renmarshallbrown's review against another edition
5.0
This book absolutely deserves its place among the classics. I avoided reading Bleak House for a long time for two reasons: its length and it being about a long legal battle that didn't sound interesting. I was very wrong. This book has everything: the clever social critiques Dickens is known for, humor, a love story, a murder mystery. Slow paced but well plotted. I adored this novel!
clz1999's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
peggypegcarter's review against another edition
4.0
A classic Dickens, with his myriad of characters and mystery. As usual, you know there is a mystery to be revealed, and you get all the information you need for the first hundreds of pages about the people involved and the situation, and then end up not being able to put the book down for the last few hundred pages because the storyline accelerates and is coming to an end. Enjoyable characters.
brog's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
steve_sanders's review against another edition
4.0
This is a tough one for star rankings. At its best, Bleak House stands among Dickens’ finest (and thus is he greatest fiction ever written). But at times it becomes too much of a good thing. You could easily cut two hundred pages. In the book’s first half especially, there is the sense of Dickens spinning his wheels and delaying inevitable plot developments.
But once the threads start to come together the book really is a thing of beauty, a potent depiction of the ways in which tragedy often occurs not just in spite of human decency, but because of it. And only Shakespeare can rival Dickens combination of gorgeous sentences and gripping narrative.
But once the threads start to come together the book really is a thing of beauty, a potent depiction of the ways in which tragedy often occurs not just in spite of human decency, but because of it. And only Shakespeare can rival Dickens combination of gorgeous sentences and gripping narrative.
elliemcc11's review against another edition
2.0
Much as I loved the BBC series I couldn't finish the book. Not a fan of Dickens at all.
mia_48419's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0