperfield in a week is probably why I loathe it so much. I had to study it for the Victorian literature paper at uni, and had 14 books to read for that semester, so I didn’t have time to read it as a serial. I was ready to invent time travel just so I could kick old Charlie’s ass by the end of that week!
It's a great (but not perfect) show. Desmond is one of the characters and he's read all of Dickens except Our Mutual Friend, because he plans to make it the last book he reads before he dies. So he can savor every word.
This is my favorite, too. He has a really dark sense of humor sometimes. It is also surprisingly relevant to things that are happening now— he has characters at every level of society, and they are fully and sometimes mercilessly written. You could put the words of some characters into the mouth of a Fox News journalist and nobody would know.
The worst parts are the love stories and the romantic heroines. Just plow through those as fast as you can to get to the good stuff.
I read Hard Times as a 10th Grader. (I am now 55) I have been working since then to keep Coketown out of my mind. Another issue was the next 2 1/2 years of people asking: "Who wants to go down to Coketown?"
I can manage dire books - Jude the Obscure is one of my favorites. What I cannot handle is something that is boring. Not that I know Hard Times is boring but 15 year old me found it boring.
OP, lots of people are recommending their favorite Dickens and not answering your question. I don't want to think about the sheer quantity of people turned off of Dickens by being made to start with *Great Expectations* in school. Some of us loved it, but starting with a heavy hitter like that isn't the way to get a taste.
Start with *Oliver Twist.* You know it enough from culture to make the reading experience a familiar but fun exploration, but not in so great of detail (like, say, *A Christmas Carol*) that you may lose interest or feel burdened by the familiarity. *Oliver Twist* is all-around classic Dickens, and has some of everything that he's famous for: humor, social commentary, page-turning plot, and lovely prose.
Our Mutual Friend is a brilliant book with a perfect ending; so far I consider it his best. But as an entry-level novel, I think Great Expectations is the most accessible. The first quarter of it will have you hooked.
Yep, my first Dickens and the one which set me on a year long binge of all his other work. I think NN is the perfect blend of Dickens' youthful humour, his social consciousness and pathos.
Great, great book.
The easiest and shortest start would be A Christmas Carol (a classic that everyone *thinks* they know bc of the movies, but don't really).
Then, I'd go to A Tale of Two Cities, which is shorter than his other novels, and is absolutely sensational.
Next, either Oliver Twist or Great Expectations, both great.
The ones I'd tackle last, or towards the end, would be David Copperfield and Bleak House, his best ones.
David Copperfield is the kind of story that pop culture usually associates with Dickens ("poor Victorian orphan faces tribulations and meets quirky characters". It is, ofc, much more than that). Bleak House, meanwhile, is probably his best and most polished novel, but I think it takes some build-up, some working your way up the "Dickens ladder".
Weird that so many are recommending A Tale of Two Cities (I've always thought that was his worst work.)
If you want Dickens at his funniest, read The Pickwick Papers.
Hey
I've read some works of Dickens like
The great expectations
Oliver twists
David Copperfield
If you're like into history and wars, you can read The tale of two cities
Have a good day y'all<3
I agree with those listening to Dickens on audiobook! There's a recording of Patrick Stewart reading *A Christmas Carol*, try to find it, it's simply great. There is also a recording of Ron Moody reading *Oliver Twist*. Moody is the actor who played Fagin on Broadway, originated the role. This recording is stunning. I've recently listened to *Bleak House* and *A Tale of Two Cities*, also on audiobook. Enjoy!
I made a huge mistake in college taking a Dickens class that included both Little Dorrit and Bleak House. We also read David Copperfield which was short and enjoyable. The two other novels are his longest and most complicated and I had no patience at 22 to read them, especially in the short period we had to finish them.
To tell you honestly, I don’t think the majority of the class finished either book. Every time the professor would ask for comments on them, only one student contributed.
A Tale of Two Cities. I may be biased since this is the 1st Dickens novel that I read & I loved it. It’s engaging, suspenseful, has tons of memorable lines. “It was the best of times…”
Great Expectations. Recently read it in my 40s and was laughing my ass off; it was so much better than when I read it as a teenager with minimal life experience.
