This morning I finished reading ‘Our Mutual Friend’ by Charles Dickens, and scanned the last three of Charles Keeping’s superb illustrations to my Folio Society edition of 1982.
‘Riderhood went over backward, Bradley Headstone upon him’
‘They both laughed, till they were tired’
‘A canopy of wet blanket seems to descend upon the company’
Christopher Hibbert’s introduction is useful and insightful.
I have to say that I found this novel at times quite heavy going. Hibbert opines that the author found the work difficult to write.
Dickens deals with the contrast between the false lives of the nouveau riche and the hardship and poverty of those living from hand to mouth. It is perhaps his distaste for the former group that makes their sequences boring to me.
The sets of parallel pairings of characters I found somewhat confusing – perhaps because I took so long to read the book. This possibly only became clear during the author’s typical summing up of how the protagonists lives panned out.
Dickens’s pacing, descriptive prose, and dry wit is still in evidence despite his struggle to complete the book.
Sensing that the River Thames itself is an important character sent me back to Peter Ackroyd’s history “Thames: Sacred River”. This former Literary Editor of The Times deals at length with our famous Victorian novelist’s drawing on the capital’s waterway, none more extensive than in ‘Our Mutual Friend’.
After lunch we sent a Birthday Card on it way from Everton Post Office, and continued briefly on a forest drive.
Burnt gorse and browned bracken straddled Holmsley Passage up which a group of women walked, passing pasturing ponies.
Among the woodland and the moorland alongside Bisterne Close grazed or dozed more ponies,
one of which enjoyed a good scratch against a convenient tree.
A log stack had been built to provide winter quarters for various forest fauna.
This evening we dined on Red Chilli’s excellent takeaway. Jackie enjoyed a Paneer Chicken starter with Saag Chicken to follow; my main choice was Tiger Prawn Dhansak. We shared Special Fried Rice and a Plain Naan. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Fleurie.
Lovely images of the ponies alongside Bisterne Close; the Grey was showing a lot of interest in you.
Yes, they do get inquisitive sometimes, Sue. Thanks very much
I am particularly taken with the pony in silhouette and pony scratching. Beautiful!!
The pony in silhouette is my favorite, too.
Like minds
🙂
Derrick does do good work!
🙂
Yes, he does. I always enjoy trying to pick my favorites.
I’m pleased, GP. Thanks a lot
I’ll take the ponies over Dickens most any day. Gorgeous photos.
Ha ha! I have to agree with you there.
Thanks, Liz. 😉
You’re welcome! 🙂
Thanks very much, Pat
The illustration of laughter is very well done – I almost felt moved to laugh along with them!
I nearly added that a laughing face is so difficult to draw naturally. Thanks very much, Anne
Though the illustrations are always outstanding, today I prefer the Autumn colours. How lovely that biggest shot of dead tree trunks in the brown and green ferns. So perfect.
Thank you very much, Crystal
The ponies are cute! Your dinner sounds so delicious, Derrick. ☺️🇬🇧
Thanks very much, John. You would have liked the dinner. Did you know that the Portuguese imported chillis from Mexico to India via Goa?
No, I didn’t know this! Mexico is apparently a spicy country! 😂
You have confirmed this with your recipes, John. Thanks very much
Looking decidedly autumnal
Yes. Thanks a lot, Sheree
Love how the white horse looks at the camera.
Yes, I love that, too.
Yes it is good.
I’m quite sure these ponies and horse are very used to posing for cameras. 🙂
They look it.
A good point, Chrissy
Thanks very much, Mrs W.
Your welcome.
This is a difficult and uncomfortable topic to deal with, but for what I think Dickens understood what it meant brilliantly (although not easy reading in bed at night)
Indeed, Sylvie. Maybe that is why. it took me a long time to read. Thanks very much
🙂
I feel for the pony scratching her back against the tree. My back has been extremely itchy lately, maybe I should give that a try. Great photos today, Derrick!
I find the edge of a door jamb to be quite useful. Thanks a lot, Jill
🙂
I love that sweet white pony looking right at us, but it makes me sad to think he’s being bitten by four flies.
I can only hope that their skin is thick enough to offer some protection. Thanks very much, Jodie.
That’s a good thought, Derrick. Thank you.
