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    Bleak House
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    Bleak House
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    Bleak House
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    Bleak House

    Written by Charles Dickens

    Narrated by Ronald Pickup and Beatie Edney

    4.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

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    About this audiobook

    Penguin Classics presents Charles Dickens' epic Bleak House, adapted for downloadable audiobook and read by Ronald Pickup and Beatnie Edney.

    As the interminable case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce grinds its way through the Court of Chancery, it draws together a disparate group of people: Ada and Richard Clare, whose inheritance is gradually being devoured by legal costs; Esther Summerson, a ward of court, whose parentage is a source of deepening mystery; the menacing lawyer Tulkinghorn; the determined sleuth Inspector Bucket; and even Jo, the destitute little crossing-sweeper. A savage, but often comic, indictment of a society that is rotten to the core, Bleak House is one of Dickens's most ambitious novels, with a range that extends from the drawing rooms of the aristocracy to the poorest of London slums.

    Part of a series of abridged, vintage recordings taken from the Penguin Archives.

    Affordable, collectable, quality productions - perfect for on-the-go listening.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin UK Audio
    Release dateMar 13, 2006
    ISBN9780141807287
    Author

    Charles Dickens

    Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is the most popular and, many believe, the greatest English author. He wrote many classic novels, including David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and A Christmas Carol. Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities are available from Brilliance Audio.

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    Reviews for Bleak House

    4.5/5

    87 ratings106 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Critics say this is Dickens' best and most complicated work. I would agree! There are so many sub plots and so many characters that one needs to be on their toes while reading this book. Was it worth it? YES! This Dickens novel tells of the injustices of the 19th century legal system in England. It has the makings of a great soap opera: drug use, affairs, illegitimate children, stalking, murder, and spontaneous combustion! [Bleak House] is told both by an unidentified, third-person narrator and a first-person narrator. The third person narrator tells the story in the present and Esther Summerson tells the story in the past, which may be confusing. [Bleak House] is a not an easy read, but well worth the effort.
    • 4/5
      This was my first Dickens ever and I now suspect will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this story although the abundance of interwoven characters led me to have to write them all down so I could keep track of who was who. The many twists and turns in the tale were unexpected and made for compelling reading. Dickens descriptions of people are amusing and priceless: "Mrs Guppy, occupying the parlours and having indeed been visibly in danger of cracking herself like a nut in the front-parlour door by peeping out before she was asked for"
    • 5/5
      This book is the closest Dickens ever got to writing a Jane Austen novel. Read the story of Ada's and Esther's and Caddy's romantic escapades, and tell me that is not Austen-esque. But Dickens, thank goodness for him, shows us life outside the domestic circle also. It's fascinating to watch as he takes a lot of what appear to be unconnected events and characters in the beginning, and ties them all together seamlessly. Dickens is a great believer in the saying, "There is no such thing as coincidence." The characters in this book are wonderful. Well, perhaps I should've said, 'there are wonderful characters in this book'. Characters who seemed wholly unsympathetic will move you to tears by the end, if you are the sort who can be moved to tears by an old Victorian novel (and not just because you've already read 600 pages and there are 160 more to go - actually, by the time I'd gotten to page 600 in Bleak House, I had begun to be a little sorry that it WOULD end - that's how good it was). Bucket is a fascinating detective. I believe Agatha Christie must have modeled Poirot on him. The only characters who I felt lacked verisimilitude were Guster and Jo. Perhaps Dickens didn't spend enough time with the poor - or maybe it's just that their slang isn't our slang. But I felt they were overly pitiable and affected. I understand he was trying to prove a social point. It was still heavy handed. There are a few others who could have obligingly dropped dead/exited stage left at any point and I wouldn't have minded at all. Jo and Guster would be exempt from that sentiment. They were very central to the action. But Volumnia? Who would miss her? Still, she had her part. It is a sad fact of Sir Leicester's life that, without Lady Dedlock, this is what is left to him - these are the people who are supposed to be his social peers and friends. But that ought not to detract from the overall excellence of the book. Guppy is hilarious, Mr. Jarndyce quite lovable, Skimpole hateful. I thought it was interesting what a different take the BBC had on some of these characters. Mr. Jarndyce, for one, is a much more tragic figure in the miniseries. Richard is much less likeable on the screen as well - possibly because in this, the original book, it does seem as though he really tries to give Mr. Jarndyce's ideas a fair trial, and to find a profession, and give it his all. But it just isn't in him, and there is always Skimpole around to spoil everything, little by little, unnoticed by everyone except us, the readers of the book.The ending was also a point in its favor. I won't say much about that, since reviews are ostensibly for people who have not read the book in question. But you should certainly read this book. Don't be put off by the name. It's my favorite Dickens book by far - and I didn't expect to like any Dickens novel better than Great Expectations. More full of mystery than GE, more emotionally affecting than A Christmas Carol, the obligatory crazy French person so you won't miss A Tale of Two Cities - obviously a must for the Dickens fan. And, as I said, full of romance - a little Austenesque.
    • 4/5
      Weirdly, this was my first Dickens, except Christmas Carol, Loved it then, still love it best. I saw a funny reference the other day to someone who thought Jarndyce v. Jardyce was a real case, and how smug that made me. No story that includes spontaneous human combustion can be to dull, though, can it?