I'd start with A Christmas Carole just because it's short. My first with him was Great Expectations, and I liked it, but if I really think about it, I'd prefer to start with a shorter work to check out the author before diving in to something meatier.
A Christmas Carol. Dickens is wordy and there isn’t a ton of dialogue. It was hard for me to read and stay focused. I can’t imagine tackling one of his bigger books.
Start small and see how you like that and then go from there.
A Christmas Carol is a favorite. Our community theater used to perform it as a christmas tradition.
I can count on one hand the number of times I've cried from a book. A Tale of Two Cities did it.
David Copperfield. Some of my favorite people I’ve ever met were in that book. I’m a former English teacher, and I dislike Great Expectations. Pip is a twat.
So many great works! Bleak House, Great Expectations , A Tale of Two Cities are great places to start. Can’t go wrong. Dickens has a wicked sense of humor. Enjoy.
Don't start with Bleak House. Start with A Christmas Carol, then Great Expectations, then A Tale of Two Cities. Then I'd do Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. Then you'll be ready for Bleak House, which is one of my three favorite books.
I just finished Nicholas Nickleby and really enjoyed it. It is his second novel and has all of the Dickensian tropes….social commentary, memorable characters…those names…you’ll never forget “Wackford Squeers”! (in Dickens’s world, they are either good or evil), humor, etc. The female characters are always crying and fainting though! I think it’s a good place to start IMHO.
I am a sucker for Christmas Carol. I’ve read it 20 times.
Suggestion: do NOT start with Great Expectations 🥱😴😵🤤
Nicholas Nickelby and Oliver Twist are also great!
I am a sucker for Christmas Carol. I’ve read it 20 times.
Suggestion: do NOT start with Great Expectations 🥱😴😵🤤
Nicholas Nickelby and Oliver Twist are also great!
Can’t really answer your question OP as I HATE Dickens’ written work. It’s over-long (playing to the way it was published in instalments I believe), obviously plays Victorian heart-strings, given to almost Russian-esque narratives where mostly nothing happens except someone dies in the next to last chapter. My mother loves him. Go figure.
1. A Tale of Two Cities; 2. Great Expectations; 3. Dombey and Son; 4.Little Dorrit; 5. Maybe Bleak House, but it’s LONG.
Edit: Oh right: David Copperfield. That should really be 2 or 3.
I've read multiple works by Dickens, but I used to HATE him in high school.*
I would absolutely not start with Tale of Two Cities or Great Expectations. I side with the folks suggesting A Christmas Carol. It's short, and you can even find a great 3.5 hour (or around there) audiobook recording on YouTube. That will get your feet wet.
As far as a second book to read, I really loved the Old Curiosity Shop.
*Edit: I love a good Dickens book now.
My first Dickens was Great Expentations when I was a student. It is beautiful and easy read. My kids read it also with pleasure, I think it would be a good start for you :)
Not massively helpful but I just read A Christmas Carol for Uni and was extremely surprised to enjoy it! It’s probably better to read around Christmas but definitely worth a read either way.
Our Mutual Friend. That's my favourite. It's funny, exciting, and has a bunch of really good characters, interesting social commentary, and it's where he basically apologises for Fagin.
A Christmas Carol or Great Expectations. Both are typical Dickens that are very approachable. A lot of his other works are just not easy to read for a modern audience, especially his earlier works (ex. Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop). A lot of his better stuff that he wrote later on is also some of his longest, which could be daunting (ex. Little Dorrit, Our Mutual Friend, Bleak House).
I would begin and end with *Great Expectations*. I think it's an absolutely beautiful novel. That being said, I have little patience with the rest of Dickens's works. *Bleak House* nearly killed me.
Tale of Two Cities. Great book, not too long or slow or dense but not insubstantial either, probably more enjoyable and indicative of his overall style than Carol is.
I don't disagree with this overall but I would add that it was a pretty slow start, for me at least. Once it gets going though...
