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/lit/ - Literature

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10870943 No.10870943 [Reply] [Original]

Is he a good writer or just a hack who was paid by the word?

>> No.10870966

>>10870943
If he was only a hack who was paid by the word, then, like most penny dredful writers, he'd hardly even be remembered today. Obviously if hes been around so long, then hes endearing someway

>> No.10870999

'Dickens was paid by the word' is really a total myth. It was probably started b/c he consistently published in serial format, which required that he submit the same amount of pages each month, -- i.e., an issue would be three chapters, and these three chapters would consist of ~42 pages (based off of my copy of Bleak House).

There's definitely times where you can tell that he's stretching it out just to hit the limit, but that doesn't mean he's just some hack who overwrote so that he could get paid more.

>> No.10871022

>>10870943
Excellent writer, though unfashionable.

>> No.10871042

>>10870966
>>10870943
>>10870999
>>10871022
Which Dickens book should I start with, Great Expectations or David Copperfield?

>> No.10871131

>>10871042
Great Expectations, simply b/c it's a better book in the end, though Copperfield is a fun read.