      2001/01/05
    • 5/5
      This is a massive novel in every sense. In the Penguin Classics edition it weighs in at 980 pages of small print, and that excludes the extensive notes, preface and introduction. Carrying that around in my greatcoat pocket I have found myself tending to walk in circles. It is, however, surprisingly readable, and contains many themes that seem entirely contemporary to us.The themes, layering and interlacing of plots and the cast of characters are also offered on a grand scale, and the overall impact in mesmerising, yet surprisingly readable and engaging. It is difficult in a short review even to attempt to summarise the plots. Suffice it to say that they are all expertly managed and resolved. Looming over the whole novel is the long-running civil law case of Jarndyce v Jarndyce, which has been progressing at glacial pace through Chancery. ‘Jarndyce and Jarndyce’ has now become a byword for legal obfuscation (or ‘wiglomeration’ to use Dickens’s own term). Even in the novel itself, the case, originating decades earlier from disputes over the distribution of a complex estate under instructions contained in conflicting wills, the case had already become infamous, and those connected with it were imbued with a certain dusty glamour.There are some marvellous set pieces that show Dickens at his characteristic best. The opening paragraphs contain with a glorious description of an impenetrable fog surrounding (and emanating from) the Inns of Court that presages the confusion and opacity that the claimants in Jarndyce and Jarndyce, and indeed any other cases that come before Chancery, will encounter.It is, however, not just a splenetic satire on the iniquities and perfidies of the legal system. Social injustice is held to account throughout the novel, with some heart-rending scenes depicting the life of some of London’s poorest inhabitants, many of whom live in stark juxtaposition with some of the wealthiest members of society. There is plenty of humour too, with Dickens’s portrayal of Mrs Jellyby, an undoubtedly well-meaning woman whose obsession with bringing relief to the poorer tribes of Africa leaves her utterly blinded to the neglect faced by her own children, and the desperately ambitious Mr Guppy for whom what he lacks in self-awareness is more than compensated by good, old fashioned solipsistic vanity. There is also a murder mystery following the death by shooting of Mr Tulkinghorn, a sinister senior lawyer who has fingers in a multitude of pies, and whose passing is mourned by few beyond Sir Leicester Dedlock, one of his wealthiest clients.The main story is, however, concerned with the progress through life of Esther Summerson, who narrates much of the book. Esther is, as Jane Austen might have said, ‘the natural daughter of somebody’, and finds herself taken under the aegis of John Jarndyce to act as companion for his cousin, Ada Clare. Ada, along with her cousin Richard Carstone, is one of the wards of court around whom the interests in Jarndyce and Jarndyce circle. Unacquainted before the novel opens, they are both assigned by the court to the protection of John Jarndyce, who lives in Bleak House, and, almost predictably, fall in love with each other. John Jarndyce, who will emerge as possibly the most benevolent and generous character in English literature, counsels them to try and embrace life without considering what might eventually come their way as their respective legacy from the ‘Jarndyce and Jarndyce’ case. Ada is happy to follow that advice though Richard, like a prospector who has fleetingly spied a sparkle in his pan, cannot escape from dreaming of how he might enjoy his legacy, and allows his mind to be twisted by greed and hope. Esther, meanwhile, has her own story, that is no less beguiling and engrossing for the reader.
    • 3/5
      I could easily write many negative things about this novel. For starters it is LONG. It is more a social and political commentary than a novel. The story follows many interconnected subplots told from the point of view of a third person narrator - or from the first person viewpoint of Esther Summerson, whose voice is not the least bit believable. (Biting the inside of my cheek to refrain from making snarky Mary Sue comments) The subplots are all tied up too neatly at the end.

