Reviews

Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens

andriella's review against another edition

funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

hannah850's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

msrichardsreads89's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

krobart's review

4.0

Although the novel is not critically accepted as one of Dickens’s major works, it is still enjoyable. It is full of vibrant characters–-mostly those of good will but also some villains–-and it is gripping to the end. Some critics have noticed a change in the novel that takes place with the death of the young Paul, believing that having the colorless Florence and the unlikable Dombey as the main characters is not enough to carry the story forward. The absence of Walter and his uncle through much of the book is also thought to be a problem. However, the novel has all of the Dickens hallmarks–-social commentary, comic absurdity, realism, pathos, and transformation.

See my complete review here:

http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/dombey-and-son/

dragonarts's review

4.0

John Carker is our lizard man. 10/10 lizard, 2/10 squishability.
Fun, overall very balanced in terms of plot and set pieces. Would have liked to see fewer chapters dedicated to how sad Florence is because we get it, she's sad.
Good twist too, Dickens, although you could have seen it a mile away. Two good twists actually. I appreciate a twister.

taitlawsen's review

4.0

Every character is fascinating, and every punchy description is so accessible that you’ll wonder why you haven’t heard it before.

lddecker's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

bupdaddy's review

2.0

It had most of the usual Dickens' elements, but somehow this one never really clicked with me. His jerks are jerkish enough (though not outright criminal), and his pure-of-heart characters are as good as gold, and as good as the pure-of-heart characters in other Dickens.

I'm not sure what didn't work, but by the end I was just waiting for it to be over (and the denouement lasted a couple of chapters too long).

littletaiko's review

5.0

This is the latest in my slow moving quest to read all of Dickens novels. As soon as I started reading this one I realized how much I had missed his stories. This one is is one of his best with the usual assortment of colorful characters. I enjoyed all the various story lines and never found my attention wavering. It's not as good as my absolute favorite of his A Tale of Two Cities, but it's still a favorite.

victoria92's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75