I'm working my way through Miscellaneous Papers Volume II by Charles Dickens--one of the 36 Volumes in The Complete Dickens as published by Heron Books * And I'm sorry to say that it IS work. Very few of the pieces in either this book or its companion volume (I) are anything more than tedious. Which I hasten to point out is not the case with the vast majority of the Volumes in this collection. Dickens is an amazing novelist, and other than Martin Chuzzlewit, which was weak but not horrifically bad, I'd recommend any of his other novels with great enthusiasm, and I'd place several of them as among the best novels I've ever read. (Details available HERE.)
But every little once in awhile there's a bit in Miscellaneous Papers which grabs me. Here's one I read today in a Dickens essay on Art:
I think it suggests a way of looking at Art which hadn't occurred to me before: that the reason we (or at least some of us) are drawn towards Art is because it makes US feel important. It reminds me of the (Bishop) George Berkeley adage, "esse is percipi,": to be is to be perceived. According to Dickens (at least here), our existence is validated by the work of Art...because the work of Art was produced with a viewer in mind. Thus when we fill that role, we are essentially perceived by the Artist even as we perceive his/her/their work.
It's a unique idea. Worth pondering, at least.
* Currently going for $188.51+$73.90 shipping on eBay, but I'll sell you my set for $200, shipping included. You just have to wait a couple of months while I finish off reading my last volumes.
No comments:
Post a Comment