As the interminable case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce grinds its way through the Court of Chancery, it draws together a disparate group of people: Ada and Richard Clare, whose inheritance is gradually being devoured by legal costs; Esther Summerson, a ward of court, whose parentage is a source of deepening mystery; the menacing lawyer Tulkinghorn; the determined sleuth Inspector Bucket; and even Jo, the destitute little crossing-sweeper. A savage, but often comic, indictment of a society that is rotten to the core, Bleak House is one Dickens’s most ambitious novels, with a range that extends from the drawing rooms of the aristocracy to the poorest of London slums.It seems virtually impossible to pick up any of Dickens' books and regret it. His genius was such that in spite of the years that separate us from his days, we still can feel very close to the plight of most of his characters.
This novel is particularly touching for those who have gone through the (nearly) endless and (most of the times) miserable path of seeking justice in the courts (yes, there is a little bitterness in these words). Yet, it reaches far beyond. All the stories, all the characters that are brought together are each a marvel, an example of literary craftsmanship. I've enjoy this novel so much that I highly recommend it. You'll get everything: intrigue, a mystery, one of the first detectives in literary history, a couple of love stories, a lot of irony, some heart-rending moments and always, the incredible power of Dickensian prose.
(by the way, this is my first chunkster and I'm so glad I loved it!)
This novel is particularly touching for those who have gone through the (nearly) endless and (most of the times) miserable path of seeking justice in the courts (yes, there is a little bitterness in these words). Yet, it reaches far beyond. All the stories, all the characters that are brought together are each a marvel, an example of literary craftsmanship. I've enjoy this novel so much that I highly recommend it. You'll get everything: intrigue, a mystery, one of the first detectives in literary history, a couple of love stories, a lot of irony, some heart-rending moments and always, the incredible power of Dickensian prose.
(by the way, this is my first chunkster and I'm so glad I loved it!)
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Heather, three cheers for the first chunkster! :) I hope you give it a try someday!
Great Expectations remains my favourite so far though...
Congrats on the chunkster... what exactly are the specifications for that?
Congrats on finishing your first chunkster!!
Best wishes, Trish
First of all, great blog! I really digg it! Secondly, I would have to agree with you on the power of the classics. No matter how much I love contemporary fiction, I never stray far for the classics, and Dickens is a bit of a favourite. I've got quite a soft spot for Victorian novels, with their themes of moral uprightness and social justice.
I have special Dickens classic/contemporary 'double-play' that I re-read every couple of years. It involves first reading Great Expectations, and then following it up with the contemporary novel "Jack Maggs" by Australian author Peter Carey, who takes the Dickens character and crafts a story that is both new, but whose narrative runs parallel to the original. Its a really interesting way to 're-imagine' Dickens!