Acquired taste

The first sentence of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist:

"Among other public buildings in the town of Mudfog, it boasts of one which is common to most towns great or small, to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse there was born on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events, the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter. "

If you made it through that and comprehend it, congrats. If you let out a little chuckle, welcome to my club.

I realize that most might not have my reaction to Dickens. If we remember, earlier this year (for class) I read Bleak House TWICE. The first for comprehension and the second to go further in depth. Now that I've front loaded Dickens, though, I can read the above sentence and have the following, genuine reaction: Dickens, oh how I have missed thee!

I am only nine pages into Oliver and I am already cracking up. Seriously, early Dickens is a laugh riot. Oh how I have missed how every single word, look, and name have significant meaning. After reading a slew of books which can basically be glossed while still gleaning the meaning, I am thoroughly enjoying having to actually pay attention whilst I read.

On occasion, in my quest to not be a book snob, I forget how much I love British Lit. Besides just super loving it (Moll Flanders anyone?), I also enjoy that a lot of people think it stuffy and difficult. After donning literary armor and fighting for Victorian Lit to the average person, I even sometimes have to defend myself against my fellow English majors (those of the American Lit variety).

But here I am, standing by the fact that during this winter-y time there is nothing I'd like to do more than sit in my grandma chair with Dickens and a hot toddy!

"And what an excellent example of the power of dress young Oliver Twist was! Wrapped in the blanket which had hitherto formed his only covering, he might have been the child of a nobleman or a beggar...But now he was enveloped in the old calico robes...he was badged and ticketed...to be cuffed and buffeted through the world, despised by all, and pitied by none."
Charles Dickens