Bleak House by Charles Dickens

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PashaRu
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Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Post by PashaRu »

One of my favorites, not just of Dickens' novels, but of everything I've ever read.

Expansive and full of fascinating characters and plot twists, this novel is one you won't forget. You'll have to read it several times before you get the full sense of the story. There are about 30 different characters who play an important role in the development of the story, and you need to keep track of them all. Some passages are very sad, and some will make you laugh out loud.

The world and genius of Dickens are on full display here. The dirty underbelly of London, quirky characters, melodrama, complexity of plot, and Dickens' biting satire are all here. One suggestion: if you've never read Dickens, don't make this your first. Start with something a little less complicated, like Oliver Twist or Great Expectations.
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Post by Nathrad Sheare »

I loved this story, and I loved the miniseries on BBC that was based on it. Dickens was a brilliant writer. I don't care what anybody says. I liked the grimness and eloquence of his prose. He was a first rate storyteller, in addition.
Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who only dream at night.

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Post by PashaRu »

Nathrad Sheare wrote:I loved this story, and I loved the miniseries on BBC that was based on it. Dickens was a brilliant writer. I don't care what anybody says. I liked the grimness and eloquence of his prose. He was a first rate storyteller, in addition.
I've watched a few of the BBC's productions of Dickens stories. While they are well done, I felt as if I was watching film versions of Cliff's Notes rather than the actual novel. The stories are, necessarily, severely edited. You can see the basic framework of the stories, but so much is left out. And at least half of my enjoyment of Dickens comes from the fact that he was such a brilliant writer. His storytelling prowess comes through in film adaptations - although in truncated form - but it's virtually impossible to convey the brilliance and uniqueness of his writing in a film.
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Post by Nathrad Sheare »

I don't think movies or series are quite adequate to convey any novelists' brilliance completely... I think there's a little too much concern over vanity and such, the things that would appeal to a modern audience, for much of the real art of genius storytelling to shine through a camera. You? The words in the narration are just as big a part of experiencing a writer's gifts as the dialogue.
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Post by gali »

I have read some other works of Charles Dickens, but not this one. I definitely plan to read it. Thank you for the recommendation. :)
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Post by ariesdollface »

i've been meaning to read this book for quite a long time. i did see the BBC series and thought it was good. of course, i was not set up for the (inevitable) disappointment that comes with seeing books translated into movies. definitely on my list of books to read soon
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Post by Stevefromtheblock »

I have read some Dickens, but not this one. I am adding it to my list!
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Post by Beth Davids »

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but Our Mutual Friend is my favorite of his so far.
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Post by PashaRu »

Our Mutual Friend is one of my four or five top favorites of Dickens. I like Bleak House and David Copperfield best, but Our Mutual Friend is a terrific story, wonderfully written. Dickens in top form, to be sure.
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Post by kderse »

It seems all of you understood this story and enjoyed it unfortunately i did not.. here is my review from my blog keepcalmandreadabook.com

Bleak House by Charles Dickens is a look at the legal system in London. It consumes the minds and talents of the greedy and comes close to destroying the lives of the innocents. This is a contemporary tale. This tale takes us into the streets of London and the mazes of the Court to the peaceful country of England. We are also so characters run from murderous villains to virtuous girls, devoted lovers and “fallen woman,” they are all affected by a legal suit where there will be no winner. The narrative is from the character of an orphan who is named Esther who is particularly sweet.

I would not recommend this book.

It took me a month and a half to finish this book. Yes it was a long book but more then that it kept putting me to sleep. I had a hard time following this story and to tell you the truth it bored me.

One thing that seemed weird to me but something we see a lot of in the older books is women feeling the need to be married even if it means being married to their first cousin. Because of the age I grew up in I just find this weird. One I do not have a first cousin of the male origin, but my cousin has a son and well I just can’t imagine even considering marrying him. He is exactly like my brother. Eww I cant even comprehend this.

Again the idea of this book is how the court system destroyed people’s lives. Dickens gives so many examples that it bores us so much we do not care who lives or dies by the end of the book. Oh and his book is almost as long as the court case.

The first half of this book really dragged (500 pages worth of dragging). There were so many characters that I should have made a list because by the end I couldn’t keep straight who was who. Gratefully the second half of the book was a little more interesting and I was finally able to finish the book. This was by far the hardest Dickens book I have read. I have to say reading this today I found myself rushing to the finish line just to be done with it already. Luckily it was a good distraction from the packing I should be doing.

I rate this book a 1 out of 4 stars.
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Post by rockandroll »

kderse wrote:It seems all of you understood this story and enjoyed it unfortunately i did not.. here is my review from my blog keepcalmandreadabook.com

Bleak House by Charles Dickens is a look at the legal system in London. It consumes the minds and talents of the greedy and comes close to destroying the lives of the innocents. This is a contemporary tale. This tale takes us into the streets of London and the mazes of the Court to the peaceful country of England. We are also so characters run from murderous villains to virtuous girls, devoted lovers and “fallen woman,” they are all affected by a legal suit where there will be no winner. The narrative is from the character of an orphan who is named Esther who is particularly sweet.

I would not recommend this book.

It took me a month and a half to finish this book. Yes it was a long book but more then that it kept putting me to sleep. I had a hard time following this story and to tell you the truth it bored me.

One thing that seemed weird to me but something we see a lot of in the older books is women feeling the need to be
married even if it means being married to their first cousin. Because of the age I grew up in I just find this weird. One I do not have a first cousin of the male origin, but my cousin has a son and well I just can’t imagine even considering marrying him. He is exactly like my brother. Eww I cant even comprehend this.

Again the idea of this book is how the court system destroyed people’s lives. Dickens gives so many examples that it bores us so much we do not care who lives or dies by the end of the book. Oh and his book is almost as long as the court case.

The first half of this book really dragged (500 pages worth of dragging). There were so many characters that I should have made a list because by the end I couldn’t keep straight who was who. Gratefully the second half of the book was a little more interesting and I was finally able to finish the book. This was by far the hardest Dickens book I have read. I have to say reading this today I found myself rushing to the finish line just to be done with it already. Luckily it was a good distraction from the packing I should be doing.

I rate this book a 1 out of 4 stars.
Oh wow from my profile as you can tell this is my favorite book. Sorry you didn't enjoy it, but thanks for bringing up the biting satire of the court system! SPOILER ALERT: The lady who has been sitting and waiting forever to hear her court case but has been continually stalled due to judicial system problems is so funny. I laughed so many times during this book.
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Post by godreaujea »

I have read several of Dickens' works but not this one! I'll have to check it out!
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Post by Manang Muyang »

I read Bleak House as an adult (and not because it was a school requirement) and I found it fascinating. It was enlightening to know about the British justice system of long ago and the customs of that time. I can understand that the novel would seem ridiculous to the very young, especially with our present-day culture as it is. This is the challenge that English and Literature teachers have to face.
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Post by Alice Heritage »

I've not read this but the BBC adaptation referenced upthread was fantastic. It did inspire me to read it, and more Dickens.
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Post by Tbunde5 »

This book is the perfect example of the way Dickens laid bare the world of his time. Too many people don’t bother reading it because it is so long. I would encourage anyone interested in Dickens to read this book. Put yourself in the place of Esther and you will feel as if you are there.
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