Play Audiobook Sample
Our Mutual Friend Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(4.10) - 78 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
This sinister masterpiece was Dickens’ last completed novel and perhaps his ultimate vision of a dark, macabre London and the corrupting power of money. Opening with a father and daughter scavenging for corpses on the Thames, this chilling tale unfolds around drownings, disguises and doubles, violence, murder, and triumphant love.
Young John Harmon, presumed killed on his return home to England, is very much alive. The heir to a dust merchant’s fortune, he goes to work under an assumed name for his father’s current heirs, the amiable, elderly Boffins—who are about to be blackmailed by the unscrupulous one-legged Wegg.
So begins the intrigue in a novel that is quintessentially Dickensian in flavor—in its grotesque caricatures, its rich symbolism, and in the astonishing realism of its heroine, Bella Wilfer, one of Dickens’ most splendid female characters.
Download and start listening now!
"This was the second Dickens novel I read, at the recommendation of a friend who maintains that Bleak House is the best, but hardest to read. Like David Copperfield, I became immersed in this story. I always like a story with numerous, seemingly unrelated plot lines come together eventually."
— rinabeana (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Dickens’ last completed novel is a marvel of playacting and posturing, of taking on roles through delusion, calculation, and ambition.”
— Guardian (London) -
“From the opening paragraph, the dark imagery comes straight off the page and into your visual imagination…The autumn evening closing in, the crazy little boat afloat on the filthy Thames, the strong young woman plying the oars and a ragged, grizzled man.”
— Independent (London) -
“The fact that Dickens is always thought of as a caricaturist, although he was constantly trying to be something else, is perhaps the surest mark of his genius.”
— George Orwell -
“Perhaps his greatest work. The great novel of London: dark, wise, unsentimental.”
— William Boyd -
“Our Mutual Friend was the last novel Charles Dickens completed and is, arguably, his darkest and most complex...the author’s heroes are more flawed, his villains more sympathetic, and the story as a whole more harrowing and less sentimental…Dark as the novel is, Dickens is careful to leaven it with secondary characters who are as funny as they are menacing…Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’ most satisfying novels, and a fitting denouement to his prolific career.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review
Our Mutual Friend Listener Reviews
-
" This is one of the VERY few Charles Dickens books that I would actually read again. As his last, and largest, book, this is quite impressive. The story really draws you in... would totally recommend it for anyone who likes involved drama with a relatively happy ending. "
— Sonja, 2/9/2014 -
" One of my favorite books. An often overlooked masterpiece. "
— Beth, 2/5/2014 -
" AAAHHHHH, I am going to be reading this book for the rest of my life!! "
— Kate, 2/4/2014 -
" This is the best Dickens book I have read. It was entertaining, and someday I might even read it again. It almost makes up for A Tale of Two Cities. "
— Darcy, 1/29/2014 -
" I was surprised by how easy I found this to follow. Generally I find him a bit heavy-going but this was really quite painless. Right, now to pick out a nice fluffy read for the holidays! "
— Colin, 1/23/2014 -
" Dickens for my book club. I hadn't realised how good Dickens' descriptions were (you don't get that on the BBC), or that he had a good feel for a comic one-liner. Made it to the end! I'd say I enjoyed 80% of it, and wished the other 20% would actually get somewhere. However, it was worth persevering, with everyone getting their just rewards and desserts at the end. I probably will read more Dickens - but maybe not just yet. "
— Trish, 1/21/2014 -
" This was Dickens final novel, and one of his best -- I enjoyed it all the way through, all the twists and turns, the delightful characters, the good guys and the bad. Filled with Dickensian humor, coincidence, prattle, colorful characters, and warm feelings. A lot of fun to read. "
— Kathy, 1/18/2014 -
" If you think you like Dickens, check out this one. It's got a little bit of everything in there, including the best character ever - Jenny Wren, whose occupation is to make dresses for dolls. "
— Josh, 1/17/2014 -
" Read for a seminar on Henry James, which read and discussed the work of other writers who influenced James. Possibly the most complex and accomplished of Dickens's novels. "
— John, 1/2/2014 -
" Not my favorite Dickens, by a long shot. "
— Maria, 11/25/2013 -
" A bit of a slow start but I enjoyed how everything tied up in the end. "
