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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
I’m returning to this one again, hopefully in a print copy. For this initial read through, really struck by the violence in language, both figurative and literal. I didn’t realize that Siri Hustvedt did her dissertation on this particular work, and that in part compels me to reconsider this one at a later date. The usual great Dickens ensemble of characters: personal favorites include Jenny Wren, Mister Venus, and Lavinia Wilfer.
challenging
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“A little more, and again it roared across the river, a great rocket: spurning the watery turnings and doubling with ineffable contempt, and going straight to its end, as Father Time goes to his. To whom it is no matter what living waters run high or low, reflect the heavenly lights and darknesses, produce their little growth of weeds and flowers, turn here, turn there, are noisy or still, are troubled or at rest, for their course had one sure termination, though their sources and devices are many.”
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wrote a very thorough review and then closed the tab and lost it so here's the gist:
Pros
- Great atmosphere
- Interesting and individual female main characters
- Fantastic quirky supporting characters
Cons
- Meandering plot
- Superfluous characters
- Poor conclusion to the central mystery
- Uninteresting romantic subplots
- Confusing satire
Pros
- Great atmosphere
- Interesting and individual female main characters
- Fantastic quirky supporting characters
Cons
- Meandering plot
- Superfluous characters
- Poor conclusion to the central mystery
- Uninteresting romantic subplots
- Confusing satire
I find it amazing how Charles Dickens manage to create such a complex book with such a complex atmosphere. I love the way he creates each character and how he develops them to this amazingly changed and yet the same character we saw at the beginning. I do love the writing style of Dickens and find him my favorite English writer by far; if it weren't for the longitude of this book I would give it 5 stars, but since it was too long... At some points I really just wanted to get it over.
So good I read it twice. I read a few chapters on audio followed by the same chapters in a 1980’s Folio Society hard back edition. Sometimes I read the hard copy first and listened to the audio after.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is mediocre Dickens: not him at his best, not him at his worst - just him being himself. I found the beginning entertaining and engaging, but it suffered from "sagging middle syndrome" and things seemed to wrap up a little too conveniently at the end. I was dragging myself through it by the end through force of willpower alone.
That being said, I loved the Lizzie storyline. The characters that peopled her narrative were deep, complex and colorful (Jenny, Charlie, Eugene, Bradley Headstone). I wish Dickens had given them a little more of his meticulous attention because I found myself rooting for her, despite her almost too-pure persona. Although, at the end, she also seemed conveniently summed up and put away like the rest of the characters. I would have liked to see a more involved wrap-up of all the deep struggles she went through during the course of the story!
Another note: the one thing I love about this book is the Eugene x Mortimer banter. I love their vibes so much and every scene with them honestly made me so happy. There was one scene where I laughed out loud on the train like an idiot because of the back and forth sass. 10/10 would read a fanfic.
But overall, this book is not my favourite. If you're looking for a Dickens novel that's about the same length, full of complex and quirky characters, has romance and mystery and the same biting social criticism of mid-Victorian England, read Bleak House instead. It's also much more widely read, so if you need help understanding the plot, looking up quotes etc., there's more likely to be online resources for you.
That being said, I loved the Lizzie storyline. The characters that peopled her narrative were deep, complex and colorful (Jenny, Charlie, Eugene, Bradley Headstone). I wish Dickens had given them a little more of his meticulous attention because I found myself rooting for her, despite her almost too-pure persona. Although, at the end, she also seemed conveniently summed up and put away like the rest of the characters. I would have liked to see a more involved wrap-up of all the deep struggles she went through during the course of the story!
Another note: the one thing I love about this book is the Eugene x Mortimer banter. I love their vibes so much and every scene with them honestly made me so happy. There was one scene where I laughed out loud on the train like an idiot because of the back and forth sass. 10/10 would read a fanfic.
But overall, this book is not my favourite. If you're looking for a Dickens novel that's about the same length, full of complex and quirky characters, has romance and mystery and the same biting social criticism of mid-Victorian England, read Bleak House instead. It's also much more widely read, so if you need help understanding the plot, looking up quotes etc., there's more likely to be online resources for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Sexual harassment
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So, so long but thoroughly worthwhile. My favourite Dickens by far.