ayavandenbussche's review against another edition
5.0
I don't think I will cause much gasping or outrage if I declare this the best novel in the English language, and I say this despite the unlikelihood of me reading all the novels in the English language. Also, after reading Dickens, I don't think I have his mastery of language, to find enough words to express the array of emotions and feelings I have gone through reading this book. To call it a masterpiece feels almost meaningless.
I have read and heard most divide this book into two narratives, obvious ones, which become intertwined and connected. However, I would argue, or politely suggest that Bleak House has a lot more narratives than the two. Nearly every character in this book has a narrative and together these narratives create a beautiful tapestry that left me gasping and pulsating. It is a picture of England, or maybe Britain, please don't write in. The true protagonist of this book is England/Britain, aka Bleak House.
It is funny and sad and beautiful and ugly, chilling and warming and it is poignant, accurate, painful, wonderful, but never dull. I guess it is the War and Peace of Britain. Bleak House made me think of Kafka, for obvious reasons, and of Vasili Grossman's Life and Fate, for its mosaic structure, but also for its overpowering humanity. Both Kafka and Grossman wrote in the 20th century, I am sure they have read Dickens. Terry Pratchett of course, also came to mind, for the language and the world-building.
The book has had a great emotional impact on me and the beauty is that it wasn't so much because of the characters or their actions, it was more to do with the humanity or lack of humanity of the situation.
While reading the book I was listening to Mirian Margolyes reading it on audible. I cannot recommend it enough. Reading this book aloud can't be easy, I think it is highly demanding, but she gets it right, she read it magnificently.
When I finished the book I was elated and filled with a desire to do nothing but read and write. I think, like Don Quixote, this will be a book I will return to again.
I have read and heard most divide this book into two narratives, obvious ones, which become intertwined and connected. However, I would argue, or politely suggest that Bleak House has a lot more narratives than the two. Nearly every character in this book has a narrative and together these narratives create a beautiful tapestry that left me gasping and pulsating. It is a picture of England, or maybe Britain, please don't write in. The true protagonist of this book is England/Britain, aka Bleak House.
It is funny and sad and beautiful and ugly, chilling and warming and it is poignant, accurate, painful, wonderful, but never dull. I guess it is the War and Peace of Britain. Bleak House made me think of Kafka, for obvious reasons, and of Vasili Grossman's Life and Fate, for its mosaic structure, but also for its overpowering humanity. Both Kafka and Grossman wrote in the 20th century, I am sure they have read Dickens. Terry Pratchett of course, also came to mind, for the language and the world-building.
The book has had a great emotional impact on me and the beauty is that it wasn't so much because of the characters or their actions, it was more to do with the humanity or lack of humanity of the situation.
While reading the book I was listening to Mirian Margolyes reading it on audible. I cannot recommend it enough. Reading this book aloud can't be easy, I think it is highly demanding, but she gets it right, she read it magnificently.
When I finished the book I was elated and filled with a desire to do nothing but read and write. I think, like Don Quixote, this will be a book I will return to again.
aztec_iris's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the book very much. After watching the BBC series I wanted to read it and found a lovely reader on librivox.org. I love how vivid the characters are as well as the locations. Although a bit sad and hopeless at times I enjoyed the characters so much it didn't bring me down. I wish I knew more about some of the cultural references and I know I missed some of the finer points of Oodle and Doodle, still I learned a lot. :)
jocelynw's review against another edition
3.0
I read Our Mutual Friend right before this one, and I liked that so much better.
reneeisalwaysreading's review against another edition
5.0
Oh the thrill of Dickens! He could really set a story down. Every character had a distinct personality, there was mystery and humor. There was compassion, romance, suspense. His descriptions brought the setting to life. The Bleak Houses, Tom-all-alone’s, London, and Chesney Wold were as important as the people who lived in them. And, oh man, Boorioboolah-Gha, no one ever goes there, it’s 7,000 miles away, but it corrupts a mom and affects the lives of two families. This book has been an adventure. Fantastic.
david_rhee's review against another edition
5.0
#Top5AllTime From what I could gather before reading Bleak House, I guessed that it would be Dickens' best even though his personal favorite was Great Expectations. Experiencing this novel gives the reader the feel of being a connoisseur at long last discovering the best of the best after years of searching. It is phenomenal and paralyzing. Bleak House is easily one of the greatest books I have ever read.
