ka4t's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
amy_da1sy's review against another edition
4.0
Even though this was left as an unfinished novel I did really enjoy it.
wwatts1734's review against another edition
3.0
It's a shame to give a novel of Charles Dickens less than four stars, but if there is one that deserves it, it is "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." Part of the problem is that this novel was never finished. The various situations of this novel are not resolved, characters are introduced and never given a real significance, and relationships end up being meaningless. In this sense, nobody should read this novel except for true, hardcore fans of Dickens.
One thing that really stuck out for me about this novel was that it seemed to be a nod to the Bronte sisters. Unlike most of Dickens' novels, which take place in urban areas, this one was in a pastoral countryside setting of the town of Cloisterham. The setting is steeped in religious, almost medieval overtones, with a Cathedral, the Nuns' house and the monks' vineyard. Furthermore, unlike most of Dickens' other novels in which many of the key characters are poor, in this one all of the serious characters were society people. And, of course, like the Bronte novels, this one features a young woman who is torn between the man she is supposed to be in love with and the one that she actually loves. The men in this novel, like the men of the Bronte novels, are oddballs who make the lives of their rational womenfolk difficult. But, the novel never really finds resolution, and we don't know if the odd behaviors ever make sense in the end. I have read some novels in which the behavior of certain characters seem completely off the wall for most of the novel, but then by the end the behavior makes sense. I would like to think that this one would be like that if Dickens had lived to finish it.
Overall, I would only recommend this novel to hardcore fans of Dickens or perhaps to fans of the Bronte sisters.
One thing that really stuck out for me about this novel was that it seemed to be a nod to the Bronte sisters. Unlike most of Dickens' novels, which take place in urban areas, this one was in a pastoral countryside setting of the town of Cloisterham. The setting is steeped in religious, almost medieval overtones, with a Cathedral, the Nuns' house and the monks' vineyard. Furthermore, unlike most of Dickens' other novels in which many of the key characters are poor, in this one all of the serious characters were society people. And, of course, like the Bronte novels, this one features a young woman who is torn between the man she is supposed to be in love with and the one that she actually loves. The men in this novel, like the men of the Bronte novels, are oddballs who make the lives of their rational womenfolk difficult. But, the novel never really finds resolution, and we don't know if the odd behaviors ever make sense in the end. I have read some novels in which the behavior of certain characters seem completely off the wall for most of the novel, but then by the end the behavior makes sense. I would like to think that this one would be like that if Dickens had lived to finish it.
Overall, I would only recommend this novel to hardcore fans of Dickens or perhaps to fans of the Bronte sisters.
debjazzergal's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed the story. So many loose ends that you can only guess at what the ending might have been.
freudslanaplaylist's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thebookthiefgirl's review against another edition
4.0
“(...) mas ninguém sabe ainda decifrar o alfabeto das constelações -nem parece próximo de o desvendar, no atual estádio da nossa existência - e poucos idiomas há que possam ser lidos enquanto não aclaramos o respetivo alfabeto.”
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Ler o último romance alguma vez escrito por Charles Dickens e , ainda por cima, de forma inacabada , devido à sua morte repentina , foi uma experiência de leitura estranha.
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Como disse Chesterton “A Dickens foi permitido morrer num momento dramático e deixar atrás de si um mistério dramático .”
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Sendo irónico que o próprio título seja à volta do mistério do desaparecimento de Edwin Drood, um jovem arquiteto , depois de uma noite festiva , Dickens deixou-nos o supremo romance policial, cujas respostas não nos são esclarecidas de todo . Deixa-nos conjecturas , pistas notórias sobre o perpetuador do crime , deixando -nos apenas com uma história inacabada , em que a confissão do criminoso não sai pela boca dele, como seria visível numa história de Agatha Christie.
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E aí assenta a originalidade da leitura deste romance . Dickens poderá ou não , numa outra vida , esclarecer este mistério mas prefiro pensar que as múltiplas realidades possíveis ficam ao critério do leitor , levando -nos a criar a nossa própria história . Edwin Drood será , certamente , o mistério que permanecerá na minha cabeça durante anos , levando -me a tentar resolver este quebra -cabeças do seu desaparecimento.
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Tal como nos seus romances precedentes , o humor certeiro e penetrante de Dickens deixou-me maravilhada , com vontade de rir , porque ninguém escapa à crítica do autor , desde os filantropos aos “grandes” senhores da sociedade. O ópio e o colonialismo são temas chave do romance , onde se vê uma ideia um pouco contraditória na nossa percepção do autor , o que nos faz talvez ficar um pouco desiludidos . Dickens era adepto do colonialismo e tinha até preconceitos perante os povos colonizados .