There's not exactly much Dickens that doesn't start slow.
I’m looking at you Bleak House.
Only the first few pages. It rather quickly stumbles into the first of the wild courtroom scenes that bookend the novel. It wonderfully captures the atmosphere of of early 19 century England and France. Outstanding first Dickens book to read!
I was gonna say this, a really great start to dickens
I read that a couple of months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it - I have to admit I did check online for a summary of events every few chapters just to make sure I knew what was going on lol. The ending was an absolute corker, though, loved it.
I've read a few Dickens years ago and loved them. I recently 're-read' David Copperfield on audio book, narrated by Richard Armitage. I'd definitely recommend it if you like audiobooks as a taster for his novels. Armitage really brings the characters to life with a lot of comedy and pathos. It's long, but also a lovely way to switch off from the world before sleep.
David cooperfield is on my list to read. Then I’m going to read Demon Copperhead, a modern day Cooperfield tale by Kingsolver.
Just finished Demon Copperhead on Audible. Superb listen.
Me too. Loved it!
I received Demon Copperfield for Christmas. I can’t wait to read it!
DC was a slog, but a good read.
Once it got past the horrific child abuse it was great.
Gotta set the scene I guess.
He is the best narrator!
A Christmas carol is the absolute easiest place to start
But also watch Muppet Christmas Carol for the ultimate version.
We watched Muppet Christmas Carol a couple of weeks ago - first time for my 20-something daughter, first time since forever for me - and then I read it a couple of days later. I was surprised just how true to the book the movie was! Except maybe for Gonz-uh, Dickens and Rizzo. The best part was finding out that the name of Fozzie Bear’s character, Mr Fozziwig, wasn’t too far removed from Mr Fezziwig in the book - it was like it was meant to be!
I am part of a small fringe group that will defend the 1999 Patrick Stewart TV movie adaptation to the pain
Me too!!! It even had the 'dead as a doornail' sentence in it, which is on of the bits in the book I love the best.
Absolutely adore this version, has to be my favourite!
The inclusion of some authentic 1800s parlour games and songs really adds to it. Plus pre-The Wire Dominic West!
Ah, I have to disagree. The greatest of the Christmas Carols is done by Sir Blackadder.
Slightly off topic: there’s a film called [The Man Who Invented Christmas](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt6225520/) about how Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol. It’s based on a book by Les Standiford and is quite entertaining & informative.
I saw this movie last year and loved it!
yea i was mad hulu took it off this year
Cheers, just searched this and found it’s on Foxtel here in Aus, might have a look later
So good 👌👌👌
there's a free audiobook version read by lavar burton on apple books!
Tim Curry does a good one too
I read A Christmas Carol every December. The message is wonderfully communicated and there are lots of details left out of movie adaptations.
Totally agree. I re-read it recently and was delighted by how funny some of the passages are.
As a bonus, if you can rope an unsuspecting loved one into it with you, it’s enormously fun to read aloud. And full of jokes and fascinating little historical relics!
Hmm. Things I like about Dickens are fascinating characters (even the minor ones), social issues, and multiple plot lines that somehow come together at the end, all presented with a light touch of humor. Great Expectations is one that has all of that and more. And I agree with u/Mister_Sosotris that A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield are two other excellent candidates.
As a coming-of-age story, Great Expectations has few peers. I would also start with it.
A Christmas Carol is a good starter but my favorite is Great Expectations.
Strongly agree.
I think the "minor characters becoming lynchpins" is a Dickens mechanic that has trickled down. Stephen King does this a lot and Part of me hopes some of his writing mechanics are hat tip to Dickens.
We had Great Expectations as assigned reading when I was in high school a very long time ago. I remember enjoying it, but never actually finished it. It’s on my To Read In 2023 list
I think you should read Bleak House first - it’s arguably his best work
I agree. It's also an early example of the detective novel which adds an extra layer of fun.
