David Copperfield (The Novel)

Finished January 26, 2010. Goofing off to take a picture in between reading.


First thing’s first, a rant. I wanted to attach an illustration (one of the original drawings by Hablot K. Browne a.k.a. “Phiz”) to this blog so I type ‘David Copperfield’ into an image search engine. What do I find? Nothing but pictures of some dark haired man with a cape… Turns out this "David Copperfield" is a modern day magician. -For simplicity’s sake, I’ll refer to him as David Kotkin, his birth name.

Here I perhaps show my naïveté, but I’ll admit until this day I’d never heard of him (Kotkin) however; I find he’s praised as this century’s preeminent magician. How is he so well known and yet this masterful novel is nowhere to be found?! I even found the trivia question: “Did you know David Copperfield took his name from a novel?” What’s happening to the world? Okay… I know it’s probably silly and trivial but I adore David Copperfield and am properly shocked.

As I had mentioned in an earlier blog, Mr. Peggoty and Ham are by far two of my favorite characters. They each embody all that is noble and faithful in men, both as fathers and lovers. Mr. (Daniel) Peggoty is a man who is wholeheartedly devoted to his family, no matter how quirky or troublesome they turn out (quite like my own dad). And then there’s Ham, sweet Ham Peggoty. His love of Little Em’ly and every person he comes across is splendid. Okay, so I’ve never ever met a man anywhere near this great literary character but he is one who epitomizes my perfect dream man. If you want to know my type, you can find him in this superb novel. There’s not much else I can say other than to leave you with one of my favorite quotes, by Ham of course.

“I loved her- and I love the mem’ry of her- too deep- to be able to lead her to believe of my own self as I’m a happy man. I could only be happy- by forgetting of her- and I’m afeerd I couldn’t hardly bear as she should be told I done that. But if you, being so full of learning, Mas’r Davy, could think of anything to say as might bring her to believe I wasn’t greatly hurt; still loving of her, and mourning for her- anything as might bring her to believe as I was not tired of my life, and yet was hoping fur to see her without blame where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest- anything as would ease her sorrowful mind, and yet not make her think as I could ever marry, or as ‘twas possible that any one could ever be to me what she was- I should ask of you to say that- with my prayers for her- that was so dear.”