In Started Early, Took My Dog, Kate Atkinson’s private investigator Jackson Brodie examines the folder he’s just stolen from social worker Linda Pallister’s desk and remembers:
the Dickensian piles of papers and files in her messy office. You could hide a small child—or a dog—in there and not notice it for days.
Atkinson, I suppose, wants to invoke the frightful mounds of paperwork generated by ineffectual or malevolent court officials—as described in Bleak House and other Dickens novels. But it’s surprising that Jackson would describe anything (to himself) as “Dickensian,” because he’s not very well-read; a big breakthrough is his new-found admiration for Emily Dickinson. So obviously the author is intruding here, with such a literary reference.
In looking up “Dickensian,” I found an article by Matthew Pearl, written in 2009 as a tie-in to his novel The Last Dickens. (Great book!) Pearl notes: “Considering what a prolific writer Dickens was, the word Dickensian could legitimately cover a vast thematic territory, explaining at least some of the variety of its applications.” I like Pearl’s suggestion to readers: use the word “Dickensian” in a sentence to see how people will react—will they take the reference for granted?
Have you seen something Dickensian today?
