Roberta Writes – Dickens reading challenge: The Battle of Life, a love story

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I am participating in the Dickens Novella Challenge which is being hosted by Marsha Ingrao from Always Write blog (this is her latest post for the challenge: https://alwayswrite.blog/2023/02/13/dickenschallenge-novella-4-the-battle-of-life/); Trent McDonald from Trent’s world (https://trentsworld.blog/2023/02/07/the-third-annual-dickens-challenge-a-triple-threat/) and Yvette Prior (https://priorhouse.wordpress.com/2023/02/09/five-novella-descriptions-2023-dickenschallenge-read-one-novella-by-june-9th-post-2/).

You can read my first post about A Christmas Carol here: https://roberta-writes.com/2023/02/21/roberta-writes-dickens-novella-challenge-a-christmas-carol-dickenschallenge-readingcommunity/

You can read my second post about The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home here: https://roberta-writes.com/2023/02/28/roberta-writes-dickens-novella-challenge-the-cricket-on-the-hearth-a-fairy-tale-of-home-readingcommunity-dickens/

You can read my third post about The Chimes, A Goblin Story here: https://roberta-writes.com/2023/03/22/dark-origins-the-chimes-a-goblin-story-a-novella-by-charles-dickens/

This is my fourth post about The Battle of Life, A love story. It is also my last as I just can’t read The Haunted Man. I’ve tried three times and I can’t get into it. If you would like to read more about that particular story, you can find other readers contributions here: https://alwayswrite.blog/2023/06/09/2023-dickens-challenge-ending-soon/

The Battle of Life, a love story by Charles Dickens

Picture credit: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/40723/40723-h/40723-h.htm

The Battle of Life is a love story by Charles Dickens that was first published in 1846. It is the fourth of Dickens’ five Christmas Books. It is the only story in the collection that does not have a supernatural element.

The story is set in an English village which many years earlier had been the scene of a horrific battle. Some of the characters in the story compare life’s struggles with that battle.

The outstanding part of this story for me was the introduction. Dickens’ description of the great battle was amazing and has stayed with me. This is the first paragraph:

“Once upon a time, it matters little when, and in stalwart England, it matters little where, a fierce battle was fought. It was fought upon a long summer day when the waving grass was green. Many a wild flower formed by the Almighty Hand to be a perfumed goblet for the dew, felt its enamelled cup fill high with blood that day, and shrinking dropped. Many an insect deriving its delicate color from harmless leaves and herbs, was stained anew that day by dying men, and marked its frightened way with an unnatural track. The painted butterfly took blood into the air upon the edges of its wings. The stream ran red. The trodden ground became a quagmire, whence, from sullen pools collected in the prints of human feet and horses’ hoofs, the one prevailing hue still lowered and glimmered at the sun.”

This scene is so vivid I have it in my mind to draw it with oil pastels. Sadly, true to my character, I now have so many art projects on the go (an elephant, a hippo, a dancing girl’s head, and an orchid), my plan has gone on a back burner.

Plot summary

Two sisters, Grace and Marion, live in a village built on the great battlefield. Their father, Dr Jeddler, a good natured widower, is rather an unusual character and lightens the problems in his own and his daughters lives with exaggerated humour and jest. Dr Jeddler is the guardian to Alfred Heathfield, a lovely young man who is engaged to Marion and who, at the beginning of the story, is leaving for London to complete his studies to become a doctor. When taking his leave of the family, Alfred entrusts the care of Marion to her older sister, Grace. It is clear from an early stage in the book that Grace is in love with Alfred but is prepared to sacrifice her love due to her loyalty and love for Marion. The family is tended to by two servants, Clemency Newcome and Ben Britain.

Picture credit: Marion and Grace in the garden being addressed by their father, Dr Jeddler from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/40723/40723-h/40723-h.htm

During the time that Alfred is away, Marion befriends another young man, Michael Warden. Michael has run through a lot of his inherited wealth due to ‘bad’ living and his two solicitors, Snitchey and Craggs, are helping him sort out his affairs. they have advised Michael to leave and be away for about six years. The two lawyers believe that Michael has talked Marion into eloping with him, but they make no comment to him in this regard. Clemency is also of the opinion that Marion is in love with Michael having seen her having a clandestine meeting with Michael late one evening. On the day Alfred is due to return, Marion disappears and it is assumed she has eloped with Michael Warden.

Six years pass and Clemency has married Ben and set up an tavern in the village.. Alfred has fallen in love with Grace and the pair have married and have a daughter called Marion. Michael Warden comes back to the village and is unmarried. He reveals that he asked Marion to marry him but she had said no and had gone away to live with her Aunt Martha. Marion knew that Grace loved Alfred far more than she did and had sacrificed her own love and life to enable Alfred to fall in love with Grace.

Marion returns to the village and is reunited with her family and with Michael Warden whom she ends up marrying.

For me, the storyline was a little unrealistic as I don’t believe young girls of Marion’s age make such huge personal sacrifices. They are too young to be so empathetic and selfless. However, it was still a good story and the beginning was superb.