It is pure delight to behold the landscape sprawling with its vast complexity teeming with the actions and intrigues of a loaded cast. In the north, the Industrial Revolution twists and writhes in its birth and growth pains as it amasses its great wealth and power all the while grinding workers' souls and spreading dust and soot wherever it roams. The new vigor excites the new generations but the ancient ghost of "less straw, more bricks" threatens to overtake them. Eyeing this movement with disdain likely pretended to conceal a fear perhaps more real than realized is the landed gentry centered in the Dedlocks' estate of Chesney Wold. Their cold calloused pride forbids them to believe that anyone could dare to oppose them or that their foundations could even weaken from within. Then there is the Chancery Court where the perpetual circles, with circles within circles, of the bureaucratic roundabout coil around its adherents choking their hopes a little drier each day. The dreary scene of the world is generously littered with the most repulsive and detestable representatives of humanity one could ever imagine, so much so that a primary motivation of the reader is to proceed far enough to finally see them get what they deserve.
Just when the reader wonders to himself, how much worse can this world get?, there emerges a spark, the heroine Esther Summerson, who is best described as simply the "light of the world." She reaches into this world and touches the lives of so many. Thus begins the rhythmical and ingenious interplay of the worldly narratives and Esther's narratives. There is at first evident the stark contrast but they spill into each other and Dickens' inventive mastery conducts their interweaving. While the machinery of the world continues to churn, Esther moves among its unfortunates and they gravitate to her because of her neverending desire to embrace which proves more admirable given her pitiful childhood.
Dickens, however, is as real as it gets. The world is still its old unforgiving self. The ending is a shock though familiar. Shocking because of its familiarity perhaps. This ending ripples into a conclusion of many faces encompassing the death of old, the birth of new, fading of stale ideology, resolve of revived hopes, and the steadfastness of love...which again, stays true to the realness of life's drama folded neatly into a novel crafted immaculately by the greatest author this old familiar world has ever known.
It is pure delight to behold the landscape sprawling with its vast complexity teeming with the actions and intrigues of a loaded cast. In the north, the Industrial Revolution twists and writhes in its birth and growth pains as it amasses its great wealth and power all the while grinding workers' souls and spreading dust and soot wherever it roams. The new vigor excites the new generations but the ancient ghost of "less straw, more bricks" threatens to overtake them. Eyeing this movement with disdain likely pretended to conceal a fear perhaps more real than realized is the landed gentry centered in the Dedlocks' estate of Chesney Wold. Their cold calloused pride forbids them to believe that anyone could dare to oppose them or that their foundations could even weaken from within. Then there is the Chancery Court where the perpetual circles, with circles within circles, of the bureaucratic roundabout coil around its adherents choking their hopes a little drier each day. The dreary scene of the world is generously littered with the most repulsive and detestable representatives of humanity one could ever imagine, so much so that a primary motivation of the reader is to proceed far enough to finally see them get what they deserve.
Just when the reader wonders to himself, how much worse can this world get?, there emerges a spark, the heroine Esther Summerson, who is best described as simply the "light of the world." She reaches into this world and touches the lives of so many. Thus begins the rhythmical and ingenious interplay of the worldly narratives and Esther's narratives. There is at first evident the stark contrast but they spill into each other and Dickens' inventive mastery conducts their interweaving. While the machinery of the world continues to churn, Esther moves among its unfortunates and they gravitate to her because of her neverending desire to embrace which proves more admirable given her pitiful childhood.
