Sara's Reviews > Bleak House
Bleak House
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Sara's review
bookshelves: classics, detective, english-fiction, literary-fiction, murder, victorian
Jan 23, 2015
bookshelves: classics, detective, english-fiction, literary-fiction, murder, victorian
Read 2 times. Last read March 2, 2022 to May 23, 2022.
UPDATE: On my second reading of Bleak House, I found myself just as caught up in the story, just as involved with the characters, and just as amazed at Dickens’ ability to weave a world that one can only be sorrowful to leave behind in the end. I closed the book the second time with tears standing in my eyes and with a strong conviction that if you could only have The Bible, Shakespeare and Dickens in your library, you would have the whole of humanity at your fingertips.
**************************
It always feels a bit presumptive when I am trying to review the masters of the novel, a Dickens, Hardy, or Eliot. What can someone like myself contribute, that might matter, to the appreciation of a masterpiece like Bleak House. And yet, I want to effuse about it, I want to praise it, I want to say how completely effective it is and how strangely relevant to our society if you merely put the characters in cars instead of horse-drawn conveyances. I want to tell everyone that within its pages you will find the human condition has changed less than the progress we have made might indicate. At their hearts people are in want of love and understanding, food and warmth, that they are greedy or kind or confused or evil in the same way regardless of the era of their birth.
One of the major characters, Esther, might be painted a bit too perfect and faultless, too sweet and grateful and considerate; but I find myself quite happy with her and wanting to believe that there might exist people who at least strive to be this good. John Jarndyce is one of the finest characters in fiction--a man who does good wherever he can and expects nothing in return, including thanks. And what can one say of Harold Skimpole? He is despicable because he never takes any responsibility for his actions and lives the life of a leech by cloaking himself in the guise of a child. He is a universally harmful person, at whom one chuckles in the beginning, but loathes by the end. A host of fascinating characters (Lady Dedlock, George the Trooper, and Inspector Bucket all shine) people this novel and keep the suspense and interest alive throughout. Because this is Dickens, you can be sure there are villains aplenty, innocents in danger of being squashed by society, and poverty of a level that is appalling. If there is anything Dickens understands it is class division and the inability of the ordinary man to lift himself out of the gutter once life has flung him there.
Then there is the condemnation of the legal system and the sad injustice that is built into its operations. The suit of Jarndyce and Jarndyce that is at the heart of the novel exposes in how little measure the legal system exists for the good or benefit of those who find themselves in its grasp. How sad, we are told, to wrap your life up in any expectation of justice or relief from the courts, what a waste of time for anyone but the lawyers who alone seem to profit from the venture.
Dickens knows his craft and provides just the right mix of sentiment, humor and mystery. In turn, I laughed aloud, cried a bit and neglected chores to get to the end of a chapter and the possible nugget of information that might help to solve one of the myriad mysteries presented. He plays with words and images and I could not help noting that the least “bleak” house of all was John Jarndyce’s home that officially carried the name.
Every time I read a true classic, I have to stop and kick myself for having been so long getting around to it. There is a reason these stories have lasted through centuries. There is a reason they do not fade into oblivion along with so many of their fellows. They spoke to the audience they were written for, and, they speak just as eloquently to the audience that finds them today. If I live long enough, I hope to be able to say I have read every Dickens novel. At least now I can say I have read Bleak House, and it was an experience worth having.
**************************
It always feels a bit presumptive when I am trying to review the masters of the novel, a Dickens, Hardy, or Eliot. What can someone like myself contribute, that might matter, to the appreciation of a masterpiece like Bleak House. And yet, I want to effuse about it, I want to praise it, I want to say how completely effective it is and how strangely relevant to our society if you merely put the characters in cars instead of horse-drawn conveyances. I want to tell everyone that within its pages you will find the human condition has changed less than the progress we have made might indicate. At their hearts people are in want of love and understanding, food and warmth, that they are greedy or kind or confused or evil in the same way regardless of the era of their birth.
One of the major characters, Esther, might be painted a bit too perfect and faultless, too sweet and grateful and considerate; but I find myself quite happy with her and wanting to believe that there might exist people who at least strive to be this good. John Jarndyce is one of the finest characters in fiction--a man who does good wherever he can and expects nothing in return, including thanks. And what can one say of Harold Skimpole? He is despicable because he never takes any responsibility for his actions and lives the life of a leech by cloaking himself in the guise of a child. He is a universally harmful person, at whom one chuckles in the beginning, but loathes by the end. A host of fascinating characters (Lady Dedlock, George the Trooper, and Inspector Bucket all shine) people this novel and keep the suspense and interest alive throughout. Because this is Dickens, you can be sure there are villains aplenty, innocents in danger of being squashed by society, and poverty of a level that is appalling. If there is anything Dickens understands it is class division and the inability of the ordinary man to lift himself out of the gutter once life has flung him there.
