Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
I couldn't stand Bella. She is an annoying main character. I would prefer if there were less about her and more scenes about Lizzie Hexam.
Well... I seem to have landed myself with a dilemma. I am no longer certain what my favourite Dickens novel is!
For some time now, it has been [b:David Copperfield|58696|David Copperfield|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1461452762l/58696._SY75_.jpg|4711940], and I had given up on finding one that would beat it, running short on unread Dickens as I was. But along came [b:Our Mutual Friend|31244|Our Mutual Friend|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403189244l/31244._SY75_.jpg|2888469], and now I'm not so certain any more. I've tried very hard to detach DC from the excellent narration by Richard Armitage, which is how I last experienced it, which I admit is easier said than done. But even still, OMF is a very richly woven story, with so many fun characters and descriptions, and which made me chuckle on a regular basis. but then the exact same can be said for DC. I think with its single POV, DC may have the slightly stronger narrative, but it's close. Maybe too close to call.
I listened to the audio version of OMF read by Meera Syal. Normally I would shy away from long audio books narrated by women, not because I have anything against books narrated by women per se, but simply because I get migraines often, and most women's voices are a touch too high-pitched, or with just the wrong timbre that can set a migraine off if I listen to them for very long through my headphones. But Meera Syal has a beautiful, beautiful voice, with which I had no problems at all. She also did a very fine job of the narration itself and the various voices. As a narrator she's definitely got a thumbs up from me! She won't displace Mr. Armitage as my favourite, but I guess he can't narrate all the books, more's the pity.
And I still don't know which of the two novels I prefer... I guess I will have to sleep on it, and see how I feel after this one has percolated a while.
For some time now, it has been [b:David Copperfield|58696|David Copperfield|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1461452762l/58696._SY75_.jpg|4711940], and I had given up on finding one that would beat it, running short on unread Dickens as I was. But along came [b:Our Mutual Friend|31244|Our Mutual Friend|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403189244l/31244._SY75_.jpg|2888469], and now I'm not so certain any more. I've tried very hard to detach DC from the excellent narration by Richard Armitage, which is how I last experienced it, which I admit is easier said than done. But even still, OMF is a very richly woven story, with so many fun characters and descriptions, and which made me chuckle on a regular basis. but then the exact same can be said for DC. I think with its single POV, DC may have the slightly stronger narrative, but it's close. Maybe too close to call.
I listened to the audio version of OMF read by Meera Syal. Normally I would shy away from long audio books narrated by women, not because I have anything against books narrated by women per se, but simply because I get migraines often, and most women's voices are a touch too high-pitched, or with just the wrong timbre that can set a migraine off if I listen to them for very long through my headphones. But Meera Syal has a beautiful, beautiful voice, with which I had no problems at all. She also did a very fine job of the narration itself and the various voices. As a narrator she's definitely got a thumbs up from me! She won't displace Mr. Armitage as my favourite, but I guess he can't narrate all the books, more's the pity.
And I still don't know which of the two novels I prefer... I guess I will have to sleep on it, and see how I feel after this one has percolated a while.
Overall, I enjoyed Dickens' writing and character development much but the story started feeling too long and dragging after about 500 pages. That's why I feel incredibly hard to give this book rating. I enjoyed it but I have wished it to be shorter. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy long books and I know that many of the Dickens' books are long. I started getting tired of the story and I struggled reading the the fourth part a lot. I didn't want to pick it up and go through it even though I felt the need to finish the book and see how the characters will end up living. Therefore, I am happy that I read this book because it really made me want to pick up more Dickens. He is indeed very skilled building up characters and tension and I enjoyed the book overall even though it took me ages to finish it.
5+ ⭐️ I have spent 31 hours listening to the dear Boffins, Jenny Wren, Bella Wilfer, and John Rokesmith, along with a cast of villains and deceivers. Earlier this year I listed to David Copperfield and claimed it as my new favorite, but I believe this one has won out as the best story. There was suspense, character growth, mystery, passion, humility, intrigue, and love. What an amazing story!
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I do get why people consider this one of Dickens less liked novels, but it's still my second favourite among his novels after David Copperfield. Sure, it can get pretty tedious at times ,especially during the parts which include the Veneerings, Podsnaps, and Tippings (Which I skipped then read the summary of on Wikipedia), but you have to admit that there ARE some pretty funny and charming parts,too, like these parts ( they're my personal favourites):
'You think me of no more value than the dirt under your feet,' said Bradley to Eugene, speaking in a carefully weighed and measured tone, or he could not have spoken at all.
