Widely regarded as Dickens's masterpiece, Bleak House centers on the generations-long lawsuit Jarndyce and Jarndyce, through which "whole families have inherited legendary hatreds." Focusing on Esther Summerson, a ward of John Jarndyce, the novel traces Esther's romantic coming-of-age and, in classic Dickensian style, the gradual revelation of long-buried secrets, all set against the foggy backdrop of the Court of Chancery. Mixing romance, mystery, comedy, and satire, Bleak House limits the suffering caused by the intricate inefficiency of the law.
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"This was a long book and took me months to read. The characters, who are numerous, and their lives/environments are well described and so as the story winds on (and on), an alternative world is nicely created. It is clear why it is a classic. And the notion of a family legal battle that stretches on for decades is, to me, not as far-fetched as one might think." — Elizabeth (4 out of 5 stars)
"This was a long book and took me months to read. The characters, who are numerous, and their lives/environments are well described and so as the story winds on (and on), an alternative world is nicely created. It is clear why it is a classic. And the notion of a family legal battle that stretches on for decades is, to me, not as far-fetched as one might think."
“Bleak House is one of the greatest novels by one of the giants of English literature. It is also, in the words of one legal scholar, ‘the ultimate indictment of law, lawyers, and the legal system in the English language.’”
“Bleak House is a satirical look at the Byzantine legal system in London as it consumes the minds and talents of the greedy and nearly destroys the lives of innocents—a contemporary tale indeed.”
“This may be one of the most Dickensian novels Dickens ever wrote. Highly recommended.”
" It took me three tries to get past page 100; once I did, I felt like I had lived with these people. I love Jarndyce, Mr. George, Detective Bucket, and, oddly, Lord Dedlock. "
" 1993 was my second reading. I think the first was in college, either 1974 or 1975. Love the BBC series, too! "
" Dickens' best, longest, weirdest book. Duh. "
" I really loved this book. The characters are very complex and the story is quite compelling. Needless to say, the book is brilliantly written with beautiful imagery and language. However, the story of Bleak House unfolds in a slow, methodical manner that ends in an act of surprising and selfless love. A beautiful love story in a surprising way. "
" The book was good, I liked the story of the main character however, I got bored of the other characters and in the end, I did not understand the book as I should have or the chancery. "
" Just a little too slow for the nowaday reader. "
" The book was ok. Many chapters dragged and could have been done without to the story. And the ending was completely predictable from about the 100th page. "
" Dated narrative and contrived, but a page-turner nonetheless. "
" A very long novel that I eventually understood and liked. It had so many twists and turns. It all worked out in the end. Some very sad moments in time due to greed of the times. "
" I'd give it 10 stars if I could. Loved this book. I was sorry to have it end. Lots of characters to keep track of but Dickens brings it all together perfectly. "
" The lawsuit that never dies. "
" This is my favourite Dicken's novel. "
" Hopes, on such an unnecessary dream is just dwindled away while the family ties become even more strained. My lesson from this book can be respect, admire, appreciate what little you have and take care of it. "
" While it started slowly, the book did pick up midway through and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Filled with humorous gibes at society, this book is a love story, a comedy, a mystery, and a tragedy all rolled into one. Definitely an enjoyable read. "
" One of the greatest novels in English. "
" I think this is my favorite Dickens book. "
" Despite the fact that this book is in fact bleak, I thought it was great. Great story telling, great characters. My only complaint is Dickens need to make his heroines so freaking sweet and vanilla. "
" 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..... "
" 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. "
" 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. "
" Might have been better if someone other than wordy Mr. Charles Dickens wrote. The man needed an editor. "
" Allmost as good as the TV-series :) "
" in my opinion, it's his best novel. "
" 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. "
" I had to read it in five days and can't remember anything about it. But I liked it. "
" 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. "
" Absolutely amazing!! Probably my favorite Dickens. "
Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was born in Landport, Portsmouth, England, the second of eight children in a family continually plagued by debt. A legacy brought release from the nightmare of debtors’ prison and child labor and afforded him a few years of formal schooling. He worked as an attorney’s clerk and newspaper reporter until his early writings brought him the amazing success that was to be his for the remainder of his life. He was the most popular English novelist of the Victorian era, and he remains popular, responsible for some of English literature’s most iconic characters.
David Case was a distinguished narrator who recorded over 700 audiobooks, was nominated for a Grammy Award, and received numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards for his narrations. AudioFile magazine named him a Golden Voice.
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