Reviews

The Mystery of Edwin Drood, by Charles Dickens

cedrics_mom's review against another edition

Reading is fundamental as the old expression goes, and if there’s not any fun in it then it’s just mental. If you want to know what this book is about, just read the back of it. The rest of it is a slog and not any fun at all. So I’m out. I kept waiting for something to happen and muddling through Dickens‘ prose and it’s just no. September is a beautiful month and I’m not wasting it on this book anymore.

dmsnfr's review against another edition

adventurous medium-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

3.5

jstamper2022's review against another edition

4.0

Some parts are just like, why? Of what relevance does this have at all to the story other than a chance to use flowery prose to hit a page limit. I do wish he lived long enough to finish and polish it. There's enough of it we can infer some things so we're not completely left in the lurch from his death but enough left unwritten to leave us wanting more.

spettus's review against another edition

My professor had us read this for a class. This could have been a phenomenal book had he finished it and not left us hanging in the dust!!!

theliteraryphysicist's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

jasonfurman's review against another edition

5.0

Once again presumptuous to rate the book. But even by Dickens' standards this would merit five stars. Perhaps the biggest frustration is the title, wishing to know whether or not it is actually a mystery -- with my reasonably strong money being on the fact that it is not. I think it was Our Mutual Friend with the preface saying something like don't congratulate yourself on solving the mystery -- it's not supposed to be one. Either way, John Jasper is a worthwhile addition to the canon of characters, as are about a half dozen others in this novel that begins and essentially ends in an opium den.

alba_marie's review against another edition

3.0

I don't know how I feel about this book. Obviously, like others have said, it's incomplete though we know more or less what happens. It wasn't what I expected at all. For one, Edwin doesn't disappear until 3/4 of the way through the book. Up until then, there is loads of setting up the scene (including one scene in an opium den!), introducing the many characters (my copy had a list of characters thank goodness, because there are several and sometimes they run together), creating a love story, plus much witty bantering between various characters (esp the ridiculous drunken stonemason Durdles). Recently I've been on a gothic / mystery / ghost / Victorian era / historical novel kick, and Edwin Drood seemed like it fit right in. It had potential and I went in wanting to like it. But I'm not sure it did.... (and this has nothing to do with the fact that it's not finished, the poor man can't help that he died before he completed it!) Anyway. It's only my 2nd Dickens - the first being Great Expectations back in uni which took me over 6 months to get through between picking it up and putting it down several times. This one was a faster read by comparison (about 2 weeks, if that) but I still think I prefer the long and more complex Great Expectations. Anyway, it was a good way to delve back into Dickens! 3.5 stars.

susie_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

sheryl_marie_'s review against another edition

Too many characters, too much dialogue and after reading 36% of the book, the titular plot line hasn't yet begun.

Charles Dickens is famous for his whole life sagas such as Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, his experiment with a shorter, faster paced story that could be published periodically in just 12 months is a failed one for me.

stormhawk's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Dickens uncompleted book. I really liked it even though Dickens is not my favorite. I have a hard time following what is going on and there are often tangents that don't seem to be related to the plot. Just him showing off his abilities to write. His books get long with material that doesn't seem to add a lot.