Dickens, however, is as real as it gets. The world is still its old unforgiving self. The ending is a shock though familiar. Shocking because of its familiarity perhaps. This ending ripples into a conclusion of many faces encompassing the death of old, the birth of new, fading of stale ideology, resolve of revived hopes, and the steadfastness of love...which again, stays true to the realness of life's drama folded neatly into a novel crafted immaculately by the greatest author this old familiar world has ever known.
milesjmoran's review against another edition
5.0
He gave it its present name, and lived here shut up: day and night poring over the wicked heaps of papers in the suit, and hoping against hope to disentangle it from its mystification and bring it to a close. In the meantime, the place became dilapidated, the wind whistled through the cracked walls, the rain fell through the broken roof, the weeds choked the passage to the rotting door. When I brought what remained of him home here, the brains seemed to me to have been blown out of the house too; it was so shattered and ruined.
Bleak House is a bit of a beast, weighing in at over 900 pages, dense with a multitude of characters, plot, and some of the most intricate prose I've ever read. While Little Dorrit remains my favourite Dickens thus far, I completely understand why it is widely regarded as his best work.
I would hesitate to call this a difficult book, though I would concede that it can be quite an intense reading experience, as you are constantly unearthing new details and being introduced to a new character every other page it feels like. It took me a good few chapters to get comfortable with the volume of information but even then I would sometimes have to double check who everyone was and I couldn't let my attention drift for a moment without risking losing track of the plot entirely. Regardless, I absolutely loved this book - it's gloriously funny but also unbearably tragic as well, and I look forward to reading it again in the future...not for a good long while though....it's very long.
Bleak House is a bit of a beast, weighing in at over 900 pages, dense with a multitude of characters, plot, and some of the most intricate prose I've ever read. While Little Dorrit remains my favourite Dickens thus far, I completely understand why it is widely regarded as his best work.
I would hesitate to call this a difficult book, though I would concede that it can be quite an intense reading experience, as you are constantly unearthing new details and being introduced to a new character every other page it feels like. It took me a good few chapters to get comfortable with the volume of information but even then I would sometimes have to double check who everyone was and I couldn't let my attention drift for a moment without risking losing track of the plot entirely. Regardless, I absolutely loved this book - it's gloriously funny but also unbearably tragic as well, and I look forward to reading it again in the future...not for a good long while though....it's very long.
freyfreyaa's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first Dickens book I have ever read and to say that I did not find it a challenge would be a lie. At one thousand pages, it is the longest book I have finished, and I am not sure I would have ever picked it up (let alone got to the final page) if it was not for the fact that it is on my university reading list.
Although I have read, and enjoyed, several Victorian novels, nothing prepared me for the complexity of Dickens’ writing. Sadly, I feel that much of the irony and underlying messages of the novel passed me by, for I really struggled at times to fully understand what was happening. If I had slowed down and taken the time to really savour Dickens’ language I am sure this would have been less of a problem, but this was unfortunately made impossible by the structure of my degree: due to the amount of texts I have to read, and the short amount of time we spend on each one, I am often unable to enjoy all a novel has to offer. Bleak House, a book full of secrets, is in many ways a mystery novel, and it requires true dedication to reach the depths of Dickens’ prose. Perhaps the best way to enjoy books such as Bleak House would be to read only a few chapters a month, just as the very first readers of the text did.
Due to the length of Bleak House, the number of characters present throughout and the complexity of the central storyline(s), you have to be prepared to put in a great deal of time and effort in any reading of it, more than is usually demanded by a Victoria classic. Though I had to repeatedly force myself to pick up my kindle (I am honestly not sure I could have managed the weight of a physical copy of this book) and continue my crawl towards its end, I do not regret the many hours I spent getting to grips with it. Ultimately, it was a rewarding experience, and on reflection, a rather emotional one. It is a narrative of truly epic proportions. Each character is so unique and memorable that it is not as difficult as one might think to distinguish between them and recall events in which they were involved (perhaps hundreds of pages prior). Between the pages of Bleak House exists a snapshot of nineteenth century English society, one that includes both the poorest people of London and the wealthy owners of country estates. Dickens’ skill at weaving together so many elements is awe inspiring and he effortlessly creates a detailed picture of a whole locality. As the narrative progresses, characters become connected in unexpected ways, and it is the depth of these human relationships that make each character seem to live and breath alongside you as you read.