Then there is the condemnation of the legal system and the sad injustice that is built into its operations. The suit of Jarndyce and Jarndyce that is at the heart of the novel exposes in how little measure the legal system exists for the good or benefit of those who find themselves in its grasp. How sad, we are told, to wrap your life up in any expectation of justice or relief from the courts, what a waste of time for anyone but the lawyers who alone seem to profit from the venture.
Dickens knows his craft and provides just the right mix of sentiment, humor and mystery. In turn, I laughed aloud, cried a bit and neglected chores to get to the end of a chapter and the possible nugget of information that might help to solve one of the myriad mysteries presented. He plays with words and images and I could not help noting that the least “bleak” house of all was John Jarndyce’s home that officially carried the name.
Every time I read a true classic, I have to stop and kick myself for having been so long getting around to it. There is a reason these stories have lasted through centuries. There is a reason they do not fade into oblivion along with so many of their fellows. They spoke to the audience they were written for, and, they speak just as eloquently to the audience that finds them today. If I live long enough, I hope to be able to say I have read every Dickens novel. At least now I can say I have read Bleak House, and it was an experience worth having.
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Quotes Sara Liked
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“There were two classes of charitable people: one, the people who did a little and made a great deal of noise; the other, the people who did a great deal and made no noise at all.”
― Bleak House
― Bleak House
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“Trust in nothing but in Providence and your own efforts. Never separate the two, like the heathen waggoner. Constancy in love is a good thing, but it means nothing, and is nothing, without constancy in every kind of effort.”
― Bleak House
― Bleak House
Reading Progress
January 23, 2015
– Shelved
December 1, 2015
– Shelved as:
to-read
July 6, 2016
–
Started Reading
July 8, 2016
– Shelved as:
on-going-or-hold
August 5, 2016
–
4.23%
"Forced to put this one on hold for a while, but now I am back. Started over from page one and off to a good start. Mysterious already!"
page
43
August 10, 2016
–
33.73%
"Who is Esther and what is her connection to Lady Dedlock? That question alone would keep me reading. Lots of characters to keep straight, though. Dickens introduces a new one every few pages."
page
343
August 16, 2016
–
61.55%
"I despise Mr. Skimpole almost more than any other character in the book. He makes me think of our current problems and the way the lack of personal responsibility feeds into them. Always someone else to blame.
The most irritating part of this book is "the little woman" "Dame Durden" "my darling" "my pet". Come on Dickens, we get it, Ester is reliable, Ava is sweet."
page
626
The most irritating part of this book is "the little woman" "Dame Durden" "my darling" "my pet". Come on Dickens, we get it, Ester is reliable, Ava is sweet."
August 18, 2016
–
71.88%
"Richard, Richard, Richard! You are chasing the lottery.
I really despise Skimpole. I dislike him more than Tulkinghorn, which is saying a lot. I think Ester must feel the same way."
page
731
I really despise Skimpole. I dislike him more than Tulkinghorn, which is saying a lot. I think Ester must feel the same way."
August 19, 2016
– Shelved as:
classics
August 19, 2016
–
Finished Reading
March 2, 2022
–
Started Reading
March 4, 2022
–
9.0%
"Second read of Bleak House with the remarkable Bionic Jean and the Dickensians (sounds like a great name for a band). I'm happy that I remember so little of the plot details, and yet I wonder about my memory slipping because it hasn't been that long since I read it."
March 8, 2022
–
16.0%
"I love the complicated plot and the constant cast of characters. This is Dickens at his best."
March 28, 2022
–
41.0%
April 18, 2022
–
64.0%
April 26, 2022
–
69.0%
May 1, 2022
–
76.0%
May 12, 2022
–
86.0%
May 16, 2022
–
92.0%
May 23, 2022
– Shelved as:
detective
May 23, 2022
– Shelved as:
english-fiction
May 23, 2022
– Shelved as:
literary-fiction
May 23, 2022
– Shelved as:
murder
May 23, 2022
– Shelved as:
victorian
May 23, 2022
–
Finished Reading
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Absolutely one of the things that draws me to the classics and also what draws me to historical fiction. The times change, but man, apparently, very little.
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When you get into the right mode you will love this book Andrea. It moves slowly in the beginning, not unusual for a long novel, but once it begins to move it really captivates.
Renata wrote: "An eloquent review that makes me want to read the Dickens I have neglected and perhaps even reread one I've already read ages ago to see if I've managed to grow into his deeper themes. An inspiring..."
There are a number of Dickens I still have to go and several I would love to revisit. I do think perspective changes as we age and great works take on new meaning. Hope you get to some of them soon, Renata.
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I hope you do. I do understand how such a protracted reading is sometimes hard to fit in. It almost requires visiting the thread every day for several months.
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Been afraid of Dickens -- but you add so much love and warmth to the ..."
Thank you so much, Elyse. You are such a sweetheart! Don't fear Dickens, he is easy to read and you will love him. I have two more to go and I will have read them all. I expect to read the favorites over again when I reach that point.
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Thank you, Margaret. So hard to say which is the best, but this one certainly rises to the top.
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Don't miss the others, Mark. Dickens is wonderful, even if it isn't Christmas.
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