Few things feel better than laughing so hard it makes you tired. Dickens was a master storyteller. These days, readers prefer a fast pace to a lot of detail. I admit, I do too.
Thanks for the pony love.
And thanks to you, Pam
I found the ‘log stack that was built to provide winter quarters for the local fauna’ to be both intriguing and fascinating …
I have only recently discovered what they are. Thanks very much, Ivor
Such a heart warming idea Derrick 🌏
If I ever undertake reading Dickens, I will keep Mr Keeping’s illustrations at the forefront of my mind, and I have you to thank for it, Derrick.
That is very pleasing, Dolly. Thank you, too.
The pleasure is mine, Derrick.
I like how the ponies pose for you 🐴😉
They certainly did today, Ribana. Thank you very much
Stunning images Sir.
Thanks very much, Gary
Dickens deep rooted dislike of the nouveau rich and his consequent reluctance to project them deeper leaves most of his works a step or two short of the grandeur they deserve. I hope you will pick another volume with Keeping’s illustrations.
The outdoor photos are great. The scape with dried up trees and the ponies are all charming images.
Thank you very much, Uma. That is a good analysis to add to my observations on the book. ‘Dombey and Son’ is next.
I love the brown and white pony. I can’t imagine why anyone would raise such beautiful ponies and then just leave them to wander about by themselves. 😪
Thank you very much, AnneMarie. It is a strange custom. Some people do train them to ride them although it takes a long time.
Always enjoy seeing those ponies! Sounds as though you had a nice day out.
It was a good one, Laurie. Thanks very much
Thanks for clarifying Dickens’ important themes….. and for the ponies. I like the log stack for forest fauna. It reminds me of how much I liked to make forts as a child, or at least imagine forts. It was kind of someone to make a shelter for the animals.
Thanks very much, JoAnna. I thought they were makeshift tents for children at first
I love the forest drives in any season! The flies are still pestering the ponies, I see.
Yes. It is due to cool down soon. Thanks very much, Lavinia
Luckily, we don’t have to choose between Dickens and Ponies!
🙂 Thanks a lot, Judy
I also love your shots of the ponies. You managed to capture their moods.
Thank you very much, Arlene
I was sitting here thinking…(yes, I know that’s dangerous! 😉 😀 ), if I had seen Mr. Keeping’s illustrations when I was a little girl I would have been so mesmerized by them. Then I realized, I’m a well-seasoned gal-little girl at heart and I am mesmerized by them now! 🙂
Love The Laugh-ers! 😀 😛
Perfectly posing ponies provide precious photo-ops! 🙂
To me, the B&W photo has so much emotion in it. Heart-touchingly beautiful!
Sometimes we just have to scratch the itches! 😉
(((HUGS))) 🙂
May you never grow up, Carolyn XX
Haven’t so far and don’t plan to. 🙂
I haven’t read this one, but it does sound slow going. “They both laughed, till they were tired” definitely made me smile.
I especially liked the pony in the landscape in the series with the gorse, and the silhouetted pony in the next group.
Thank you very much, Merril
Lovely photos and very interesting string of comments! Derrick you have a remarkable, intellectual, and literate group of followers who share beautifully!
That is the real pleasure of blogging. I particularly enjoy your intelligent questions which sometimes get me searching fo answers 🙂 Thanks very much, Maj
Amazing photos of the ponies and interesting how they seem to be looking right at you and showing their inquisitive side.
They really all were – even one from a distance. Thanks very much, Eugi
😊
delightful images of ponies for us today, Derrick! and lovely burnt colors of autumn. 🙂
Thank you very much, Lola
Lovely photos of your beautiful ponies, Derrick. And it was fun to see more of those amazing line drawings. We’re enjoying a relaxing afternoon in Sierre after an amazing day yesterday visiting a picturesque Swiss farm where the cows were our main objects of interest. I posted on FB. Will resume WP when I get home and can purge my WP photo collection of old videos that are taking up way too many megabytes! Meantime, bee 🐝 well and hug Jackie for us.
Will do. Thanks a lot, Jan
I don’t know about “various forest fauna”, that looks like a group of goblins or maybe even elves knocked up that structure. Whoever it was, they seem to have little regard for fire regulations.
Thanks a lot, John
I wouldn’t have realised what the log shelter is for.
I have only recently learned. There are quite a few in the forest. Thanks very much, Susan