Out of the dust-heaps and dirty streets of mid-Victorian London, Dickens creates a classic murder-mystery tale. A dead man is fished out of the Thames by a scavenger and his daughter. Who is he, and how did he get there?
The man's death affects members of all levels of a society permeated with greed. Dickens presents an array of characters both touching and humorous, from Mr. Boffin, the Golden Dustman, to Jenny Wren, the lame doll-dressmaker. It is a story enriched by disguise and intrigue, while the River Thames, symbolising both polluted and renewed life, weaves through it all - in this, the last novel Dickens completed.
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"i wanted to learn more about the life of waste in victorian london. (seriously. and i did.) this is a deeply cynical novel, in which the glittering forms of wealth are generated from refuse--dredged from the slime of the Thames, sold in scraps, dug out of decaying dust heaps. shame about the cheeseball ending!" — chitra (4 out of 5 stars)
"i wanted to learn more about the life of waste in victorian london. (seriously. and i did.) this is a deeply cynical novel, in which the glittering forms of wealth are generated from refuse--dredged from the slime of the Thames, sold in scraps, dug out of decaying dust heaps. shame about the cheeseball ending!"
" 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. "
" Audio - I knew I was taking a risk when I got this one. Dickens can be tough. Try listening to this casually and it can make you feel like a dunce. At over 30 hours it would have been a marathon. I just didn't have the stamina to keep at it when I listen for only 10-30 minutes at a time while driving. Besides, I didn't want to get lulled to sleep and wrap my car around a telephone post. "
" AAAHHHHH, I am going to be reading this book for the rest of my life!! "
" 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. "
" Though it took two attempts to finally read this long Dickens novel, it was well worth it. You might be confused for the first 3 to 5 chapters, but it all comes together in the most interesting and unexpected way. It's my love of layers that brings this book to the top of my book list. "
" 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. "
" What a fabulous world of characters this huge novel creates! "
" This is long but worth it. I love the descriptions of people and the intriguing word use. The story line also keeps you reading and guessing. "
" This is one of my favorite books. It's really Dickens at his finest; outrageous, incredibly portrayed characters without the flawed male hero in the middle that makes David Copperfield and Great Expectations a little irritating to me. "
" Read it because of the Masterpiece version. This is my favorite book of all time. It has everything, narrative, mystery, political commentary, social insight. Interesting to learn that Dickens had this beautiful vision of home life that he himself did not have. "
" Like most Dickens, this might take a while to get into. But something about Winter and Dickens just works. If nothing else it promises colorful character names. "
" Despite owning this, I only read it when I went travelling. Classic Dickens. "
" Hysterical and creepy. Favorite chapter "Podsnappery" From the father who dregs the Thames trolling for bodies, to Silas Wegg - great characters. Wasn't crazy about the "main" lost identity storyline. "
" All I've got to say is this was such a hard one to read, but in the end very satisfying. "
" Third time through this great book. I still can't decide whether this or Bleak House is my favorite. Probably not necessary. "
" What a strange book. My English professor said he chose it because it's the only Dickens novel that the Cliffs Notes people haven't been able to figure out yet. Sometimes the characters are people, and sometimes they are furniture. Brilliant but very confusing at times. "
" I love this book - dickens best "
" Read this a long time ago but it still lingers...I think I'm going to re-read it.They say that Dickens basically invented the movies because of the way he cross-cut scenes years before film came along. Anyway, I'll give it four stars now and re-assess when I'm done. "
" 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. "
" I thoroughly enjoyed another audio book ready by Robert Whitfield. "
" Among the best Dickens, along with "Bleak House" and "Little Dorrit." "I do not wish, she writes in her own handwriting, to regard myself, nor yet to be regarded, in that boney light." "
" Filled with wonderful Dickens characters and rich language, "
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 Timson is an actor, voice actor, and playwright. He is best known for his narration of The Complete Sherlock Holmes audiobook, in which he voices all 125 characters in the Holmes novels and short stories. His narrations have earned eight AudioFile Earphones Award.
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