Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
Title: Our Mutual Friend
Author: Charles Dickens
Date first published: 1864 - 65 My edition: 1977 (Penguin UK)
Number of pages: 851 (minus notes, introduction, etc.)
My rating: 9/10
Summary (from Wikipedia): In the opening chapters a body is found in the Thames and identified as John Harmon, a young man recently returned to London to receive his inheritance. Were he alive, his father's will would require him to marry Bella Wilfer, a beautiful, mercenary girl whom he had never met. Instead, the money passes to the working-class Boffins, and the effects spread into various corners of London society.
This is the first full-length Dickens novel I have ever read and I have to say… I enjoyed it very much! I am not exactly surprised that I did, but I am glad that I finally got round to reading one of Dickens' books - their length is daunting and so I've always settled on something else. Maybe now I can get round to reading the copy of Bleak House I bought in 2008…
Anyway, things that I really liked about this novel:
The characters: they were rich and vibrant and just generally fantastically well-written. This book is populated by people from most walks of life and they all have a different catch which draws you into their story, from the main characters such as the Boffins, two kind and hard working individuals who come unexpectedly into a vast inheritance, to Mr and Mrs Lammale, who get married each thinking that the other has a fortune and upon discovering they are poor resolve to get a fortune by any means possible. Then there are Mr and Mrs Veneering who are "bran-new" money and who immediately call everyone they meet who is wealthy or connected their oldest and dearest friend. Plus so many more. In fact, my favourite thing about this book is Dickens' portrayal of the nouveau riche. It's certainly not what I was expecting from a mid-nineteenth century novel and he contrasts this with lovely depictions of people working the hardest and most menial jobs.
The plot: it's exciting. Need I say anymore? I have always heard Dickens' novels described as the soap operas of their day and this novel is a testament to the truth of that. It was serialised from 1864 to 1865 in 20 parts and I decided to read using the separate parts as dividers because each is about 50 pages long. It is safe to say that each part ends with a satisfactorily dramatic soap opera style ending. Sadly I spoilt myself for one of the main plot points on Wikipedia before I even started but that didn't completely ruin the story, luckily.
The writing: Dickens is… actually funny! It's funny and immensely readable as well as beautifully written at some points.
So there you have it: I thought this novel was great. If I had gone to a bookshop and decided to choose a Dickens novel to read, I wouldn't have chosen this one simply because the others are better known, so I'm glad I had the spur to read it. I wasn’t expecting to like it so much and I would highly recommend it to everyone but if is nearly 900 pages long, haha, so maybe when everyone's not tackling their own mammoth books.
Author: Charles Dickens
Date first published: 1864 - 65 My edition: 1977 (Penguin UK)
Number of pages: 851 (minus notes, introduction, etc.)
My rating: 9/10
Summary (from Wikipedia): In the opening chapters a body is found in the Thames and identified as John Harmon, a young man recently returned to London to receive his inheritance. Were he alive, his father's will would require him to marry Bella Wilfer, a beautiful, mercenary girl whom he had never met. Instead, the money passes to the working-class Boffins, and the effects spread into various corners of London society.
This is the first full-length Dickens novel I have ever read and I have to say… I enjoyed it very much! I am not exactly surprised that I did, but I am glad that I finally got round to reading one of Dickens' books - their length is daunting and so I've always settled on something else. Maybe now I can get round to reading the copy of Bleak House I bought in 2008…
Anyway, things that I really liked about this novel:
The characters: they were rich and vibrant and just generally fantastically well-written. This book is populated by people from most walks of life and they all have a different catch which draws you into their story, from the main characters such as the Boffins, two kind and hard working individuals who come unexpectedly into a vast inheritance, to Mr and Mrs Lammale, who get married each thinking that the other has a fortune and upon discovering they are poor resolve to get a fortune by any means possible. Then there are Mr and Mrs Veneering who are "bran-new" money and who immediately call everyone they meet who is wealthy or connected their oldest and dearest friend. Plus so many more. In fact, my favourite thing about this book is Dickens' portrayal of the nouveau riche. It's certainly not what I was expecting from a mid-nineteenth century novel and he contrasts this with lovely depictions of people working the hardest and most menial jobs.
The plot: it's exciting. Need I say anymore? I have always heard Dickens' novels described as the soap operas of their day and this novel is a testament to the truth of that. It was serialised from 1864 to 1865 in 20 parts and I decided to read using the separate parts as dividers because each is about 50 pages long. It is safe to say that each part ends with a satisfactorily dramatic soap opera style ending. Sadly I spoilt myself for one of the main plot points on Wikipedia before I even started but that didn't completely ruin the story, luckily.
The writing: Dickens is… actually funny! It's funny and immensely readable as well as beautifully written at some points.
So there you have it: I thought this novel was great. If I had gone to a bookshop and decided to choose a Dickens novel to read, I wouldn't have chosen this one simply because the others are better known, so I'm glad I had the spur to read it. I wasn’t expecting to like it so much and I would highly recommend it to everyone but if is nearly 900 pages long, haha, so maybe when everyone's not tackling their own mammoth books.