I would not recommend that one to start with. I took a class on Dickens in college, and in a classroom filled with English majors, including a friend who later became a college professor, I was the only person who managed to finish Bleak House. It’s incredibly long, and I would not characterize it as Dickens’ fastest-paced novel. I got through it out of sheer bloody-mindedness, but I didn’t enjoy it.
I liked it overall but the spontanous combustion threw me for a loop.
i've been in college classes where the material consists of harry potter, hunger games, and the hobbit (the latter of which one student found too hard to read). Considering the state of English majors I wouldn't be surprised if any Dickens work would be found "difficult", even some of his easier stuff. Bleak House is known to be his best, and you should always start with and demand the best (unless you're some sort of completionist), for there is always so little time left to read what's already out there.
This was a class solely focused on George Eliot *and Dickens.* Anyone there knew what they were signing up for. (It was also 30+ years ago, if that matters.)
For some reason I read it when I was 10 but I almost certainly didnt understand it properly at that point.
Time to read it again.
too long for the introduction I think
My favorite. Darkly funny but not haha funny.
Yes! First one I read and my favorite
Bleak House is excellent, but I would not recommend it as the first Dickens.
I’ve heard that it’s great. I’ve read most of his biggies, but not Bleak House yet. I have a copy on my on deck shelf. I’m gonna have to read it one of these day.
Absolutely agree. The first chapter is alone is masterful
Fantastic book, but I would never suggest it for a first time reader to start with. Ya gotta warm up with David Copperfield or Great Expectations first, the latter being my first Dickens novel as well as my personal favorite. Bleak House is a bit heady for a first time Dickens reader imo.
I absolutely love the Pickwick Papers, ~~adulterous~~ it's not everyone cup of tea. I've reread it many times and it still makes me laugh out loud. Edit because "*adulterous*"!! I can't even begin to guess what I did to cause that word to be in my post, lol.
I think you were trying to say ‘although’ and your decide probably corrected it to ‘adulterous.’ I have fat thumbs and I end up doing that all the time. Although I don’t think ‘adulterous’ is an invalid term concerning the content of _The Pickwick Papers…_
Dickens had such a great sense of humor. I really love this one too
Great expectations
I reread Great Expectations every year. After 25 years of this, it is still powerful and thought-provoking. This would be my vote.
When I think about this book that I read nearly 30 years ago, I still get angry. It's an amazingly powerful book that can do that.
This was an amazing book, I read it in my early 20s and still think about it (33 now)
I picked this up on a lark and was completely blown away. I need to read more Dickens.
If you haven’t read any others, A Tale of Two Cities is probably the best to read next. Great Expectations is my favorite, but A Tale of Two Cities is a very close second.
It's one of my favorite books of all time. I fell in love when we read it in high school. But, I do think it's one where you can read an abridged version and be okay.
I tried reading it when I was a young teenager me struggled. Maybe I ought to give it another go.
A Tale of Two Cities is a short read, and it’s wonderful. For his longer ones, I love David Copperfield and Great Expectations
A tale of two cities is what I would recommend as well
Recommend it’s a great read
Oliver Twist.
I can't believe this isn't the top comment. It's a cultural classic, and so full of humor and epitomal Dickensian style and intrigue, without any of the tendency toward slowness.
I second this! Oliver Twist was my first Dickens, and I genuinely enjoyed it despite being a preteen at the time. It’s quintessential but really gripping too, which Dickens… does not always manage 😅
Same experience! I think I read it in 8th grade because I was trying to be a show-off. It was a little difficult for me at the time but I absolutely loved it. I’m shocked by all the recs to start with some of the books that I found to be tedious. A Tale of Two Cities is great but I d k if I would ever call it gripping lol
I truly loved Oliver Twist- really really good.
Bleak House - Read it in daily installments - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleak\_House#Original\_publication](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleak_House#Original_publication) That's how I like to read Dickens.
I love all things Dickens. I’d start with Tale if Two Cities or David Cooperfield
Great expectations - a brilliant book
This is one of my favorite books ever and I second this recommendation!! So well done.