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Dentro dos livros que já li de Dickens , Edwin Drood não é o meu favorito e sei que para muita gente o facto de a história se encontrar suspensa pode ser frustrante . Por isso , quem se aventurar a ter uma mente mais aberta , que coloque este romance perante os seus olhos , caso contrário, não o faça .
.
.
.
.
Ler o último romance alguma vez escrito por Charles Dickens e , ainda por cima, de forma inacabada , devido à sua morte repentina , foi uma experiência de leitura estranha.
.
.
Como disse Chesterton “A Dickens foi permitido morrer num momento dramático e deixar atrás de si um mistério dramático .”
.
.
Sendo irónico que o próprio título seja à volta do mistério do desaparecimento de Edwin Drood, um jovem arquiteto , depois de uma noite festiva , Dickens deixou-nos o supremo romance policial, cujas respostas não nos são esclarecidas de todo . Deixa-nos conjecturas , pistas notórias sobre o perpetuador do crime , deixando -nos apenas com uma história inacabada , em que a confissão do criminoso não sai pela boca dele, como seria visível numa história de Agatha Christie.
.
.
E aí assenta a originalidade da leitura deste romance . Dickens poderá ou não , numa outra vida , esclarecer este mistério mas prefiro pensar que as múltiplas realidades possíveis ficam ao critério do leitor , levando -nos a criar a nossa própria história . Edwin Drood será , certamente , o mistério que permanecerá na minha cabeça durante anos , levando -me a tentar resolver este quebra -cabeças do seu desaparecimento.
.
.
Tal como nos seus romances precedentes , o humor certeiro e penetrante de Dickens deixou-me maravilhada , com vontade de rir , porque ninguém escapa à crítica do autor , desde os filantropos aos “grandes” senhores da sociedade. O ópio e o colonialismo são temas chave do romance , onde se vê uma ideia um pouco contraditória na nossa percepção do autor , o que nos faz talvez ficar um pouco desiludidos . Dickens era adepto do colonialismo e tinha até preconceitos perante os povos colonizados .
.
.
Dentro dos livros que já li de Dickens , Edwin Drood não é o meu favorito e sei que para muita gente o facto de a história se encontrar suspensa pode ser frustrante . Por isso , quem se aventurar a ter uma mente mais aberta , que coloque este romance perante os seus olhos , caso contrário, não o faça .
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sashshearman's review against another edition
4.0
This was Dickens last-and unfinished-novel. If you read it, you may be disconcerted by the abrupt finish before any loose ends have been tied up. Notwithstanding that I still recommend this book as a cracking read.
The novel starts in the dinghy confines of an opium den and a Gothic atmosphere pervades the novel. It is set in the imaginary Cathedral town of Cloisterham, replete with low vaulted ceilings, dark graveyards and musty crypts. There is even an old crone who calls people 'Deary'. Who, but old crones, have ever called anyone Deary?
The story moves quickly and is more of a prototype thriller in the Wilkie Collins line than any other Dickens novel I have read and I imagine Dickens was heavily influenced by Collins when writing this story. Sometimes it takes me a while to get into Dickens stories but this one grabbed me from the beginning.
As with most Dickens, there were some very funny bits, Mr Grewgious had me laughing out loud more than once. I did not mind that I didn't know the ending-I went straight to Wikipedia and found an article quoting Dickens's biographer Forster, to whom the former confided his intentions about the plot. I enjoyed reading various theories about the unfinished story, rejecting some theories and adopting others.
I highly recommend Dickens last work as an engaging and amusing mystery.
The novel starts in the dinghy confines of an opium den and a Gothic atmosphere pervades the novel. It is set in the imaginary Cathedral town of Cloisterham, replete with low vaulted ceilings, dark graveyards and musty crypts. There is even an old crone who calls people 'Deary'. Who, but old crones, have ever called anyone Deary?
The story moves quickly and is more of a prototype thriller in the Wilkie Collins line than any other Dickens novel I have read and I imagine Dickens was heavily influenced by Collins when writing this story. Sometimes it takes me a while to get into Dickens stories but this one grabbed me from the beginning.
As with most Dickens, there were some very funny bits, Mr Grewgious had me laughing out loud more than once. I did not mind that I didn't know the ending-I went straight to Wikipedia and found an article quoting Dickens's biographer Forster, to whom the former confided his intentions about the plot. I enjoyed reading various theories about the unfinished story, rejecting some theories and adopting others.
I highly recommend Dickens last work as an engaging and amusing mystery.