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sharonhurlbut 's review for:
Dombey and Son
by Charles Dickens
Dombey and Son is classic Dickens, with creepy villains, innocent youngsters, caricatures of every segment of society, tragic happenings, deserved comeuppances, and a moral so strongly portrayed it's like being hit over the head with a club. Dickens is never subtle. And yet there is such a wonderful slyness to his most perverted characters that subtlety is rendered obsolete. Of those who've read the book, who will ever hear the name Carker again and not picture a human with a shark's grin? His is the most toothsome, malicious smile ever depicted.
Like much of Dickens, I felt the story dragged in places. Yes, Dickens had a well-honed talent for creating suspense and tension, but because his books were written as serials, the pacing is sometimes uneven. This is certainly the case with Dombey and Son. The whole first third of the book seems to go by at a crawl. We are introduced to a variety of characters, particularly the namesake Mr. Dombey, his son Paul, and his daughter Florence, and then we are left to follow young Paul's growth practically in real time. It becomes excruciating at times, waiting for something to happen. This is not helped, of course, by Dickens' habit of writing as if he were (because he was) being paid by the word. He is never one to take the shorter road in terms of writing.
Once the action begins for real, it takes off. I don't want to reveal any plot points, but suffice to say Dickens does a fine job of expostulating his main thesis, which is to show a dysfunctional family and the effects of that dysfunction on all around it. Yes, the ending could be described as maudlin, but as I've noted in previous reviews of Dickens works, I think that has a lot to do with the time in which the story was written and what audiences expected.
On a side not, I will say that as a huge fan of Louisa May Alcott and being someone who has read Little Women at least 50 times, I am surprised that this is the first time I have ever read Dombey and Son. When Laurie, in Little Women, is leaving for college, Jo helps him pack and hands him his copy of Dombey and Son. I never attributed anything more than a fondness for Dickens to this scene until I read the book. Now I understand the significance of Alcott singling out that particular book, a book rife with gender inequality and a father's marked preference for his son over his daughter. Hopes and expectations wrapped up in males are ultimately replaced by different but no less worthy actions by females. It is the perfect choice for inclusion in Little Women.
I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Dickens or family melodrama. It's a challenging read due to Dickens' style and verbosity, as well as uneven pacing, but in the end is worth it if you're a fan of Victorian literature.
Like much of Dickens, I felt the story dragged in places. Yes, Dickens had a well-honed talent for creating suspense and tension, but because his books were written as serials, the pacing is sometimes uneven. This is certainly the case with Dombey and Son. The whole first third of the book seems to go by at a crawl. We are introduced to a variety of characters, particularly the namesake Mr. Dombey, his son Paul, and his daughter Florence, and then we are left to follow young Paul's growth practically in real time. It becomes excruciating at times, waiting for something to happen. This is not helped, of course, by Dickens' habit of writing as if he were (because he was) being paid by the word. He is never one to take the shorter road in terms of writing.
Once the action begins for real, it takes off. I don't want to reveal any plot points, but suffice to say Dickens does a fine job of expostulating his main thesis, which is to show a dysfunctional family and the effects of that dysfunction on all around it. Yes, the ending could be described as maudlin, but as I've noted in previous reviews of Dickens works, I think that has a lot to do with the time in which the story was written and what audiences expected.
On a side not, I will say that as a huge fan of Louisa May Alcott and being someone who has read Little Women at least 50 times, I am surprised that this is the first time I have ever read Dombey and Son. When Laurie, in Little Women, is leaving for college, Jo helps him pack and hands him his copy of Dombey and Son. I never attributed anything more than a fondness for Dickens to this scene until I read the book. Now I understand the significance of Alcott singling out that particular book, a book rife with gender inequality and a father's marked preference for his son over his daughter. Hopes and expectations wrapped up in males are ultimately replaced by different but no less worthy actions by females. It is the perfect choice for inclusion in Little Women.
I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Dickens or family melodrama. It's a challenging read due to Dickens' style and verbosity, as well as uneven pacing, but in the end is worth it if you're a fan of Victorian literature.