Picture credit: https://wreninkpaper.com/2023/01/31/this-week-in-the-dickens-club-the-battle-of-life/

Quotes from The Battle of Life, a love story

I believe, Mr. Snitchey,’ said Alfred, ‘there are quiet victories and struggles, great sacrifices of self, and noble acts of heroism, in it – even in many of its apparent lightnesses and contradictions – not the less difficult to achieve, because they have no earthly chronicle or audience – done every day in nooks and corners, and in little households, and in men’s and women’s hearts – any one of which might reconcile the sternest man to such a world, and fill him with belief and hope in it.”

“For a long time, no village girl would dress her hair or bosom with the sweetest flower from that field of death: and after many a year had come and gone, the berries growing there, were still believed to leave too deep a stain upon the hand that plucked them.”

“We part with tender relations stretching far behind us, that never can be exactly renewed, and with others dawning – yet before us.”

Do you enjoy Dickens? Have you read these Christmas novellas? Let me know in the comments.

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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67 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Dickens reading challenge: The Battle of Life, a love story”

    1. Hi Liz, I only remember reading Hard Times at school which wasn’t his best work. I have never studied literature, I am doing it on my own now (smile). I always read Dickens though, from when I was 10 years old and was allowed to touch my mom’s books. I read them with a dictionary next to me. I still remember a lot of the words I learned during that time like countenance.

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          2. Let me know how your July looks. I am going away and there will be a lot of driving so lots of book listening. I can listen to this one then. I also have the ebook. I like that because if you switch between the two media, it keeps your place in both formats.

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  6. There were a few really good parts to this, like, as you said, the description of the battle, but I’ll admit that this was my least favorite of the five. OK, there was some humor, like the lawyers and the servants, but over all, I just never connected with any character. And the point, with its allusions to a life and death battle, just didn’t seem right. Anyway, I will say more later 😉

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      1. I think I already said to you, but… yeah, The Haunted Man was the hardest to get into, but once I did, I actually liked it. Maybe not my favorite, but better than I expected after the rocky beginning.

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          1. I wasn’t aware of most of those novellas, either! Reading blogs is indeed an education. And, yes, “The Grapes of Wrath” is fantastic, and does say a LOT about the cycle of poverty.

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  8. Hi, Robbie – I wholeheartedly agree with the others. This is an excellent, very well-written summary of a Battle of Life. Like you, I most appreciated the opening. While I also enjoyed Dickens’ trademark social commentary and vivid characterizations here, I felt that this novella’s shortcoming was Dickens’ attempt to tell such an intricate tale in three condensed chapters.

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    1. HI Donna, yes, maybe the story was to complex to be so short. It would have been good to learn more about what happened to all the characters during the six years. When I read Dickens though, I just bow down to such a master of words and story telling. My four stars is merely and indication that I liked a story a little less. Unfortunately, the scale only goes to five. He should get 10 for some books.

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    1. Hi Jan, lovely to see you. Actually, this is less dramatic than most of his works and doesn’t have a strong social message. I think it is one of his only stories that doesn’t have that iconic message. I loved the beginning and I will draw it. I was asked to draw illustrations for a book and I mentioned it to another friend and he asked if I could help him too. My art has taken an unexpected turn towards illustrations which is rather pleasing.

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  11. I did not read this one, Robbie. I read The Cricket…and The Haunted Man. It did take some pushing through to first third of Haunted Man, but I liked it one it got rolling. The best thing about Dickens is his descriptions. I’m trying to finish A Christmas Carol to post by the 16th.

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    1. HI Tim, I must admit that I thought the plot was a bit unrealistic. My mom, however, told me it was plausible at the time. I love the opening scene, It is melancholic, especially for you who has been in battle, but the idea that the flora and fauna are tainted by the bloodshed is fascinating to me.

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  14. I’ve not heard of this novella, Robbie, but the writing sounds wonderful. I agree, that opening is so descriptive you could close your eyes and see it. I love the look of the pages you added.

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  16. I’d never heard about this story before, Robbie. I’ve read some of the longer novels and A Christmas Carol, but you’ve reminded me I should check the rest of his work. Great review!

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  17. You loved Dicken’s introduction and I loved yours. Lol. I’d never heard of this novella, Robbie, and that’s a vivid description. No wonder you want to draw what you see in your mind’s eye. Thanks for sharing the plot and your review.

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        1. HI Diana, I am doing a lot of reading lately and a lot of poetry and children’s writing and drawing and cake art but no writing for adults. I seem to have lost all interest in writing novels for adults. I made a conscious decision to rather do what I like well than keep trying to force myself to do something I’ve lost interest in.

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          1. Sounds perfectl to me, Robbie. If you have a choice, why spend any time at all doing something that doesn’t interest you? Life is way, way too short for that nonsense. And you have a lot of interests and talents to enjoy. ❤

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  18. I’ve actually never read (or even heard of) this one, but I do love the Dickens I’ve read (A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop). I very much understand your dream of creating a work of art from his vivid imagery. Best wishes! ❤

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  19. I enjoyed your summary and quotes. I also know what you mean about the girl being too young to make such sacrifice. I know children grew up a lot sooner back then – and then I know that some individuals mature faster – but sometimes young is young – and so I agree with you
    🙂

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