Bleak House Audiobook

" Much as I loved the BBC series I couldn't finish the book. Not a fan of Dickens at all. "

" It was a heart breaking, compulsive read of the social injustices in the class structures in mid 1800s England. It's incredibly well written with the subtle hints to the various secrets foreshadowed from the beginning. I particularly remember the heraldry details for Lady Dedlock's portrait, being lit diagonally from the left - written "sinister" implying illegitimacy in heraldry... brilliant. "

" Dicken's best novel. Nice balance between his early humor and his late pessimism. Will destroy any lingering faith you have in the legal system. "

" Mi sono segnata al sito che "serializza" i libri come quando uscivano. Mi hanno spedito ieri la prima parte... vediamo se reggo!!!! "

" This is my favourite Dicken's novel. "

" Much as I loved the BBC series I couldn't finish the book. Not a fan of Dickens at all. "

" Listening to this was a definite investment of time and took some concentration, but was well worth it. I laughed, I cried. Beautiful. The reader was amazing too--so many characters, so many distinct voices! Finishing, I feel gratitude to both Dickens and the reader, Robert Whitfield, for creating something so lovely and substantial. "

" Fantastic! It had everything, I found myself literally laughing out loud at some moments and crying at others, gripped by the detective story and engaged by the host of interesting and often extreme characters. I have been converted to a huge Dickens fan because of this wonderful book! It's very long but the more pages the more time you get to spend enjoying it! "

" Much funnier than the title might suggest. "

" For my money Dickens's greatest novel, rivalled only by Our Mutual Friend. "

" This book was not light reading, but it was a very good story. Sad, but if you like Victorian-era literature, this is for you. Many stories going on around the main theme. Stories of abject poverty and the implications of that on the people. Also characters with wealth that allows them not to work while moving from house to house. People pursuing wealth and those loafing off the income/efforts of others. Very interesting. I'd recommend it. "

" It's as if Dickens has sliced open the characters' minds and put under a microscope even the most minor details of their GMCs. It's a book for writers as well as readers. I read it to motivate my own writing. Almost got too intimidated, for Dickens is a master. "

" Best Dickens book in my estimation. The chancery scenes are sometimes difficult to get through for first time readers, but the story line is excellent. "

" Of all of the Dickens I have so far read, this was least enjoyable. "

" I would have given it a 5 if not for the Esther narratives, which were awkward. "

" I'll pick this up again one day. I just can't concentrate on it right now. I lack the focus to parse all of those sentences. "

" Never imagined I'd love Dickens. It's imaginative, and unexpectedly funny. A favourite thing that I didn't expect was Esther Summerson's narrative making up such a big part of the book. "

" One of my favourite books. I tend to reserve five star ratings for books which change my worldview in some way and which I intend to re-read. This is one of those books. Have already read at least twice. Along with Mistry's A Fine Balance it is a novel I feel confident recommending to anyone. "

" I echo those who feel fulfilled by the effort. It totally pays off! "

" here is the deal- charles dickens' stories make great movies. reading them, not so much for me. soooooo much description. by the time the description is done, i have forgotten what he was talking about. but it makes a great movie. "

" I do not love Charles Dickens, but recognize and admit GENIOUS. "

" In this novel, Dickens does something he never did before. The narrative alternates between the first person of a young woman and the more usual third person onlooker. The story is very complex,lots of characters. It centers on the London courts of law, particularly Chancery, which deals with cases of disputed estates. Read the book and then watch the recent BBC drama with Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock. Amazing! "

" it's good to read a dickens just before christmas, and this has been the best of his i've read so far. large, chewy, satiric and bitter about society. the Jo subplot resonates still. a satisfying but long read "

" One of my law school professors declared that this was one of the three best works of fiction about the law. He also said that you cannot consider yourself to have had a liberal education if you have not read this book. Following finals, I just finished Bleak House and now (apparently) can consider myself to have had a liberal education. "

