Hello Friends!
SPOILER ALERT FOR DAVID COPPERFIELD BY CHARLES DICKENS
I’m strangely inspired to talk villains, having recently re-read (via audio book) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. It contains no less than six, hearty villains—two women and four men. One of them—the main baddie—is probably my all-time favourite. The inimitable, Uriah Heep.
Charles Dickens was a deft hand at creating villains. His pen dripped with so much humour, bile, clarity, and insight into human nature, that it’s hard to read his rogues without being thoroughly stirred up. Uriah Heep is in a category of his own, in my opinion. A fawning, ginger-haired snake in worm’s clothing, who leaves a slimy trail of false humility, sly contrivance and deeply poisonous intentions. I felt as though I wanted to shower after every Uriah Heep scene. He’s so hideously good!
David Copperfield is a mammoth read, as are most of Dickens’ novels, and the book’s namesake is probably one of the least interesting characters in it. David ‘Trotwood’ Copperfield is just a well-intentioned, charming fella who follows the typical hero’s journey from woe-upon-woe to flow. I suspect, this book was actually written to portray Uriah Heep, who is such a creation that he renders this a ‘must-read’.
There are loads of other excellent characters in David Copperfield, making it endearing and entertaining to boot. It contains Dickens’ usual acerbic wit, offering loads of laughs alongside many tuggings of the heart-strings.
When it comes to Dickens, well-narrated audio books can really do justice to his characters. If audio books are your thing, I recommend finding one with a good narrator who can bring all the characters in David Copperfield to life, particularly the villain-iest villain, Uriah Heep. I listened to this version, narrated by Richard Armitage, who did a brilliant job.
What a master Charles Dickens is to have created Uriah Heep. If you if you love villains and you haven’t read David Copperfield, what are you waiting for?
With love,
Lisa
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