susannadkm 's review for:

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

3.5

funny relaxing 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: No

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A guest on the History of Literature podcast chose “Our Mutual Friend” as the hypothetical last book he’d like to (re)read before dying. Hearing his description, I decided I’d come back to Dickens.

From whom else do we get such delightful phrases as “all the jobbers who job in all the jobberies jobbed”?  Dickens’ language is wonderfully entertaining, and I did keep wondering how things would turn out through much of the book.

But I didn’t love the story, several characters were too perfect, it was sooo long, and for me, the twist at the end kind of ruined it. I guess I’d give this 3.5 stars—it’s a good book, but I didn’t love the story.

My favorite character was the lawyer, Mortimer Lightwood. I like how he comforts a humble client who is distressed after inheriting a chunk of change. 

“‘Speaking now,’ returned Mortimer, ‘with the irresponsible imbecility of a private individual, and not with the profundity of a professional adviser, I should say that if the circumstance of its being too much, weighs upon your mind, you have the haven of consolation open to you that you can easily make it less. And if you should be apprehensive of the trouble of doing so, there is the further haven of consolation that any number of people will take the trouble off your hands.’” (Book 1, Chapter 8).

I listened to the audiobook; Simon Vance did an excellent job.