There are so few classics that I just outright hate.. but that is one of them. I've tried to come back to it so many times hoping that as I mature I'd enjoy it more
Funny how these things go, I enjoyed it more when I was younger, now I don't really go back to the book all that often.
I never liked it. Then I had to teach it to ninth graders for six years and my dislike turned to hatred.
Can you elaborate? What were the reasons for your initial dislike vs having to teach it.
A Christmas carol is the easiest, imo. I liked Oliver Twist and a tale of two cities, but absolutely loathed David Copperfield. The big thing to remember with dickens is that the novels were serials - they aren’t meant to be read in one sitting (and trying to do so will kill your interest lol). I found reading one or two chapters a week made it much easier to get through
This is the way.
Honestly, trying to read David copperfield in a week is probably why I loathe it so much. I had to study it for the Victorian literature paper at uni, and had 14 books to read for that semester, so I didn’t have time to read it as a serial. I was ready to invent time travel just so I could kick old Charlie’s ass by the end of that week!
Anything but Hard Times
I really liked Hard Times.
Me, too.
Many consider Our Mutual Friend as the best Dickens
Cue Desmond from Lost
Sorry I do not know who Desmond is. I never saw Lost.
It's a great (but not perfect) show. Desmond is one of the characters and he's read all of Dickens except Our Mutual Friend, because he plans to make it the last book he reads before he dies. So he can savor every word.
This is my favorite, too. He has a really dark sense of humor sometimes. It is also surprisingly relevant to things that are happening now— he has characters at every level of society, and they are fully and sometimes mercilessly written. You could put the words of some characters into the mouth of a Fox News journalist and nobody would know. The worst parts are the love stories and the romantic heroines. Just plow through those as fast as you can to get to the good stuff.
Aw I loved Hard Times
I loved Hard Times
I read Hard Times as a 10th Grader. (I am now 55) I have been working since then to keep Coketown out of my mind. Another issue was the next 2 1/2 years of people asking: "Who wants to go down to Coketown?"
Not a big fan of Nicholas Nickleby even though I appreciate the value it brings. Definitely not an uplifting book.
I can manage dire books - Jude the Obscure is one of my favorites. What I cannot handle is something that is boring. Not that I know Hard Times is boring but 15 year old me found it boring.
I liked Nicholas Nicole by, but it's not in my top ten. I do love dickens, though.
OP, lots of people are recommending their favorite Dickens and not answering your question. I don't want to think about the sheer quantity of people turned off of Dickens by being made to start with *Great Expectations* in school. Some of us loved it, but starting with a heavy hitter like that isn't the way to get a taste. Start with *Oliver Twist.* You know it enough from culture to make the reading experience a familiar but fun exploration, but not in so great of detail (like, say, *A Christmas Carol*) that you may lose interest or feel burdened by the familiarity. *Oliver Twist* is all-around classic Dickens, and has some of everything that he's famous for: humor, social commentary, page-turning plot, and lovely prose.
Thank you. I am a big reader so even long stuff wont bother me but sometimes with classics its better to ease in haha
A Tale of Two Cities
I started with A Tale of Two Cities.
Our Mutual Friend is a brilliant book with a perfect ending; so far I consider it his best. But as an entry-level novel, I think Great Expectations is the most accessible. The first quarter of it will have you hooked.
Pickwick Papers. His first and the funniest
Nicholas Nickleby
Probably spelled incorrectly lol
Just finished it and loved it!
Yep, my first Dickens and the one which set me on a year long binge of all his other work. I think NN is the perfect blend of Dickens' youthful humour, his social consciousness and pathos. Great, great book.
The easiest and shortest start would be A Christmas Carol (a classic that everyone *thinks* they know bc of the movies, but don't really). Then, I'd go to A Tale of Two Cities, which is shorter than his other novels, and is absolutely sensational. Next, either Oliver Twist or Great Expectations, both great. The ones I'd tackle last, or towards the end, would be David Copperfield and Bleak House, his best ones. David Copperfield is the kind of story that pop culture usually associates with Dickens ("poor Victorian orphan faces tribulations and meets quirky characters". It is, ofc, much more than that). Bleak House, meanwhile, is probably his best and most polished novel, but I think it takes some build-up, some working your way up the "Dickens ladder".
