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
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
lynn_pugh's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
4.75
booccmaster's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
shannonreid's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
andy_0001's review against another edition
4.0
such a captivating book(for this size and without being silly) with a mysterious atmosphere all around the first 64 chapters along with enjoyable drama, laced with tons of subplots and some memorable side characters too who didn’t always have their own stories to tell but the situations theirs acts all are interconnected to the main plot. The book is divided between our protagonist Esther and other third-person narration. Personally, I liked Esther's narrated chapters more as I Personally liked her character and the intimate way of storytelling. But the third person narrative was crucial and without it, the events and style of the book would've been too simple and boring. Also, Dickens's prose was descriptive like most of his contemporaries but the prose was joyous to read(for the majority of the time). The way he used metaphors and symbolism here was so delightful. He also likes most of the books that mentioned the corruption, the condition of the poor and some shady people's greed in here too.
Although sometimes I was getting bored mostly because of my own short attention span, this book has the ability to keep someone interested (even someone who is more prone to genre fiction and has limited experience with literary fiction). Not a page-turner for all obviously but I am so glad that I have finally read this book.
now some things that I was sceptical abouton the other hand I liked how the and the irony of I also liked how he added
I'm going to give it 3.75
Although sometimes I was getting bored mostly because of my own short attention span, this book has the ability to keep someone interested (even someone who is more prone to genre fiction and has limited experience with literary fiction). Not a page-turner for all obviously but I am so glad that I have finally read this book.
now some things that I was sceptical about
Spoiler
some characters like Mr John Jarndyce, George, Mr Woodcourt was too much goody two shoes and almost unbelievable but I wouldn't say that they were bland?Spoiler
the antagonistic characters or semi antagonistic I gue? characters were portrayed although I don't think anybody was the mastermind villain hereSpoiler
Jarndyce case got solved all of the court proceedings cost what they were supposed to get, it felt so similar to how my father described some of our inheritance court cases even in this era although in a developing country that's a differenceSpoiler
Jo's situation(RIP Jo), the brickmakers wives misfortune and how the Dedlock era is coming to an end after Mr Dedlock's sudden paralysisI'm going to give it 3.75
pained_creations's review against another edition
I thought I would try some classics, but I just couldn't get into it. I like a book with one or two well-developed characters, whom you really feel you know. This was more like a wide array of characters, and none seemed to really be the "lead". Moving on to something else!