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This topic is for anything you want to say in advance of the discussion (though please avoid spoilers), which I hope to start at the beginning of December. I am waiting for my copy to arrive, and when it does I will attempt to share a reading schedule.

Thanks for taking this on Hugh! I’ve read a lot of Dickens but actually not ever read this one so I’m looking forward to it.

I have a request - would it be possible to get threads a few weeks at a time? I am notoriously bad at sticking to xxpages/week. I try but it just doesn’t often work for the way I read. So it would be great to have a place to discuss for people who read ahead of the schedule.

Amanda wrote: "Thanks for taking this on Hugh! I’ve read a lot of Dickens but actually not ever read this one so I’m looking forward to it.

I have a request - would it be possible to get threads a few weeks at ..."

I like that idea - in fact my plan was to read the whole book in one go (probably starting in late November), and to make enough notes to create the threads later, and you are probably not the only one who doesn't want to be too constrained by the reading schedule.

Great thanks!

This sounds like a good fit for me timing wise and I would love to read with a group. Hope it’s okay if I join the reading!

I’m not yet sure if I am going to participate in this read or not. This is one of Dickens�� works that I haven’t read yet, but I’m part of a dedicated Dickens group that I usually read them with. I will have to see how I feel when December rolls around.

I'd like to join this group read. The group may be interested in this organization/website

I'm looking forward to getting back into a Chunkster group read! I love Dickens but still have plenty of his works that I haven't read, including this one. Off to sort out a copy of the book in time for December.

Thanks for organising Hugh!

My copy has now arrived, but I am away for the weekend so may not get round to posting the schedule until early next week.

Sounds good Hugh. Enjoy your weekend!

I plan to join too. I'm not a great Dickens fan but have read Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, Hard Times, Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield and The Signalman short story. I recently passed up reading The Old Curiosity Shop in a Victorians group because I wasn't interested in reading that Dickens novel.

The Dickens I do want to read are Bleak House, Little Dorrit and Our Mutual Friend. While it might have been 3rd on the list, as I've previously seen the TV miniseries of the first 2 books, Our Mutual Friend is actually a better choice, And, I own a copy of the 1998 miniseries of the book, as yet unwatched, on DVD to watch upon finishing the book.

Bleak House is my favorite Dickens. I’m due a reread of that but I’m really looking forward to getting into Out Mutual Friend.

Ah, my timing is off! I finished Our Mutual Friend last month and thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope you enjoy it too.

You can still contribute to the discussion. I have been reading it in preparation and will probably finish tomorrow. I will post the first discussion threads over the weekend or early next week.

One word of warning - if your edition, like mine, contains Dickens' original number plans i.e. the notes he made while constructing the bare bones of the story, and you are not familiar with the plot, beware that some of the key twists are spoiled long before they are revealed in the main text. So if you want to read the story unspoiled do not read them too early.

I finished my initial read yesterday, and have now finished typing up my attempts at chapter summaries, so I can use these when creating the week by week discussion threads.

You’re a speedy reader Hugh! I’m looking forward to getting started on this and to discussing it with you and the group.

Really looking forward to this! I have not started reading yet but I do have a couple of general baseline questions. I always struggle with money in Dickens books. Is there an “exchange rate�� from the book era to today? I’ve tried googling this with mixed success. The last Dickens book I never really felt comfortable with conversations about money. The other thing I was wondering was when OMF is set?

I think the setting was contemporary so 1860s.

Best of luck with the revival of this group! I won't be joining in as I've read it twice already - my constant problem with reading group choices. It's a great book with a few nice twists and turns so I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Nicola wrote: "Best of luck with the revival of this group! "

While I'm sorry you won't be participating, it's good to hear your positive opinion of the book.

I best get reading on this one, looking forward to it as haven't read much Dickens and what I have was in my youth.

I have the Penguin black spine edition and in the front matter is a Note on the text. I noticed at the bottom that Dickens had to submit this in EXACTLY 32 page increments. I can't imagine how challenging that must have been.

I've been reading to schedule but haven't had a chance to check in with the group yet. I'll head over to the weekly threads now but just wanted to say hi.

Even though this book isn't set at Christmas, Dickens always gives me a Christmassy feel so this is a great time to start tackling this chunkster!

I have a Project Guttenberg edition on my kindle and it's listed at only 285 pages, which is such a lie haha! It's a bit annoying to be reading for 30 minutes and it says I've read 4 pages!

I apologize for not checking in! I read week one during week one, but then got sidetracked and didn't comment. And now I am behind on the weekly readings. I do still hope to catch up and continue, but it might have to wait until I have time off at Christmas. I knew I was taking a chance at tackling this given my reduced print reading time in the past few months. Without reading the spoiler threads, I hope everyone is enjoying the book so far.

Hi .... I like it that the chapters are paced that it's possible to have a pause, break, or no time to read & possible to catch up in the next week/s but I'm doing this via an audiobook while house painting so I have time I wouldn't have with a physical book.
it's taken a little bit to get used to listening Dickens style on audio as it's easy to miss clever little lines, in a way there's always something happening, it's not a linear plot, there's lots of wit and setting up.

The schedule is more of a guide than anything stronger - late contributions are always welcome, and I am happy to open up more of the threads early if there is a demand for it - in fact I am tempted to start the week 4 discussion later today.

Lisa Bianca wrote: "I'm doing this via an audiobook while house painting so I have time I wouldn't have with a physical book.
it's taken a little bit to get used to listening Dickens style on audio as it's easy to miss clever little lines"

I tried listening to Hard Times by audio book and found it too difficult and ended up switching to print. Now I read all my Dickens in print. I could probably do audio after I've already read a particular book in print, but otherwise there are too many characters and plots to keep track of. And like you said, a lot of witty lines that might be missed on audio.

Linda wrote: "Lisa Bianca wrote: "I'm doing this via an audiobook while house painting so I have time I wouldn't have with a physical book.
it's taken a little bit to get used to listening Dickens style on audio..."

Yes, I agree audio not such a struggle second time through. But not much opportunity to sit with a book at the moment. I am getting used to training myself to not just let the words float by though, that they might be all important in this sort of work ... or they may be just witty observations and distractions.