Reviews

The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens

pershie13's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.5

This was a great holiday read that I read in a few days around Christmas. It covers the story of John and Dot, a married couple with a large age gap who are coming upon their wedding anniversary. They take in a stranger to their house. Meanwhile, they also have relationships with a poor man named Caleb and his blind daughter Bertha, as well as a grumpy toymaker Mr. Tackleton. Tackleton is about to get married to a girl named May. Meanwhile, Caleb works for Tackleton and is essentially his daughter's eyes, describing the world around her since she cannot see. This story shows the love and tension in their various relationships while following the general format of Dickens' Christmas short stories. This was a fun read with a great ending, and I enjoyed picking up this quick read toward the end of the year.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Gun violence

chris_davies's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

welllovedspines's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

The Verdict: I keep trying to get myself to enjoy Dickens on some level, but I don't think this story did it for me. It is a decent enough story that is perfect for the holiday and winter season in terms of vibes though. 
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REVIEW: 

The Cricket on the Hearth is another well-known "Christmas" story from Dickens. However, I liked this one less than some of the others I've read. I find his descriptions of some things to be so meandering and metaphorical that it's honestly just confusing. And I love lyrical writing. But something about Dickens just doesn't click for me. I really struggled to follow this one and stay engrossed in the story. And then the betrayal that is part of the plot came across as really gross and wrong to me. There is a happy ending at least. 

Overall, I still don't think Dickens is for me, but I know there are other short stories and novels of his that are on my "want to read" list. I haven't quite given up yet. This story was perfectly fine, but I tend to think the concept behind the story was better than what it actually was in execution.

cms_books's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.0

philosopher_kj's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-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

3.0

lucym80's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

arianna_w's review against another edition

2.0

I did not like it. The story was unnecessarily long and the narration unnecessarily convoluted. Plot is thin, almost non-existent, and made even more confusing because of Dickens' verbose writing style. Also, the characters are melodramatic. The book was so dull, I seriously considered giving up after I reached the halfway mark. However, I did not want to quit Dickens, especially when the story is only about 100 pages.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel: a twist, however unconvincing, but I'll take whatever I can get! Perhaps the twist is Dickens' reward to the reader for actually making it to the end of the book. I know Dickens likes his stories to make a point. So, if I had to guess, the moral of The Cricket on the Hearth is to not lie(?).

Just before COTH, I read the universally-known tale, A Christmas Carol, of which I wasn't a fan. Maybe Dickens just isn't for me. Sigh.

legalois's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 but I’m rounding up. I enjoyed it and there were
some perfect moments of delightful British humor that I always appreciate. It just wasn’t great. What took it up a notch for me was the positive portrayal of a marriage with a big age gap. As someone who is in a wonderful marriage with a big age gap, I appreciated how it handled it and the assumptions people make.
The framing of the story with the cricket on the hearth was delightful.

13delathauwere's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-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

audreylee's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

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

5.0