‘Bleak House’ 在查爾斯·狄更斯（Charles Dickens）的小說《荒涼山莊》（Bleak House）第一章中，「源自埃塞克斯沼澤的霧」（Fog on the Essex marshes） 是文學史上最著名的象徵主義開篇之一。這段描述不僅描繪了 19 世紀倫敦惡劣的實體氣候，更為整部小說奠定了社會批判、體制腐敗與道德迷茫的核心隱喻。 ; Charles Dickens As A Legal Historian作为法律史学家的狄更斯
在查爾斯·狄更斯（Charles Dickens）的小說《荒涼山莊》（Bleak House）第一章中，「源自埃塞克斯沼澤的霧」（Fog on the Essex marshes） 是文學史上最著名的象徵主義開篇之一。
這段描述不僅描繪了 19 世紀倫敦惡劣的實體氣候，更為整部小說奠定了社會批判、體制腐敗與道德迷茫的核心隱喻。 [
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以下為您詳細拆解這段「沼澤之霧」的深層意涵與寫作手法：
狄更斯在開篇寫道：
“Fog on the Essex marshes, fog on the Kentish heights.”（霧在埃塞克斯的沼澤上，霧在肯特的 Roths 高地上。） [
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2. 核心象徵：大法官法院（Court of Chancery）的腐敗與失能
在小說中，這場源自沼澤與河流的實體大霧，最終聚焦在倫敦市中心的
大法官法院及大法官本尊身上。 [
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- 體制的迷茫與停滯： 法院內正在審理糾纏數代人的「賈金斯對賈金斯」（Jarndyce and Jarndyce）遺產案。這起訴訟就像沼澤的大霧一樣，晦暗不明、刻意製造混亂、吞噬著所有身處其中的人的生命與財產。 [1, 2]
- 官僚體制的無能： 沼澤是令人「泥足深陷、無法自拔」的地方，狄更斯藉由源自沼澤的霧氣，暗示英國的司法體制如同沼澤般腐敗且死氣沉沉，法官與律師們在有意的盲目中摸索，既看不清真相，也不願清明地審判。 [1, 2, 3]
從歷史角度來看，這場大霧混合了泰晤士河下游沼澤的濕氣，以及工業革命帶來的煤煙（也就是著名的倫敦霧霾/殺手霧）。 [
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- 狄更斯將自然界的「沼澤水氣」與人類排放的「工業污染、污水」結合，暗示維多利亞時代的社會發展正在加速社會道德與生態環境的「退化」（Decreation / Anthropocene）。 [1, 2]
- 平行與對比（Axes of Contrast）： 將細節組織在對比的兩極上，例如「上游的綠色草地」對比「下游被污染的船隻航道」，「高地」對比「沼澤」。 [1]
- 催眠般的節奏： 不斷重複使用 “Fog...” 作為句首（排比與片段句），創造出一種讓人窒息、逃脫不出的壓抑感，成功讓讀者在閱讀的第一時間，就感同身受地陷入那個晦暗的倫敦世界。 [1, 2]
總結來說：《荒涼山莊》中源自埃塞克斯沼澤的霧，
名為寫景，實為寫人與制度。它是一把文學的手術刀，切開了當時英國社會看似繁華的外表，揭露了底下如沼澤般泥濘、失能且腐敗的體制核心。 [
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- 這場大霧是如何具體摧毀書中角色（如 Richard）的人生？
- 《荒涼山莊》開篇中另一個重要意涵：泥濘（Mud）與美索不達米亞恐龍的象
《荒涼山莊》第一章中的霧並非天氣。
狄更斯描寫了霧氣從艾塞克斯郡的沼澤蔓延到倫敦的街道，從倫敦的街道蔓延到大法官法院，再從大法官法院蔓延到所有不幸與賈恩迪斯夫婦案有牽連的人的生活中。這種蔓延是有方向性的，也是有目的性的，它從自然界蔓延到製度界，再從制度界蔓延到人類世界，其係統性的耐心彷彿已經持續了很久，並且沒有理由停止。
迷霧是瀰漫其中的阻礙，是法律體系對所有接觸者所造成影響的具象化體現——它使一切變得無法看清，將每一個簡單的事實都包裹在無數的限定條件、先例和反訴之中，以至於事實本身完全消失，剩下的只是尋找事實的程序，而這程序又會衍生出自身的反程序，反程序又會衍生出自身的上訴，而上訴又會衍生出自身的成本，最終由那些原本需要簡單事實的人承擔，他們現在只是變得更加貧窮，卻仍然無法更接近事實。
艾絲特‧薩默森的敘述是這部小說形式上的最大風險，也是讀者要麼完全沉浸其中，要麼在閱讀過程中時不時產生抵觸情緒的原因。