'I assure you, Schoolmaster,' replied Eugene, 'I don't think about you.'
'That's not true,' returned the other; 'you know better.'
'That's coarse,' Eugene retorted; 'but you DON'T know better.'
And here:
'But I am more than a lad,' said Bradley, with his clutching hand, 'and I WILL be heard, sir.'
'As a schoolmaster,' said Eugene, 'you are always being heard. That ought to content you.'
Eugene Wrayburn looked on at him, as if he found him beginning to be rather an entertaining study.
'Mr Wrayburn, I desire to say something to you on my own part.'
'Come, come, Schoolmaster,' returned Eugene, with a languid approach to impatience as the other again struggled with himself; 'say what you have to say. And let me remind you that the door is standing open, and your young friend waiting for you on the stairs.'
'When I accompanied that youth here, sir, I did so with the purpose of adding, as a man whom you should not be permitted to put aside, in case you put him aside as a boy, that his instinct is correct and right.' Thus Bradley Headstone, with great effort and difficulty.
'Is that all?' asked Eugene.
'No, sir,' said the other, flushed and fierce. 'I strongly support him in his disapproval of your visits to his sister, and in his objection to your officiousness - and worse - in what you have taken upon yourself to do for her.'
'Is THAT all?' asked Eugene.
'No, sir. I determined to tell you that you are not justified in these proceedings, and that they are injurious to his sister.'
'You reproach me with my origin,' said Bradley Headstone; 'you cast insinuations at my bringing-up. But I tell you, sir, I have worked my way onward, out of both and in spite of both, and have a right to be considered a better man than you, with better reasons for being proud.'
'How I can reproach you with what is not within my knowledge, or how I can cast stones that were never in my hand, is a problem for the ingenuity of a schoolmaster to prove,' returned Eugene. 'Is THAT all?'
'No, sir. If you suppose that boy - '
'Who really will be tired of waiting,' said Eugene, politely.
'If you suppose that boy to be friendless, Mr Wrayburn, you deceive yourself. I am his friend, and you shall find me so.'
'And you will find HIM on the stairs,' remarked Eugene.
'You may have promised yourself, sir, that you could do what you chose here, because you had to deal with a mere boy, inexperienced, friendless, and unassisted. But I give you warning that this mean calculation is wrong. You have to do with a man also. You have to do with me. I will support him, and, if need be, require reparation for him. My hand and heart are in this cause, and are open to him.'
'And - quite a coincidence - the door is open,' remarked Eugene.
'I scorn your shifty evasions, and I scorn you,' said the schoolmaster. 'In the meanness of your nature you revile me with the meanness of my birth. I hold you in contempt for it. But if you don't profit by this visit, and act accordingly, you will find me as bitterly in earnest against you as I could be if I deemed you worth a second thought on my own account.'
With a consciously bad grace and stiff manner, as Wrayburn looked so easily and calmly on, he went out with these words, and the heavy door closed like a furnace-door upon his red and white heats of rage.
'A curious monomaniac,' said Eugene. 'The man seems to believe that everybody was acquainted with his mother!'
And I highly recommend it to everyone. :)
'You think me of no more value than the dirt under your feet,' said Bradley to Eugene, speaking in a carefully weighed and measured tone, or he could not have spoken at all.
'I assure you, Schoolmaster,' replied Eugene, 'I don't think about you.'
'That's not true,' returned the other; 'you know better.'
'That's coarse,' Eugene retorted; 'but you DON'T know better.'
And here:
'But I am more than a lad,' said Bradley, with his clutching hand, 'and I WILL be heard, sir.'
'As a schoolmaster,' said Eugene, 'you are always being heard. That ought to content you.'
Eugene Wrayburn looked on at him, as if he found him beginning to be rather an entertaining study.
'Mr Wrayburn, I desire to say something to you on my own part.'
'Come, come, Schoolmaster,' returned Eugene, with a languid approach to impatience as the other again struggled with himself; 'say what you have to say. And let me remind you that the door is standing open, and your young friend waiting for you on the stairs.'
