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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
I recently found myself craving a little Dickens. Considering it’s #victober the timing seeemed ideal. I opted for Our Mutual Friend, his final finished work, solely on the basis that it was the highest ranked book that I hadn’t read on a random internet “Best Books by Charles Dickens” list. While it wasn’t my favourite, it did deliver many of the things I love about Dickens.
A lengthy and meaty plot, with plenty of fascinating subplots. In other words the sort of book I can really get absorbed in.
A delightfully discursive style. Dickens is not succinct but I have a real fondness for his lengthy sentences, the way he uses so many words to convey exactly what he means.
A cast of colourful and memorable characters, including- or perhaps especially - the villains. Dickens’s skill at exposing human foibles is unparalleled. And, although they were crafted more than 150 years ago, his characters are still recognisable and relatable to the modern reader. Sadly rich people didn’t stop behaving badly at the end of the nineteenth century.
So much humour. Often of the sardonic variety which I love. And frequently involving pompous self-important characters revealing their true natures.
A biting critique of the social ills of the age. In this case the focus was especially on greed and money. Having one character read The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire was a not-too-subtle way of drawing parallels with the decadence and corruption in British society. Using a dust heap as the source of a fortune is another symbolic poke at the wealthy and how they make their money.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism
I tried several times to start this book and kept putting it down, but once I finally got going I was hooked. It's no wonder I've seen this described as Dickens' best comic novel, it really is chock-full of wonderful characters once the story gets going it pulled me along with it. There's conspiracy, greed, redemption, romance and plenty of sarcastic social commentary. [b:A Tale of Two Cities|1953|A Tale of Two Cities|Charles Dickens|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344922523s/1953.jpg|2956372] used to be my favorite Dickens novel, but I think Our Mutual Friend may claim that place.
To me, reading Dickens is like looking in tiny miniature windows at families seated around fat pot-bellied stoves, cooking a chicken on a spit, playing music- the women in dry, powdery ringlets and the men with mutton-chop whiskers. I laughed cheerily at the characters and they seemed somewhat like cartoons. I read recently that Dickens saw the world as a child would- happy, innocent characters usually win out over the villains in the end. I wonder if that is true.
i hated reading this book but i also loved reading it? michaelmas reading list is killing me
I wasn't sure that I could love a Dicken's book more than I loved [b:Nicholas Nickleby|325085|Nicholas Nickleby|Charles Dickens|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1213473085s/325085.jpg|4993095].
You could say this is a story of money, but Our Mutual Friend is truly more. Dickens tells the tale of a wide array of Londoners (and a few outside of London) and the effect that a recent inheritance of miserly garbageman has on all of them. The story reads like a web that is delicately being spun from one character to the other.
Much like the TV series LOST (where I learned of the book), you slowly come to realize that every single character is connected. Not only to each other, but to John Harmon (the son of the late miser who is found dead in the river at the beginning of the book).
I could go on, but no half so well as this review does.
Also, I read the book via The Literature Network.
Two final thoughts:
1) Whenever there is anybody or anything that is fascinating, I feel the urge to call them/it Fascinating Fledgeby.
2) I want a cat named Twemlow.
You could say this is a story of money, but Our Mutual Friend is truly more. Dickens tells the tale of a wide array of Londoners (and a few outside of London) and the effect that a recent inheritance of miserly garbageman has on all of them. The story reads like a web that is delicately being spun from one character to the other.
Much like the TV series LOST (where I learned of the book), you slowly come to realize that every single character is connected. Not only to each other, but to John Harmon (the son of the late miser who is found dead in the river at the beginning of the book).
I could go on, but no half so well as this review does.
Also, I read the book via The Literature Network.
Two final thoughts:
1) Whenever there is anybody or anything that is fascinating, I feel the urge to call them/it Fascinating Fledgeby.
2) I want a cat named Twemlow.
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
My boyfriends must be so irritated when I read Charles Dickens because I have to stop every couple pages and read to him the "amazing" passage.
This book is no different, it is full of artful language.
It also covers issues of class and economics quite well. It also has great suspense, Dickens tells the reader about a character's true identity at the ideal moment.
This book is no different, it is full of artful language.
It also covers issues of class and economics quite well. It also has great suspense, Dickens tells the reader about a character's true identity at the ideal moment.
While Dickens is a little harder to get into, it is worth the time it takes to learn, sort, and understand the rich characters and plots. His books, especially Our Mutual Friend, are filled with fully-developed characters and unexpected plot twists. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and plan to read more of his work.
With so many characters, you're pretty certain to find some plot-lines that you get really invested in. Additionally, the social issues discussed still hold water today, making it really interesting and relatable.
challenging
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Fun characters but found it difficult to truly care what happened to them most of the time.
Balance of plot felt very uneven with tons of action at the end and little to keep me wanting to read in the middle.
Overall it was okay, but I felt the execution was a little off without much detail hinting toward later plot developments. (2 to 3 stars)
Balance of plot felt very uneven with tons of action at the end and little to keep me wanting to read in the middle.
Overall it was okay, but I felt the execution was a little off without much detail hinting toward later plot developments. (2 to 3 stars)