Bookin'

A few months back, I asked for some suggested reading. My sister suggested the recent book about Ben Franklin, but I had read that already. I looked back over some of Franklin's writing, his autobiography and the reasons to marry an older woman. A colorful character.

I did pluck an old favorite off the shelf, "Dombey and Son" by Charles Dickens. I finished it recently. This is an earlier work and I can see shadows of "Bleak House," "Our Mutual Friend" and "David Copperfield" in it -- I think John Carker the Manager is an early Uriah Heep and Edith is an early Estelle from "Great Expectations."

There are two particular things that haunt me about this book -- the use of the ocean and its waves, which are very important to young Paul's death and the rebirth of his sister, Florence (picture above); and how Carker dies.

The Manager's death

Carker, who has run away from his boss, Mr. Dombey, with Dombey's proud and unbending wife, Edith, tries to control Edith, but she refuses to be used. So, Carker escapes from the posse that is pounding at the door (Dombey is in this group). Later, as he is waiting for a train, he turns on the platform and sees Dombey and is so suprised he falls into the path of a passing locomotive and is torn to shreds. Dickens describes the aftermath well, with dogs licking up Carker's blood.

The train is as important as the waves to the story. The train is the agent of change that elevates the Toodles family (whom Dombey despises for their very name!) to Dombey's status. When Dombey rides the train after his young son's death, the train carries him through surreal environments.

The waves

And the waves? They call the young son to his death. They crash the boat "Son & Heir" that Dombey owns and cast Walter Gay into the sea, where he fights to survive and return to claim his true love, Florence (Dombey's daughter). And they carry Walter and Florence to China and return them with a child to resurrect Dombey himself from his death bed.

I often think of this novel when I stand on the shores of Lake Michigan. I, too, wonder what the waves are saying, who they are calling to where.

Of course, I love the secondary characters as well: Captain Cuttle with his glazed hat and hook hand; Mr. Toots and Susan Nipper; Biler (such a cove with his pigeons); the Game Chicken (a great name for a thug!); Alice and her mother (the very mirror of Edith and her mother) and Joey Bagstock, old J.B., who talks about himself in the third person (a few years before Seinfeld, I must add).

This is a good read and relatively short (about 800 paperback pages). I recommend it, especially for people who are afriad of Dickens or think him boring.

Thought: What to read next?