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Paul Bryant's Reviews > Bleak House

Bleak House by Charles Dickens
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it was amazing
bookshelves: novels

Okay, so this is the 1853 version of The Wire. But with less gay sex. And no swearing. And very few mentions of drugs. And only one black person, I think, maybe not even one. And of course it's in London, not Baltimore. But other than that, it's the same.

Pound for pound, this is Dickens' best novel, and of course, that is saying a great deal. I've nearly read all of them so you may take my word. Have I ever written a review which was anything less than 101% reliable, honest and straightforward? Well, there you are then.

Bleak House gives some people a leetle problem insofar as you have half of it narrated by Esther (Goody Three Shoes, too good for just two) Summerson, who you ache to have a few bad things happen to, because she trills, she sings, she sees the best in everyone, tra la la, tweedly dee dee. This does get on some people's nerves. But I downloaded a dvd called Dickens Girls Gone Wild last week and let me tell you there's a whole other side to Esther Summerson - given the right surroundings (I think it was Malta, and the sangria was flowing) she could be good company.

However. Bleak House as a whole does no more than take it upon itself to explain how society works. And it's utterly gobsmacking. There are a lot of words in Bleak House's 890 pages but gobsmacking is not one of them. It's a word that was invented to describe Dickens novels.
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Reading Progress

Finished Reading
September 27, 2007 – Shelved
December 16, 2007 – Shelved as: novels

Comments Showing 1-50 of 66 (66 new)


Mariel There was tons of gay sex in Bleak House.


Mariel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZUq6N...
The Wire season 4 ripped this off.


Paul Bryant The Wire season 2 distinctly alluded to this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DANkec...

Well, I thought so.


Paul Bryant hmmm... here's a love god from Soviet Russia. Oh yes, they had them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_DM3x...


Mariel That blew my mind. *explosion sounds*

I think I'd go without.... season one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KppaDz...


Paul Bryant Hmmm... interesting. But if I may be SENSIBLE for a moment, here's what I mean by psychedelic folk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4jXfM...


Paul Bryant rather lovely.... now this is about as English as it gets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoddtU...


message 11: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant ah , that one is blocked in Britain, so you'll have to give me more of a clue. But now I have to sign off for the night...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyet4W...


message 12: by Jenn(ifer) (new)

Jenn(ifer) I really need to see The Wire


Kate "The 1853 version of The Wire" is the best description I have heard yet. I'm stealing it. Actually, I'm calling The Wire "The 2007 version of Bleak House."


Bettie Bleak House is the very best in a canon of bestness (excluding aToTC of course)

Fun review


Gary  the Bookworm I'm grateful for Dickens, gobsmacking and this review.


Kaethe Well, I can understand why "gobsmacked" was invented to describe Dickens' novel, what astounds me is that it took so long. I just checked and the OED doesn't have a cite before 1985.

I commend you on your coinage, and look forward to seeing what other authors you invent words to praise.

Sadly, I've never seen The Wire, so most of this is lost on me.


message 17: by Chantal (last edited Sep 24, 2013 09:52AM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Chantal I loved The Wire, I loved Bleak House - 'nuff said :)


message 18: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant Chantal, please move in next door to me.


Chantal Only if you live in Baltimore, or a dodgy part of East London.


Jason Funny review. Great novel.


message 21: by [deleted user] (new)

Very cute review, especially the whole "Esther (Goody Three Shoes, too good for just two) Summerson" bit. Three Shoes at the very least!

I'll have to look into getting a copy of that dvd lol.


message 22: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant thanks - the dvd is sold out I think.


message 23: by [deleted user] (last edited Mar 30, 2016 08:37AM) (new)

I heard Mr. Krook had a copy of it, so I think I'll rummage through his personal effects in an effort to track it down. Why do you think he really spontaneously combusted?


message 24: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant I do - for me it's an article of faith. Kaboom - whoosh!


message 25: by Diane (new) - added it

Diane This review is fantastic.


message 26: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant thanks Diane!


message 27: by Sher (new) - rated it 5 stars

Sher Paul I would read a book just so I could understand what your reviews are referring to. Thank you!!I found this book gobsmacking too.


message 28: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant we have both been gobsmacked!


message 29: by SherryRose (new)

SherryRose LOL Dickens girls gone wild! Funny!


