Meetings

Invitation to our next meeting

“Rich folks may ride on camels but it ain’t so easy for them to see out of a needle’s eye”. (Mrs. Gamp in Martin Chuzzlewit)

Dear Dickensians,

It’s our pleasure to invite you to the summer meeting of the Haarlem Branch. You are expected on Saturday 8 June at 3 PM in Het Wapen van Kennemerland (phone: +31(0)23-52.40.532) situated at the Ramplaan 125 in Haarlem, which has rooms reserved for you. It’s about a half hours’ walk from Overveen station, but you can also take a taxi from Haarlem central station or bus line 81 to bus stop Ramplaankwartier; from there it takes a walk of approximately 600 meters.

This afternoon we will have a dual program, starting with a short reading by:

Hans Bouman on: Dickens and Dostojevski

The speaker will discuss a message about a meeting between both men in 1862, send into the world by a frustrated scientist, to which (prominent) Dickensians had attached value. The moral is that you should not believe everything you read; not this either.

After this we will continue with discussing our Book of Study: Martin Chuzzlewit. A few of us have prepared something, and also this time there will be a quiz (The Thick Book Contest).

The board expects an overwhelming turnout because for a dual program you had to go to the Cineac in past times and there it all that remained to be seen; not here.

In the quote above Mrs. Gamp corrupts a passage from the New Testament; the correct text reads: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (King James Version; Luke 18.25). “The eye of the needle” is not, as Mrs. Gamp apparently assumes, the eye of a darning needle but the name of a low gate that was located within the city walls of Jerusalem. This as a reassurance for the wealthier members.

As usual you will have to give your name to the secretary to participate in the dinner, with the specification “vegetarian” if applicable. I’ve had a consultation with Het Wapen about the slow service at the last meeting. They promised to do better next time.

Yours in Fellowship,

P. de Groot (honorary secretary)