她善良，始終如一，不帶一絲虛偽的成分。她的善良並非源自於缺乏其他特質，而是源自於她對周遭人的一種特別的關注。這種關注源自於她早年不被愛的經歷，她從中明白愛並非與生俱來，而是一種每日面對環境壓力所做的選擇，因為環境壓力會讓她有理由放棄愛。
她的自嘲既被解讀為令人厭煩，也被解讀為虛偽的謙遜，或是狄更斯未能充分展現女性意識的複雜性；同時，它也被解讀為一位女性的心理印記──她從小就被告知自己沒有存在的權利，並且從未真正恢復過那種對自己感知的信任，就像她給予他人的信任一樣。
這兩種解讀都成立。這部小說要求讀者同時接受這兩種解讀，而這正是狄更斯在其最高水準的創作中對讀者的要求——他以一種不加修飾的方式，將複雜性巧妙地呈現出來。
塔爾金霍恩是小說中最令人恐懼的角色，也是最精準地體現《荒涼山莊》所關注的那種特定邪惡的人。這種邪惡並非單純的殘忍，而是將知識作為權力，系統性地累積他人的秘密，以此作為一種控製手段，這種控制無需任何公開行動，也不會在受害者身上留下任何可見的痕跡。他是一位年邁的律師，身穿黑色西裝，在小說描繪的社交世界中游刃有餘，彷彿早已學會了等待。他熟知客戶、他們的家庭以及他們的過往，而客戶卻對此一無所知。他掌握這些知識並非為了利用，而是因為擁有這些知識本身就是一種力量，一種潛在的控制力遠勝於任何實際行動。
狄更斯深諳，最陰險的社會控製手段往往無需動用，因為人人都知道它們的存在。塔爾金霍恩正是這種理解的化身，小說將制度化的知識描繪成一種精妙絕倫的暴力，以至於它完全失去了暴力的本質。
兩位敘事者的平行結構──一位是全知全能、以現在時態呈現的諷刺憤怒之聲，另一位是艾絲特以過去時態敘述的個人經驗──構成了小說對系統與個人、對體制外視角與體制內生活經驗之間關係的論述。
全知敘述者能夠看到迷霧，能夠命名迷霧，能夠以置身事外的冷靜和精準追溯迷霧的起源。
而艾絲特只能看到眼前的一切：她所愛的人，她精心維繫的小小家庭，她所遭受的疾病，以及在小說中一段時間裡她無法直視的那張臉。兩種視角都不完整。
全知敘事者無法感受到迷霧對特定人物的影響，而艾絲特也無法看到製造迷霧的機器。狄更斯需要同時展現這兩者，才能讓你明白他所要表達的：制度與個人並非兩個不同的主題，而是同一主題的不同視角；而你觀察它的距離決定了你能夠採取的行動。
《荒涼山莊》共八百五十頁，每一頁都充滿了人物，這正是長篇小說與偉大作品的區別所在，也是篇幅的積累與篇幅的充實之間的差異。
狄更斯在1852年至1853年間每月連載這部小說，他深知讀者會為了特定的人物——巴克特、斯金波爾、古比以及斯莫爾維茲一家——而反覆閱讀。小說中的人物如此眾多且形形色色，以至於它營造出一種世界而非故事的氛圍，讓你感覺那些你暫時沒有關注的人物仍然存在於書頁之外的某個地方，會在敘事需要時再次出現。
克魯克，這位以破布和酒瓶為生的商人，如同大法官一般，在小說中途自燃而死。他的自燃是小說中最受熱烈討論的場景，也是最具象徵意義的事件。狄更斯不顧同時代人的科學反對，堅持認為這種意象值得以不合情理的方式呈現；他認為，像他所描述的那樣腐敗的體制，需要一種與其腐敗程度相匹配的怪誕死亡；有些真理需要以不可能的方式承載，才能達到尋常方式無法企及的分量。
迷霧仍在蔓延。賈恩迪斯和賈恩迪斯案仍在造成損失。
在某個地方，一間堆滿紙張的房間裡，一根蠟燭正在燃燒。紙張陳舊不堪，而擁有它的人，正是由他累積的一切所造就。最終的結局，對於一個從內而外燃燒的事物而言，始終是唯一的結局。
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Look Inside This Book
Charles Dickens As A Legal Historian (Hardcover - Nov 2008)
by
William S. Holdsworth (Author)Book: Charles Dickens As A Legal Historian Text extracted from opening pages of book: CHARLES DICKENS AS A LEGAL HISTORIAN PUBLISHED ON THE FUND ESTABLISHED IN MEMORY OF GANSON GOODYEAR DEPEW The Storrs Lectures The addresses contained in this book were de livered in the William L. Storrs Lecture Series, 1927, before the Law School of Yale University. Other titles in this series, published by the Yale University Press, are: The Reform of Legal Procedure, by Moorfield Storey. The Judiciary and the People, by Frederick N. Judson. Concerning Justice, by Lucilius A. Emery. Woman's Suffrage by Constitutional Amendment, by Henry St. George Tucker. The Nature of the Judicial Process, by Benjamin N. Cardozo. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Law, by Roscoe Pound. LONDON Humphrey Milford: Oxford University Press CHARLES DICKENS AS A LEGAL HISTORIAN By William S. Holdsworth K. C., D. CJL Hon. LLD. Vinerian Professor of Law at Oxford University Bencher of Lincoln's Inn' NEW HAVEN Yak University Press 1929' C'opyrtgkV, 1928, by Yale University Press Printed in the United States of America First published, September, 1928 Second printing, January, 1929 I wish to thank my wife and Professor Smalley-Baker, Barber Professor of Law in the University of Birmingham, for seeing these Lectures through the press during my absence in India. W. S. E. Oxford April 1928 Contents I. The Courts and the Dwellings of the Lawyers i II The Lawyers, Lawyers' Clerks, and Other Satellites of the Law 43 III. Bleak House and the Procedure of the Court of Chancery 79 IV. Pickwick and the Procedure of the Common Law 117 Index 151 Dickens as a
作为法律史学家的狄更斯
作者: [英]威廉·S·霍尔兹沃斯
译者: 何帆
副标题: Charles Dickens As a Legal Historian
ISBN: 9787542630445
页数: 190
定价: 25
出版社: 上海三联书店
装帧: 平装
出版年: 2009年5月
作者简介 · · · · · ·
威廉·S.霍尔兹沃思 （1871-1944），英国法律史学家，1922年任剑桥大学瓦伊纳法学教授，代表作为十六卷本的《英国法律史》。这部巨著讲述了从盎格鲁—撒克逊时代 至1875年司法改革时期的英国法历史，被誉为该领域最全面，也是最出色的作品之一。霍尔兹沃思还著有《盎格鲁—美国法律史》（1928）、《作为法律史 学家的狄更斯》（1928），后者是他在耶鲁大学法学院斯托尔斯讲座的授课内容。
何帆，最高人民法院法官，中国人民大学刑法学博士。著有《刑 事没收研究：国际法与比较法的视角》（法律出版社，2007）、《刑民交叉案件审理的基本思路》（中国法制出版社，2007）；译有《九人：美国最高法院 风云》（上海三联书店，2009）；合著《国际法院新近案例研究：1990-2003》（商务印书馆，2006）；另著有小说《一个伪知识分子的警察生 涯》（广西师范大学出版社，2004）。
In ‘Bleak House’ we meet Inspector Bucket of the Detective Police – an unassuming man who believes that ‘every person should have their rights according to justice’. It is perhaps the first detective novel in English and was originally published in 19 instalments in Dickens’s own journal.