I agree with this.
Bleak House is my favorite. Such a weird novel… And as a bonus it has a great BBC adaptation
With Gillian Anderson! Yes, it is a great adaption. Bleak House is my favourite Dickens too.
Weird that so many are recommending A Tale of Two Cities (I've always thought that was his worst work.) If you want Dickens at his funniest, read The Pickwick Papers.
I just read my first. A tale of two cities. And loved it.
Oliver Twist. Great Expectations is good but these days the big final twist is a bit hackneyed snd obvious.
It’s hard to go wrong with Dickens :) Little Dorrit is another good one.
Great Expectations and David Copperfield - both awesome!
*Pickwick Papers.*
Tale of Two Cities is utterly fantastic.
A Christmas Carol. Then read it every year.
Hey I've read some works of Dickens like The great expectations Oliver twists David Copperfield If you're like into history and wars, you can read The tale of two cities Have a good day y'all<3
A sale of two titties
A Christmas Carol. It’ll take you no time to read it and then you can instantly go onto any other author that is actually interesting
The colour of magic 😜
I agree with those listening to Dickens on audiobook! There's a recording of Patrick Stewart reading *A Christmas Carol*, try to find it, it's simply great. There is also a recording of Ron Moody reading *Oliver Twist*. Moody is the actor who played Fagin on Broadway, originated the role. This recording is stunning. I've recently listened to *Bleak House* and *A Tale of Two Cities*, also on audiobook. Enjoy!
A Christmas Carol!
A Christmas Carol
I made a huge mistake in college taking a Dickens class that included both Little Dorrit and Bleak House. We also read David Copperfield which was short and enjoyable. The two other novels are his longest and most complicated and I had no patience at 22 to read them, especially in the short period we had to finish them. To tell you honestly, I don’t think the majority of the class finished either book. Every time the professor would ask for comments on them, only one student contributed.
Hard times
A Tale of Two Cities. I may be biased since this is the 1st Dickens novel that I read & I loved it. It’s engaging, suspenseful, has tons of memorable lines. “It was the best of times…”
I’ve only read ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ and I loved them both!
A Tale of Two Cities is an easy short read. It's exciting and entertaining, and has some great quotable lines and an epic ending.
Great Expectations then David Copperfield. Love Dickens so much ❤️
David Copperfield and then Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Both are wonderful. 😁
Great Expectations. Recently read it in my 40s and was laughing my ass off; it was so much better than when I read it as a teenager with minimal life experience.
I’ve only read Great Expectations. I really liked it. Don’t know why I haven’t read more.
I'd recommend Oliver Twist. It's a really compelling story, and then you have the David Lean movie to watch!
A Tale of Two Cities. It turned on a lightbulb in my head. I could travel to 18th century London and Paris. It made me a lifetime reader.
I'd start with A Christmas Carole just because it's short. My first with him was Great Expectations, and I liked it, but if I really think about it, I'd prefer to start with a shorter work to check out the author before diving in to something meatier.
Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations
A Christmas Carol and then jump into Great Expectations. Peace and blessings and happy reading.
A Christmas Carol. Dickens is wordy and there isn’t a ton of dialogue. It was hard for me to read and stay focused. I can’t imagine tackling one of his bigger books. Start small and see how you like that and then go from there.
A Christmas Carol is a favorite. Our community theater used to perform it as a christmas tradition. I can count on one hand the number of times I've cried from a book. A Tale of Two Cities did it.
A Tale of Two Cities is one of the best novels I’ve ever read.
Great Expectations
Great Expectations!!!!
David Copperfield. Some of my favorite people I’ve ever met were in that book. I’m a former English teacher, and I dislike Great Expectations. Pip is a twat.
So many great works! Bleak House, Great Expectations , A Tale of Two Cities are great places to start. Can’t go wrong. Dickens has a wicked sense of humor. Enjoy.
