A review by jlewis
Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens

challenging dark hopeful 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

3.0

Slowly working my way through Dickens (a chapter a day) and the jury’s still out on whether or not I’m finding it a pleasure or a chore. There are some very long passages, sometimes amounting to almost whole chapters, where nothing happens other than Dickens embarking on long descriptions or reflections, which I found rather heavy-going. But there is a good mix of engaging, compelling, villainous and deeply-flawed characters, which keeps the story moving.  Aspects of the plot, as always with Dickens, stretch credulity to breaking-point.  On the whole, good enough for me to decide to carry on with my Dickens journey.