The Pickwick Papers, A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens；線上閱讀狄更斯！/The Cambridge Companion to Charles Dickens/ most adapted author of all time
“Caleb was no sorcerer, but in the only magic art that still remains to us, the magic of devoted, deathless love, Nature had been the mistress of his study; and from her teaching, all the wonder came.”―from "The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home" (1845) by Charles Dickens included in A CHRISTMAS CAROL AND OTHER CHRISTMAS BOOKS
The final volume in the Everyman’s Library Charles Dickens collection: the timeless story of everyone’s favorite misanthrope, Ebenezer Scro
oge, together with four more of Dickens’s Christmas tales and with Arthur Rackham’s classic illustrations. No holiday season is complete without the story of tightfisted Mr. Scrooge, of his long-suffering and mild-mannered clerk, Bob Cratchit, of Bob’s kindhearted lame son, Tiny Tim, and of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. First published in 1843, A Christmas Carol was republished in 1852 in a new edition with four other Christmas stories—The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life, and The Haunted Man. These beloved tales revived the notion of the Christmas “spirit”—and have kept it alive ever since. READ an excerpt from the introduction here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/…/a-christmas…/hardcover/
"The Pickwick Papers" by Charles Dickens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmVc94rVTYs
On this day in 1836,
Charles Dickens published the first installment of THE PICKWICK PAPERS.
"There are very few moments in a man's existence when he experiences so much ludicrous distress, or meets with so little charitable commiseration, as when he is in pursuit of his own hat."
--from THE PICKWICK PAPERS
In this classic social commentary from Dickens, Mr. Samuel Pickwick, retired business man and confirmed bachelor, is determined that after a quiet life of enterprise the time has come to go out into the world. Together with the other members of the Pickwick Club: Tracy Tupman, Augustus Snodgrass and Nathaniel Winkle, the portly innocent embarks on a series of hilariously comic adventures. But can Pickwick retain his good will towards his fellow humans once he discovers the evils of the world? Charles Dickens’s satirical masterpiece, THE PICKWICK PAPERS, catapulted the young writer into literary fame when it was first serialized in 1836–37. It recounts the rollicking adventures of the members of the Pickwick Club as they travel about England getting into all sorts of mischief. Laugh-out-loud funny and endlessly entertaining, the book also reveals Dickens’s burgeoning interest in the parliamentary system, lawyers, the Poor Laws, and the ills of debtors’ prisons. READ an excerpt here:
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/…/the-pickwick-papers-by…/
"The Pickwick Papers," officially titled "The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club," is the first novel by Charles Dickens, published serially from 1836 to 1837 and in book form in 1837. This work marked Dickens's emergence as a prominent literary figure and is celebrated for its humor, social commentary, and memorable characters.
The story follows Samuel Pickwick, a kind-hearted and somewhat naive gentleman, who leads the Pickwick Club. Accompanied by his three
companions—Mr. Tupman, an optimistic romantic; Mr. Winkle, a bumbling sportsman; and Mr. Snodgrass, an aspiring poet—Pickwick embarks on a series of adventures across England. Their travels are filled with comedic misadventures, misunderstandings, and encounters with a colorful cast of characters, reflecting the social dynamics of the time.
One of the central themes of the novel is the critique of societal norms and institutions, particularly the legal system. Dickens uses satire to highlight the absurdities and injustices present in Victorian society, making the narrative both entertaining and thought-provoking.