'When I accompanied that youth here, sir, I did so with the purpose of adding, as a man whom you should not be permitted to put aside, in case you put him aside as a boy, that his instinct is correct and right.' Thus Bradley Headstone, with great effort and difficulty.
'Is that all?' asked Eugene.
'No, sir,' said the other, flushed and fierce. 'I strongly support him in his disapproval of your visits to his sister, and in his objection to your officiousness - and worse - in what you have taken upon yourself to do for her.'
'Is THAT all?' asked Eugene.
'No, sir. I determined to tell you that you are not justified in these proceedings, and that they are injurious to his sister.'
'You reproach me with my origin,' said Bradley Headstone; 'you cast insinuations at my bringing-up. But I tell you, sir, I have worked my way onward, out of both and in spite of both, and have a right to be considered a better man than you, with better reasons for being proud.'
'How I can reproach you with what is not within my knowledge, or how I can cast stones that were never in my hand, is a problem for the ingenuity of a schoolmaster to prove,' returned Eugene. 'Is THAT all?'
'No, sir. If you suppose that boy - '
'Who really will be tired of waiting,' said Eugene, politely.
'If you suppose that boy to be friendless, Mr Wrayburn, you deceive yourself. I am his friend, and you shall find me so.'
'And you will find HIM on the stairs,' remarked Eugene.
'You may have promised yourself, sir, that you could do what you chose here, because you had to deal with a mere boy, inexperienced, friendless, and unassisted. But I give you warning that this mean calculation is wrong. You have to do with a man also. You have to do with me. I will support him, and, if need be, require reparation for him. My hand and heart are in this cause, and are open to him.'
'And - quite a coincidence - the door is open,' remarked Eugene.
'I scorn your shifty evasions, and I scorn you,' said the schoolmaster. 'In the meanness of your nature you revile me with the meanness of my birth. I hold you in contempt for it. But if you don't profit by this visit, and act accordingly, you will find me as bitterly in earnest against you as I could be if I deemed you worth a second thought on my own account.'
With a consciously bad grace and stiff manner, as Wrayburn looked so easily and calmly on, he went out with these words, and the heavy door closed like a furnace-door upon his red and white heats of rage.
'A curious monomaniac,' said Eugene. 'The man seems to believe that everybody was acquainted with his mother!'
And I highly recommend it to everyone. :)
London society from the new rich, old rich, poor and miserable. Good people, bad people. Social classes. Love, friendship, hate, obsession. Money. Love of money, good and bad use of money. Everything.
This was kind of a struggle for me, and I think a lot of my struggle had more to do with the edition I was reading than the content. First of all, there are superscripted numbers marked in the text, but NO ACTUAL FOOTNOTES/ENDNOTES which drove me completely insane. Secondly, the fact that it's the miniseries tie-in edition means that there's a great whack of pictures right in the middle of the book. This meant that I knew certain plot points well before they happened, and also couldn't discover the characters for myself, as there were pictures of the actors in front of my all the time (see: THE FRONT COVER).
ANYWAY.
There's a lot going on in this book. It's effectively two completely different stories with occasional overlaps. I preferred John and Bella's story - Bella's kind of a brat but she's still likeable, and their story includes the Boffins who are pretty fabulous. Plus, there was an element of mystery to it. The other story could easily be adapted into a contemporary YA, what with the love triangle and the epic "you friendzoned me!" insanity. Lizzie - despite featuring on the front cover of my edition - is a fairly minor character. Much like Oliver Twist, the story focuses more on the people around her than it does on her.
In short, I enjoyed it, but I probably would have been more compelled to keep reading if the two stories had been separated out into different books. And if there'd been a little less of the random political interludes...
ANYWAY.
There's a lot going on in this book. It's effectively two completely different stories with occasional overlaps. I preferred John and Bella's story - Bella's kind of a brat but she's still likeable, and their story includes the Boffins who are pretty fabulous. Plus, there was an element of mystery to it. The other story could easily be adapted into a contemporary YA, what with the love triangle and the epic "you friendzoned me!" insanity. Lizzie - despite featuring on the front cover of my edition - is a fairly minor character. Much like Oliver Twist, the story focuses more on the people around her than it does on her.
In short, I enjoyed it, but I probably would have been more compelled to keep reading if the two stories had been separated out into different books. And if there'd been a little less of the random political interludes...