susanneanette's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dryanee's review against another edition
3.0
Puedo decir ya que he leído La pequeña Dorrit !! Qué alegría, por favor ! Aunque ha sido más agridulce la experiencia de lo que esperaba
theladydoor's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book, in fits and spurts, over the course of three years, after watching the excellent BBC adaptation as scripted by Andrew Davies. I had never read a Dicken's novel, so I picked this one. The experience was long and difficult. At one point I had put the book aside for over a year, and had to go back and reread sections to remind me of what had happened. I blame my slow-going on the fact that I'm used to being a very fast reader. By nature, Dickens' novels are more difficult to read because of the language used, and the fact that he wrote so much! As it took me longer than usual to progress, I would grow frustrated and bored, and pick up a more modern and quicker-paced novel.
Now, that's not to say I disliked this book. On the contrary, I found it witty and entertaining, many passages prompting me to laugh out loud. It helped that the edition I was reading had extensive footnotes explaining certain phrases and vocabulary that would have been obvious to contemporary readers, but lost to modern ones. I loved the interconnectedness of Little Dorrit's world and found many of the characters to be well-written and easy to relate to. Of course, this being a Dickens novel, many characters are simply caricatures, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Their bare-bones characterizations allowed me to focus more on the main characters, who are described very well.
Though I must admit I skimmed over a few long-winded passages, I was mostly entranced by the action in the novel. The quiet moments in which one character admits to another his or her feelings are especially affecting. I plan on reading more Dickens in the future, but perhaps I will go with his more well-known works first.
Now, that's not to say I disliked this book. On the contrary, I found it witty and entertaining, many passages prompting me to laugh out loud. It helped that the edition I was reading had extensive footnotes explaining certain phrases and vocabulary that would have been obvious to contemporary readers, but lost to modern ones. I loved the interconnectedness of Little Dorrit's world and found many of the characters to be well-written and easy to relate to. Of course, this being a Dickens novel, many characters are simply caricatures, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Their bare-bones characterizations allowed me to focus more on the main characters, who are described very well.
Though I must admit I skimmed over a few long-winded passages, I was mostly entranced by the action in the novel. The quiet moments in which one character admits to another his or her feelings are especially affecting. I plan on reading more Dickens in the future, but perhaps I will go with his more well-known works first.
emma_biden's review against another edition
5.0
What a beautiful read. When I first read the synopsis for Little Dorrit I thought that I would enjoy this book. I was only wrong in the sense that I did not only enjoy this book, I loved it with my whole being. There is so much going on in this book that it's hard to designate a single genre or bubble in which to place it, and that is part of the genius of Dickens. I look forward to reading more of Dickens' works after this!
themodvictorian's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
trankin's review
3.0
I liked the story line of the book, as well as many passages that are so typical of Dicken's writing. However, there were many passages that were a chore to get through and I had to force myself to read. The ending is satisfying and now I am looking forward to watching the movie!
hannahgs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
4.0
zoemaja's review
5.0
Maybe it was all the adventuring through time with the St. Mary's crowd of unruly historians, but I was in the mood for some Dickens. Listening to the Simon Vance narrated audio version and it is just delightful.
flori_faith's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
paulataua's review
4.0
Yet another Dickensian swipe at Victorian society. This time it’s business practices, social snobbery, and the debtor’s prison. He also hits out at bureaucracy in his invented ‘circumlocution office’. I will be reminded of this each time I call my bank and am passed from A to Z on the options…. For English press 1, for account details press 2, to report a card missing press 3, to waive a fee press 4…. Of course, there is no number to press that will lead you to talk to a live human being. ‘Little Dorrit’ is not my favorite Dickens. It is, however, packed full of memorable good and bad characters and is a very pleasurable read.