The novel's episodic structure allows for a variety of humorous situations and character developments, showcasing Dickens's talent for vivid storytelling and character creation. The charm of "The Pickwick Papers" lies in its blend of comedy and social critique, making it a beloved classic that continues to resonate with readers today.
You can also get the audio book for FREE using the same link. Use the link to register for the audio book on Audible and start enjoying it.
Happy
#ClassicsinContext day! As soon as he turned 18, Charles Dickens applied for a reader’s ticket at the British Museum, reading Shakespeare and the classics, as well as English and Roman history – building on the Latin skills his mother had taught him. While the idea of becoming a theater performer enticed him, he built his career as a parliamentary reporter, before publishing his first literary work “A Dinner at Poplar Walk” in a monthly publication in December 1833, at age 21.
In August 1834, he was added to the reporting staff of the premiere Whig newspaper, “The Morning Chronicle,” and soon distinguished himself as a brilliant and efficient special correspondent. He began to submit written “Street Sketches” of London to the paper, which were so popular he was commissioned to do similar series in other newspapers – including the “Evening Chronicle,” edited by George Hogarth, the father of the accomplished and beautiful Catherine, who would marry Dickens on 2 April 1836 at St. Luke’s in Chelsea. Only days before, the first volume of the “Pickwick Papers” – comics paired with written sketches by Dickens – premiered; by the end of its 20-volume run in November 1837, the monthly serial had achieved a circulation count of 40,000 and had earned £14,000 – though most notably of all, had catapulted Dickens to popular fame.
In 1836 the 23-year-old Dickens was invited by his publishers to write `a monthly something' illustrated by sporting plates. Thus the Pickwick Club was born: its supposed `papers' soom outgrew their origins and became a brilliantly comic novel, still among Dicken's most popular works.About the Serie...
匹克威克外傳
"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!"
~from "The Pickwick Papers" by
Charles DickensIn this classic social commentary from Dickens, Mr. Samuel Pickwick, retired business man and confirmed bachelor, is determined that after a quiet life of enterprise the time has come to go out into the world. Together with the other members of the Pickwick Club: Tracy Tupman, Augustus Snodgrass and Nathaniel Winkle, the portly innocent embarks on a series of hilariously comic adventures. But can Pickwick retain his good will towards his fellow humans once he discovers the evils of the world?
By STEPHEN JARVIS
Reviewed by MICHAEL UPCHURCH
A novelist argues that 'The Pickwick Papers' was hijacked from its illustrator.
慶祝狄更斯200歲冥誕，線上閱讀狄更斯！
今天（2012.02.07）是英國大文豪狄更斯（Charles Dickens, 1812.02.07-1870.06.09）200歲冥誕，狄更斯被譽為歷來數一數二的英語作家，其作品有《塊肉餘生錄》、《遠大行程》、《孤雛淚》、《尼古拉斯．尼克貝》、《小氣財神》、《雙城記》等，皆可堪稱永垂不朽的經典小說。在眾多作品中，帶自傳體性質的小說《塊肉餘生錄（David Copperfield）》，被許多人視為狄更斯的代表作，臺大圖書館數位學習網的「線上文學書房—英國文學篇」中，就有一門《塊肉餘生錄》導讀課程，由臺大外文系周樹華老師與古佳艷老師進行精彩的對談，帶領您從不同面向重新閱讀《塊肉餘生錄》文本。該課程同時提供臺大圖書館相關館藏書目、重要相關網站等資訊，亦有下載區提供導讀內容的mp3檔及精選文本的文字pdf檔，從線上閱讀到行動學習，今天不妨就來讀讀狄更斯吧！
| Dickens, Charles (b. 2/07/1812 - d.6/09/1870) |