I have not said much, if anything, about the plot of Bleak House. If I was to write that it is about a seemingly never-ending legal case concerning the existence of conflicting wills, you would probably be unlikely to pick it up. Although it is true that this forms the backdrop to events, there is so much more to the novel: a young woman’s discovery of her parentage and the blackmail which grows out of this secret, the gradual unveiling of the true nature of a wealthy mistress forced to conceal her grief, the false imprisonment of a man long separated from his own family… A single novel could have been written addressing just one of these themes, but at no point does the plot of Bleak House seem disconnected or digressive. Dickens’ use of irony injects some dark humour into a book which is often truly bleak in its depiction of the mistreatment and suffering endured by the poor people of London. However, it is not for these individuals alone that we feel sympathy, for Dickens encourages the reader to sympathise with characters initially presented in a negative light. Despite this, the author refuses to hold back in his criticism of those belonging to the legal profession. The reaction of nineteenth century readers to the villains of the novel, who are truly vampiric in nature, is just one example of the important role Dickens played in influencing public opinion and bringing about real change.
Although I have read, and enjoyed, several Victorian novels, nothing prepared me for the complexity of Dickens’ writing. Sadly, I feel that much of the irony and underlying messages of the novel passed me by, for I really struggled at times to fully understand what was happening. If I had slowed down and taken the time to really savour Dickens’ language I am sure this would have been less of a problem, but this was unfortunately made impossible by the structure of my degree: due to the amount of texts I have to read, and the short amount of time we spend on each one, I am often unable to enjoy all a novel has to offer. Bleak House, a book full of secrets, is in many ways a mystery novel, and it requires true dedication to reach the depths of Dickens’ prose. Perhaps the best way to enjoy books such as Bleak House would be to read only a few chapters a month, just as the very first readers of the text did.
Due to the length of Bleak House, the number of characters present throughout and the complexity of the central storyline(s), you have to be prepared to put in a great deal of time and effort in any reading of it, more than is usually demanded by a Victoria classic. Though I had to repeatedly force myself to pick up my kindle (I am honestly not sure I could have managed the weight of a physical copy of this book) and continue my crawl towards its end, I do not regret the many hours I spent getting to grips with it. Ultimately, it was a rewarding experience, and on reflection, a rather emotional one. It is a narrative of truly epic proportions. Each character is so unique and memorable that it is not as difficult as one might think to distinguish between them and recall events in which they were involved (perhaps hundreds of pages prior). Between the pages of Bleak House exists a snapshot of nineteenth century English society, one that includes both the poorest people of London and the wealthy owners of country estates. Dickens’ skill at weaving together so many elements is awe inspiring and he effortlessly creates a detailed picture of a whole locality. As the narrative progresses, characters become connected in unexpected ways, and it is the depth of these human relationships that make each character seem to live and breath alongside you as you read.
I have not said much, if anything, about the plot of Bleak House. If I was to write that it is about a seemingly never-ending legal case concerning the existence of conflicting wills, you would probably be unlikely to pick it up. Although it is true that this forms the backdrop to events, there is so much more to the novel: a young woman’s discovery of her parentage and the blackmail which grows out of this secret, the gradual unveiling of the true nature of a wealthy mistress forced to conceal her grief, the false imprisonment of a man long separated from his own family… A single novel could have been written addressing just one of these themes, but at no point does the plot of Bleak House seem disconnected or digressive. Dickens’ use of irony injects some dark humour into a book which is often truly bleak in its depiction of the mistreatment and suffering endured by the poor people of London. However, it is not for these individuals alone that we feel sympathy, for Dickens encourages the reader to sympathise with characters initially presented in a negative light. Despite this, the author refuses to hold back in his criticism of those belonging to the legal profession. The reaction of nineteenth century readers to the villains of the novel, who are truly vampiric in nature, is just one example of the important role Dickens played in influencing public opinion and bringing about real change.
cathiestrover's review against another edition
My personal favourite, featuring Mr Panks