Aaron Kate, the writers of The Wire hint at their intentions to create a modern Dickensian narrative of Baltimore through the character of Charles Whiting, Jr.'s, the senior editor of the Baltimore Sun, obsession with the "Dickensian aspect" of Baltimore's homeless crisis.


Michael Perkins Here's the psychedelic version....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ouP...


Barbara Carder P.B. ~ Esther contracted smallpox [although it was never named] in the novel and messed with her one true love, Allan Woodcourt, in that she held a veil over her scarred face and felt she could not inflict herself on him [I'm only on CH 46]. She walks on eggs with Mr. J her guardian and her 'beauty' Ada. Of course, I'm not even CLOSE to the end . . . . A word for ES: her soft ministrations are like little lacy valentines but her heritage will be her day of reckoning -- just thinkin ahead.


message 33: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant Lacy valentines, I like that. Bleak House sure is something.


message 34: by Shilpi (new)

Shilpi Now I must read it.. Fun review. :D


message 35: by Trista (new)

Trista I feel like I should share here....my dirtiest, darkest secret that I've never told a soul .... I've read Gaskell and Austen and Fitzgerald and Camus and Hardy and the Bronte's and Wilkes Collins. But not Dickens. I've never ever read a Dickens book. Feeling a tad embarrassed but is true


message 36: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant now is the time!


message 37: by Greta G (new)

Greta G “Have I ever written a review which was anything less than 101% reliable, honest and straightforward?“ Lol


message 38: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant still true!


message 39: by Greta G (new)

Greta G Paul wrote: "still true!"

I know. That’s what I like about you, your seriousness and reliability!


Stephanie I think that first paragraph is the best damn review I’ve read on here in 6 years of using this site. The. Best. I think this is my next read just to compare it to the Wire!


message 41: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant you must report back and tell me if you agree!


message 42: by Barb (new) - rated it 5 stars

Barb J I love your comparison of The Wire and Bleak House.


message 43: by Mbgirl (new) - added it

Mbgirl Funny!!! I like


Della Scott I'm not to far into it yet, either, but Esther's godmother told her it would have been better if she'd ever been born, and it seems was generally unkind to her. So I think that counts as something bad.


message 45: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant Yes, true, but wait till she has grown up to be an untiring beacon of all that is lovely in life - this is a great novel but she is inclined to put the reader's teeth on edge, I think.


message 46: by Kate (new) - rated it 5 stars

Kate Stewart Also not finished yet (how much am I loving it, though!), but I’m getting a real kick out of Esther. Sweet as pie and too nice by half, but she’s no fool. Her edgy comments (to herself) are brilliant. I like the way Dickens tells you in her voice that she’s just a simple loving soul, none too bright, full of gratitude for the birds etc like Snow White, but she sees right through Richard, and Skimpole, and Guppy and all the other creeps. However, most criticisms I’ve read say that Dickens couldn’t write women well, so maybe I’m reading too much into her?


message 47: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant well maybe he was finally learning something! But mostly the charge is true, he only saw women has pure little maidens or hilarious old bats.


Niraj You made me spit out my tea. and it's Darjeeling too! Y'know how expensive this stuff is?!

Totally agree with you though. Hands down brilliance. Dickens was a master in showing the blinding light and murky darknesses of Victorian London.


message 49: by Paul (new) - rated it 5 stars

Paul Bryant Sorry about the tea....


message 50: by Kate (new) - rated it 5 stars

Kate Stewart Yeah, true, Ada is completely one dimensional. Poor Carey Mulligan didn’t have much to work with.


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