David Copperfield

I have finished David Copperfield this morning. I promptly added it to my list of favorite books. I read the chapters entailing *spoiler alert!* Dora's death last night when I was very tired and cried and cried. It has been a long time since I've read any Dickens. I went through quite a phase when I was 13 or so. I didn't read David Copperfield then. I had seen an old black and white movie of it and was so horrified by his stepfather that I didn't want to read it. I am very glad to read it now, when I understand things so much better than I did then. It would really have been entirely lost on me at that stage.

Chapter 44 was one of my favorites, "Our Housekeeping" especially David's talk with his aunt. I love her advice to him:

"'These are early days, Trot,' she pursued, 'and Rome was not built in a day, nor in a year. You have chosen freely for yourself'; a cloud passed over her face for a moment, I thought; 'and you have chosen a very pretty and a very affectionate creature. It will be your duty, and it will be your pleasure too - of course I know that; I am not delivering a lecture - to estimate her (as you chose her) by the qualities she has, and not by the qualities she may not have. The latter you must develop in her, if you can. And if you cannot, child,' here my aunt rubbed her nose, 'you must just accustom yourself to do without 'em. But remember, my dear, your future is between you two. No one can assist you; you are to work it out for yourselves. This is marriage, Trot; and Heaven bless you both, in it, for a pair of babes in the wood as you are!'"

Wonderful advice indeed!