" Three cheers for spontaneous combustion! And a truly wonderful work of art. Disturbing, funny, innocent, probing, rich. How does one go about giving Dickens stars? He's Dickens after all... "

" I loved that this is a political detective romance! It is LONG and I'll admit, the beginning was boring. But once you get into it it's hard to put down! "

" Harold Bloom said Bleak House was Dickens' greatest work, his Magnum Opus as it were; there can be no doubt about this. My favorite Dickens novel. "

" I love Charles Dickens - but I can get through them much better by listening to audiobooks. "

" A great novel (if you have some time on your hands!!) And look out for all the keys. I love what Dickens does with all the 'lock' imagery! "

" Dickens seems to love to create irritating characters. Even the most pleasant ones that inhabit this book get on my nerves. Also, I know he was making a point about chancery court, but it quickly moved from humorous to tedious. I got so tired of reading about Coodle and Noodle and Poodle. "

" I couldn't get through this. It was so slow. Dickens goes into excruciating detail on everything. I gave up... "

" Much more than I expected. Quite long. Unforgettable characters. Less of the life of London than I expected, more than enough verisimilitude to satisfy. "

" This is my favorite of Dickens' work. The characters are living, breathing people, the story is compelling, the setting is believable. Wonderful, wonderful wonderful. I end up reading this book once a year. "

" Charles Dickens has that rare ability to turn soap opera into a classic. This being Dickens, the characters are interesting/amusing and the plot is very involved, but it's well worth the time you invest in reading it. "

" Good long somber Dickens novel. I was reading it after I saw the PBS series but somehow got sidetracked and never finished. The part about spontaneous combustion was surreal! "

" Amazing. This book is why Dickens' is a classic author. Like the afterword stated, there are over fifty characters in the book, and all of them are different and memorable. Definitely my favorite Dickens book so far. "

" Very slow in places but overall a good read... "

" It's Dickens. I don't know how I could not enjoy and value the experience. For some reason I had more trouble than normal in keeping characters separate in my mind, especially early in the character development. "

" This book took me a while to get into, but once I did get into it, I grew to enjoy it! There are so many characters, each with their own unique description. I found it to be pretty funny. It is so sweet and touching. I really liked it! "

" I think when my sister or i read this book we started referring to our mother and father as the "aged P's" but i could be wrong. "

" Three cheers for spontaneous combustion! And a truly wonderful work of art. Disturbing, funny, innocent, probing, rich. How does one go about giving Dickens stars? He's Dickens after all... "

" Unlike David Copperfield and Great Expectations, Bleak House is mostly from a female point of view. I found it quite believable. The book was also interesting for containing quirky characters and heartless souls. "

" Yes!!!!!!! I finally finished it! It was worth the time to read, but very long, and very heady. "

" I think Charles Dickens is too descriptive. This book went on way too long. "

" 1993 was my second reading. I think the first was in college, either 1974 or 1975. Love the BBC series, too! "

" This was a excellent but very long novel, but once I sorted out all of the characters, well worth the time. "

" As I am very fond of Charles Dickens, I think this book is also a great one. The way he describes the courts, the attorneys, influences, and the judgements is wonderful. "

" A tongue in cheek look at the old English court system. A long read but so well written and interesting. As with most classics the descriptions are rich and full. It is fun to read it one chapter a day the way it first appeared in newspapers. "

" in my opinion, it's his best novel. "

" Too slow for my taste not as intriguing as some of his others. "

" The atmosphere Dickens portrays in this big, ponderous novel is fantastic. "

" This is my favorite Dickens novel - very rich character development! "

" I'm just not sophisticated enough for most of Dickens' work. I'd rather watch reruns of Terminator 2. Not enough action in this one for me. "

" Too damn long and I hardly remember anything that happened in it. "

" This is the book that made me realize why Dickens is so damned awesome. "