— Hillary, 10/28/2013 -
" Great, of course, despite a not-quite-credible reformation. Vivid characters lead to watching fellow patrons at a concert or in a restaurant to identify the Boffins and their acquaintances. "
— Beth, 8/7/2013 -
" Dickens last complete novel. A total powerhouse. Lots of fantastic characters, lots of thematic dealings in duality, the nature of reality & self. Definitely a dark turn for Boz. "
— Lisa, 3/9/2013 -
" Harder and more beautiful than Ezra Pound's 'Cantos' "
— P.J., 2/3/2013 -
" This may just be my favorite Dicken's novel yet (or right up there with David Copperfield). Admittedly some of the chapters were a bit tedious, but mostly because I was anxious to get back to my favorite characters. Loved it, loved it, loved it! "
— Alyson, 10/20/2012 -
" Loved it! He is so great at the unexpected with the multitude of characters. "
— Tiina, 10/7/2012 -
" This is now one of my favorite Dickens books. "
— Agneata, 4/23/2012 -
" Although it's a classic, it isn't quite in the Dickens top drawer but still a good read. "
— Jess, 11/2/2011 -
" Good, as always...but doesn't qualify as a Dickens favorite for me. "
— David, 10/12/2011 -
" Next, Bleak House. Close reading, and always worth it. "
— Jane, 8/15/2011 -
" Read this a long time ago but it still lingers...<br/>I think I'm going to re-read it.<br/>They say that Dickens basically invented the movies because of the way he cross-cut scenes years before film came along. <br/>Anyway, I'll give it four stars now and re-assess when I'm done. "
— Ted, 6/22/2011 -
" Read this a long time ago but it still lingers...<br/>I think I'm going to re-read it.<br/>They say that Dickens basically invented the movies because of the way he cross-cut scenes years before film came along. <br/>Anyway, I'll give it four stars now and re-assess when I'm done. "
— Ted, 6/22/2011 -
" Read this a long time ago but it still lingers...<br/>I think I'm going to re-read it.<br/>They say that Dickens basically invented the movies because of the way he cross-cut scenes years before film came along. <br/>Anyway, I'll give it four stars now and re-assess when I'm done. "
— Ted, 6/22/2011 -
" So many interesting characters, almost too many to keep track of. Lots of stuff happening. I recommend not taking a week break while reading this novel. You could get lost. "
— Drucilla, 5/23/2011 -
" So many interesting characters, almost too many to keep track of. Lots of stuff happening. I recommend not taking a week break while reading this novel. You could get lost. "
— Drucilla, 5/23/2011 -
" So many interesting characters, almost too many to keep track of. Lots of stuff happening. I recommend not taking a week break while reading this novel. You could get lost. "
— Drucilla, 5/23/2011 -
" Probably my favorite Dickens of all time. I've re-read many times. Amazing characters, delicious descriptions. I wish I could record the whole thing for my friends who still don't "get" Dickens. "
— Linda, 4/15/2011 -
" Probably my favorite Dickens of all time. I've re-read many times. Amazing characters, delicious descriptions. I wish I could record the whole thing for my friends who still don't "get" Dickens. "
— Linda, 4/15/2011 -
" Probably my favorite Dickens of all time. I've re-read many times. Amazing characters, delicious descriptions. I wish I could record the whole thing for my friends who still don't "get" Dickens. "
— Linda, 4/15/2011 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed another audio book ready by Robert Whitfield. "
— Lauren, 4/12/2011 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed another audio book ready by Robert Whitfield. "
— Lauren, 4/12/2011 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed another audio book ready by Robert Whitfield. "
— Lauren, 4/12/2011 -
" Among the best Dickens, along with "Bleak House" and "Little Dorrit." <br/> <br/>"I do not wish, she writes in her own handwriting, to regard myself, nor yet to be regarded, in that boney light." "
— Bruce, 3/28/2011 -
" Among the best Dickens, along with "Bleak House" and "Little Dorrit." <br/> <br/>"I do not wish, she writes in her own handwriting, to regard myself, nor yet to be regarded, in that boney light." "
— Bruce, 3/28/2011 -
" Among the best Dickens, along with "Bleak House" and "Little Dorrit." <br/> <br/>"I do not wish, she writes in her own handwriting, to regard myself, nor yet to be regarded, in that boney light." "
— Bruce, 3/28/2011 -
" Filled with wonderful Dickens characters and rich language, "
— Jennifer, 3/17/2011 -
" Filled with wonderful Dickens characters and rich language, "
— Jennifer, 3/17/2011 -
" Filled with wonderful Dickens characters and rich language, "
— Jennifer, 3/17/2011
About Charles 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.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.