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| Titles | | | Anthologies / Collections | | Classic Romance | NA443012 | | | Classic Fiction | | CHILLING GHOST STORIES | NA291112 | | DICKENS / JAMES: Classic Ghost Stories | NA245912 | | DICKENS, C.: American Notes (Unabridged) | AS-AM308 | | DICKENS, C.: Barnaby Rudge (Abridged) | NA690812 | | DICKENS, C.: Barnaby Rudge (Unabridged) | NAX90912 | | DICKENS, C.: Bleak House (Abridged) | NA844312 | | DICKENS, C.: Bleak House (Unabridged) | NAX43112 | | DICKENS, C.: Christmas Carol (A) (Unabridged) | NA332912 | | DICKENS, C.: David Copperfield (Abridged) | NA415112 | | DICKENS, C.: David Copperfield (Unabridged) | NA0078 | | DICKENS, C.: Dombey and Son (Abridged) | NA899012 | | DICKENS, C.: Dombey and Son (Unabridged) | NAX98912 | | DICKENS, C.: Great Expectations (Abridged) | NA408212 | | DICKENS, C.: Great Expectations (Unabridged) | NAX46212 | | DICKENS, C.: Hard Times (Abridged) | NA311012 | | DICKENS, C.: Hard Times (Unabridged) | NA0023 | | DICKENS, C.: Little Dorrit (Abridged) | NA889912 | | DICKENS, C.: Little Dorrit (Unabridged) | NAX88912 | | DICKENS, C.: Martin Chuzzlewit (Abridged) | NA809612 | | DICKENS, C.: Martin Chuzzlewit (Unabriged) | NAX98312 | | DICKENS, C.: Mystery of Edwin Drood (The) (Unabridged) | NA0092 | | DICKENS, C.: Nicholas Nickleby (Abridged) | NA632612 | | DICKENS, C.: Nicholas Nickleby (Unabridged) | NA0074 | | DICKENS, C.: Old Curiosity Shop (The) (Abridged) | NA689212 | | DICKENS, C.: Old Curiosity Shop (The) (Unabridged) | NAX89512 | | DICKENS, C.: Oliver Twist (Abridged) | NA425912 | | DICKENS, C.: Our Mutual Friend (Abridged) | NA985712 | | DICKENS, C.: Our Mutual Friend (Unabriged) | NAX44212 | | DICKENS, C.: Pickwick Papers (The) (Abridged) | NA416612 | | DICKENS, C.: Pickwick Papers (The) (Unabridged) | NA0071 | | DICKENS, C.: Selections from Sketches by Boz (Abridged) | NA0093 | | DICKENS, C.: Sketches by Boz, Part I (Unabridged) | AS-VI132 | | DICKENS, C.: Tale of Two Cities (A) (Abridged) | NA305712 | | DICKENS, C.: Tale of Two Cities (A) (Unabridged) | NAX35912 | | Short Stories: Classic Chilling Tales, Vol. 2 | NA204912 | | | Fiction | | DICKENS, C.: Poor Relation's Story (The) (Unabridged) | AS-VIC148 | | | Junior Classic Fiction | | DICKENS, C.: Oliver Twist Retold for younger listeners by Roy McMillan (Abridged) | NA0087 | | | Non-Fiction | | DICKENS, C.: Pictures from Italy (Unabridged) | AS-VI145 | | FAVOURITE ESSAYS (Unabridged) |
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- Paperback: 258 pages
- Publisher: Cambridge University Press (June 18, 2001)
- Language: English
The Cambridge Companion to Charles Dickens
Preface;
The life and times of Charles Dickens;
From Sketches to Nickleby;
The middle novels;
Moments of decision in Bleak House;
Novels of the 1850s;
The late novels;
Fictions of childhood;
Fictions of the city;
Gender, family, and domestic ideology;
Dickens and language;
Dickens and the form of the novel;
Dickens and illustration;
Dickens and theatre;
Dickens and film;
Selected bibliography;
Supplementary Material;
How to cite (Modern Language Association style):
John O. Jordan. "The Cambridge Companion to Charles Dickens."
The Cambridge Companion to Charles Dickens. Cambridge University Press, 2001.