" One of Dickens' most ambitious books, full of weird and wonderful characters all combining and interweaving effecting each others lives surrounding the central character of Esther Summerson, of unkown parentage. A very absorbing and interesting, often touching story well worth reading! "

" Definitely my favorite novel by Dickens. The sub-plot(s) were far less interesting than the main plot. "

" Good book but his tongue-in-cheek could use some downsizing.Regardless the story was interesting and enjoyable. His characters are over-the-top, and the names -- oh my gosh, crazy. "

" Taking me forever to read, but wow, this guy can write. "

" Taking me forever to read, but wow, this guy can write. "

" Taking me forever to read, but wow, this guy can write. "

" One of Dicken's best. The characters have a lot of depth, and there is not a loose end by the conclusion. Now, if I could just figure out a way to choke the life out of Mr. Skimpole..... "

" One of Dicken's best. The characters have a lot of depth, and there is not a loose end by the conclusion. Now, if I could just figure out a way to choke the life out of Mr. Skimpole..... "

" One of Dicken's best. The characters have a lot of depth, and there is not a loose end by the conclusion. Now, if I could just figure out a way to choke the life out of Mr. Skimpole..... "

" What amazed me the most was the knowledge that this was written for serialized publication, and that other than what was printed in the newspaper/journal, Dickens had no back-up version of the text. Keeping all the events and characters in order and without a hitch in the plot... Simply astounding. "

" What amazed me the most was the knowledge that this was written for serialized publication, and that other than what was printed in the newspaper/journal, Dickens had no back-up version of the text. Keeping all the events and characters in order and without a hitch in the plot... Simply astounding. "

" What amazed me the most was the knowledge that this was written for serialized publication, and that other than what was printed in the newspaper/journal, Dickens had no back-up version of the text. Keeping all the events and characters in order and without a hitch in the plot... Simply astounding. "

" IF you liked Dickens this is a great book. Talks about society and relationships with a lot of detail given by Dickens. "

" IF you liked Dickens this is a great book. Talks about society and relationships with a lot of detail given by Dickens. "

" LONGEST READ EVER! A classic, though again, the length detoured my interest at times, though it is well crafted and the characters are intricate and diverse. "

" LONGEST READ EVER! A classic, though again, the length detoured my interest at times, though it is well crafted and the characters are intricate and diverse. "

" LONGEST READ EVER! A classic, though again, the length detoured my interest at times, though it is well crafted and the characters are intricate and diverse. "

" IF you liked Dickens this is a great book. Talks about society and relationships with a lot of detail given by Dickens. "

" Allmost as good as the TV-series :) "

" Allmost as good as the TV-series :) "

" Allmost as good as the TV-series :) "

" in my opinion, it's his best novel. "

" in my opinion, it's his best novel. "

" in my opinion, it's his best novel. "

" Too slow for my taste not as intriguing as some of his others. "

" Had to have my dose of Dickens! Now I'm set for a while... "

" Too slow for my taste not as intriguing as some of his others. "

" Had to have my dose of Dickens! Now I'm set for a while... "

" Had to have my dose of Dickens! Now I'm set for a while... "

" Too slow for my taste not as intriguing as some of his others. "

" Chesterton and Lewis had both rated Bleak House and Dickens' best, and I can well believe it -- despite the spontaneous combustion. "

" Chesterton and Lewis had both rated Bleak House and Dickens' best, and I can well believe it -- despite the spontaneous combustion. "

" Chesterton and Lewis had both rated Bleak House and Dickens' best, and I can well believe it -- despite the spontaneous combustion. "

" I had to read it in five days and can't remember anything about it. But I liked it. "

" I had to read it in five days and can't remember anything about it. But I liked it. "

" I had to read it in five days and can't remember anything about it. But I liked it. "

" This book (and most other Dickens) convinced me that no matter how bad life is going, I will eventually be reunited with some lost relative and inherit a lot of money. "

" Just a little too slow for the nowaday reader. "