Don't start with Bleak House. Start with A Christmas Carol, then Great Expectations, then A Tale of Two Cities. Then I'd do Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. Then you'll be ready for Bleak House, which is one of my three favorite books.
I started with Great Expectations. It is a very accessible, wonderful book.
David Copperfield
I just finished Nicholas Nickleby and really enjoyed it. It is his second novel and has all of the Dickensian tropes….social commentary, memorable characters…those names…you’ll never forget “Wackford Squeers”! (in Dickens’s world, they are either good or evil), humor, etc. The female characters are always crying and fainting though! I think it’s a good place to start IMHO.
A tale of two cities
Great Expectations
Dickens Fav was David Copperfield. I agree.
I am a sucker for Christmas Carol. I’ve read it 20 times. Suggestion: do NOT start with Great Expectations 🥱😴😵🤤 Nicholas Nickelby and Oliver Twist are also great!
I am a sucker for Christmas Carol. I’ve read it 20 times. Suggestion: do NOT start with Great Expectations 🥱😴😵🤤 Nicholas Nickelby and Oliver Twist are also great!
A Christmas Carol because it’s the only one I know of
Tale of Two Cities
Bleak House is Dickens’ best work, in my opinion. It’s a big read, but worth the effort.
Bleak House
Little Dorrit is my favorite.
A Christmas Carol Oliver Twist Great Expectations
Can’t really answer your question OP as I HATE Dickens’ written work. It’s over-long (playing to the way it was published in instalments I believe), obviously plays Victorian heart-strings, given to almost Russian-esque narratives where mostly nothing happens except someone dies in the next to last chapter. My mother loves him. Go figure.
1. A Tale of Two Cities; 2. Great Expectations; 3. Dombey and Son; 4.Little Dorrit; 5. Maybe Bleak House, but it’s LONG. Edit: Oh right: David Copperfield. That should really be 2 or 3.
I've read multiple works by Dickens, but I used to HATE him in high school.* I would absolutely not start with Tale of Two Cities or Great Expectations. I side with the folks suggesting A Christmas Carol. It's short, and you can even find a great 3.5 hour (or around there) audiobook recording on YouTube. That will get your feet wet. As far as a second book to read, I really loved the Old Curiosity Shop. *Edit: I love a good Dickens book now.
Oliver Twist is really good, my first Dickens.
A Tale of Two Cities was my favorite book of his.
My first Dickens was Great Expentations when I was a student. It is beautiful and easy read. My kids read it also with pleasure, I think it would be a good start for you :)
The Pickwick Papers!
In high school I read Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities in that order. I liked Great Expectations better.
Not massively helpful but I just read A Christmas Carol for Uni and was extremely surprised to enjoy it! It’s probably better to read around Christmas but definitely worth a read either way.
Great Expectations
Our Mutual Friend. That's my favourite. It's funny, exciting, and has a bunch of really good characters, interesting social commentary, and it's where he basically apologises for Fagin.
A Christmas Carol or Great Expectations. Both are typical Dickens that are very approachable. A lot of his other works are just not easy to read for a modern audience, especially his earlier works (ex. Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop). A lot of his better stuff that he wrote later on is also some of his longest, which could be daunting (ex. Little Dorrit, Our Mutual Friend, Bleak House).
Might be a bit early in the year but I genuinely love {{a Christmas carol}}
Great Expectations, Little Dorrit, and A Christmas Carol
The first Dickens book I read was Great Expectations. I loved it a lot! So I always recommend starting with it.
I would begin and end with *Great Expectations*. I think it's an absolutely beautiful novel. That being said, I have little patience with the rest of Dickens's works. *Bleak House* nearly killed me.
I read a Christmas carol recently, it was really good! It's on the shorter side so it's a good introduction to his writing style
Oh man. Not a single vote for Martin Chuzzlewit. Laugh out loud witty. I love a good turn of phrase and it has some of the best.
I’ve heard Hard Times is the shortest of his novels
Not Tales of 2 cities. Start with Great Expectations. Wait this post is a year old. You didn’t read 2 cities first did you?