Cambridge Collections Online. Cambridge University Press. 12 February 2012
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Charles Dickens bicentenary to be marked with film and TV retrospective
BFI plans comprehensive season celebrating most adapted author of all time in early 2012
Alec Guinness and John Mills in David Lean's film adaptation of Great Expectations, released in 1946. Photograph: Picture Post/Getty Images
From Alec Guinness as Fagin to Miss Piggy as Mrs Cratchit, the
BFI is staging a three-month retrospective of Dickens on film and TV on London's South Bank from January, to mark the novelist's bicentenary.. The season is curated by Michael Eaton and Co-curator Adrian Wootton, said Dickens's influence on cinema and TV had been immense and continues right up to the present day, with Mike Newell's Great Expectations the next movie outing for Dickens. "It demonstrates that he is not a dead, grey old man sitting on dusty shelves who nobody reads, he is a living breathing artist whose work just keeps on rippling and resonating through our culture."
All the novels have been adapted to some degree. There are around 100 silent films, of which around a third still exist, "although we keep finding new ones all over the world and I still think there's many more out there," said Eaton.The season will include the earliest extant example of Dickens on film, a fragment from 1901 called Scrooge – or Marley's Ghost, and a version of Oliver Twist starring Jackie Coogan, who made his name in Charlie Chaplin's The Kid and who, much later in life, made his name all over again as Uncle Fester in the The Addams Family. The film was believed lost for decades until a print turned up in Yugoslavia in the 70s. Coogan himself helped with its reconstruction. Classic Dickens adaptations will include David Lean's 1948 Oliver Twist, Carol Reed's 1968 musical Oliver! and Roman Polanski's 2005 darker take. The curators said many people first encountered Dickens through TV and so five major adaptations will be screened in their entirety, beginning with Our Mutual Friend (1976) and ending with Bleak House (1985) in March. The RSC's eight-hour production The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, which was on the fledgling Channel 4, will also be screened with a panel discussion involving directors Trevor Nunn and John Caird, and actor David Threlfall who died so memorably as Smike.
Purists will also be delighted to see The Muppet Christmas Carol, which had Michael Caine as Scrooge and Kermit as Bob Cratchit, being shown in Christmas week.
The season is just one element of
Dickens 2012, an international celebration marking the bicentenary of his birth on 7 February 2012.
| 【本報綜合外電報導】十九世紀英國大文豪狄更斯，作品在世界各地流傳，紀念狄更斯冥誕二百周年，倫敦博物館推出一九七○年以來最大特展，展出珍貴手稿及他創作時所用的桌椅至六月十日。
特展首席籌辦人沃納表示，狄更斯（Charles Dickens）是十九世紀文壇最重要的作家，他的影響力遍及全球，作品同時翻譯成歐洲多種語言，也翻譯成中文。
這個以「狄更斯和倫敦」為名的特展，倫敦博物館籌備二年，除了本身的收藏並向二十個單位借展，展出三百多件作品。
沃納說，特展裡不容錯過的是狄更斯使用過的桌椅，他在展出桌椅上完成《遠大前程》（Great Expectations）及《我們共同的朋友》（Our Mutual Friends）二部重要作品。
狄更斯勤於寫作，每天八時吃完早餐，巡視家中一切都安好，就到書房回覆一些重要信件，然後開始創作到午餐時間。
更難得的是，參觀者可以在展場看到狄更斯經典作品《荒涼山莊》（Bleak House）及《塊肉餘生》（David Copperfield）的手稿。
特展還安排狄更斯作品被改編的劇本，當時劇場的演員服裝，還有維多利亞女王時代當時倫敦樣貌的影片、畫作和物品，讓參觀者認識十九世紀時的倫敦城。
沃納說，狄更斯作品裡有不少對窮人的描寫，一方面是他對倫敦貧窮居民為生活的掙扎十分同情，另一方面，他也想透過作品喚起政府的重視，進而改善窮人的生活。
David Copperfield and Dora Spenlow with her pet dog, Jip. From 'The Works of Charles Dickens Household edition [With illustrations].' (1872) |
