I completed this year's Summer Big Book and have to say I liked it better than some past year's selections. In general I like Dickens' writing and, while this isn't my favorite of his novels (A Tale of Two Cities holds that place), it's better than some. There are places that the story bogs down and, in general, it is not a particularly remarkable plot. It is the characters that bring this book to life. Dickens' detailed descriptions of the characters, their mannerisms, and ways of speaking bring the story to life. The evil Uriah Heep, the generous but unlucky Micawber, the immature and flighty Dora, the cruel and controlling Murdstones, the unscrupulous Steerforth, and others are described so well there is no doubt of their personal attributes and attitudes. The story of a young boy growing into manhood through good times and bad is a timeless one and much of what David Copperfield lives through could easily be translated into modern times. I have to admit that the part of the book I disliked the most involved David's marriage to Dora. She drove me crazy. I listened to the audio book version which was excellently narrated by Richard Armitage.
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