[Verginius Rufus]

I read two of Charles Dickens' novels--A Tale of Two Cities while in high school and Great Expectations in college. I would, if given a choice, prefer one of the Russian 19th-century novelists--Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, or Turgenev. If I was recommending a Dickens book to Oprah, I'd tell her to pick A Child's History of England.

I haven't read all of that but liked the part about Puritan coffee houses where the Puritans would gather and talk through their noses. But I doubt many of her readers would make it through that work--too much information.

[BenKenobi]

What is Turgenev like? I’ve not read him.

[luckystarmom]

I read A Tale of Two Cities in high school and loved it. My son just read Great Expectations last year in high school and hated it. However,I think it is just not his type of book. Too much romance.