      Did I mention how long it is?

      Nevertheless, it kept me interested enough to finish reading it. (Well, almost. After a certain character died, I read the remaining 8% out of sheer stubbornness) Despite the lack of character development, I found myself sympathizing with many of the characters and caring what happened to them.
    • 4/5
      I can certainly see how this critique of the legal system in existence at the time is worthy of the 'classic' label, unfortunately I found this a very challenging read until the murder- mystery section of the novel (approximately the second half). Glad I kept with this novel and am looking forward to reading further Dickens.
    • 5/5
      I've been a fan of Dickens since eight-year-old me discovered that "Marley was... as dead as a doornail;" in fact, I fully blame Dickens for several of my Victorian era lit classics binges throughout the years. A love, burgeoning or fully grown, for Dickensian wit and social satire is oft the struck chord that creates a distinct urge to reach out for more (and more). The heady simpatico taste of a Dickens' tome certainly has a lot to do with a logomania camaraderie. Oh, the words. The words! However, Word Lovers United™* aside, what I truly love about the Dickens' works I've experienced so far is that I'm constantly getting something new out of them. Like the Hans Brinker from folklore, I tend to get the sense that I'm standing at the side of a dam with my finger on the flow and I'll end up with whatever I'll allow through. Or, for a modern take, I'll go with Shrek's take on onions: they have layers!

      That's the merit factor for me; the depth of the story, of Dickens' empathy and opinions, of the references that flesh out the world of both author and characters. All of which culminate in a work that makes you truly feel the weight of it as an experience had - as if each word simply bulges with it. It's this that keeps such a work relevant in my opinion.

      So, in this reading of Bleak House since I hope there will be several more to come, I found myself most captivated by Jo's plight of moving on and the rippling riptide of Chancery. Jo was my emotional Twist twist. "Please sir..." where should I move, sir. Dickens knowing how to haunt both the soles and souls of even the modern human:

      "'My instructions are that you are to move on. I've told you so five hundred times!'
      'But where?' cries the boy.
      'My instructions don't go to that...move on!'
      Do you hear, Jo?... The one grand recipe remains for you- the profound philosophical prescription- the be all & end all of your strange existence upon earth. Move on! You are by no means to move off, Jo, for the great lights can't at all agree about that. Move on!"

      He's also quite the master of encapsulation and metaphor. From character to character we have these revolving spheres of motion, action, inaction, emotion that give us insight to the whole. It's this interconnected style that I find absolutely fascinating (and that keeps my list of characters pretty well thumbed through).

      Not wanting to emulate Dickens in a review of, well, Dickens, I'll keep it short and sweet. This is an easy new favorite. The wit and wisdom being balanced with a plot that I found pretty interesting as we encounter characters arcs diverging and a bit of a caper-esque (timing, timing, timing) climax that, though not the crux of the work, certainly adds intrigue. While not all characters made a significant impression on me this time around - that's kind of the beauty of want I've rambled about so much here. On another read through I'm sure I'll find even more to sink into.


      *A fascinating group, really. We never get anywhere though; everyone talks too much.
    • 5/5
      This book is the closest Dickens ever got to writing a Jane Austen novel. Read the story of Ada's and Esther's and Caddy's romantic escapades, and tell me that is not Austen-esque. But Dickens, thank goodness for him, shows us life outside the domestic circle also. It's fascinating to watch as he takes a lot of what appear to be unconnected events and characters in the beginning, and ties them all together seamlessly. Dickens is a great believer in the saying, "There is no such thing as coincidence." The characters in this book are wonderful. Well, perhaps I should've said, 'there are wonderful characters in this book'. Characters who seemed wholly unsympathetic will move you to tears by the end, if you are the sort who can be moved to tears by an old Victorian novel (and not just because you've already read 600 pages and there are 160 more to go - actually, by the time I'd gotten to page 600 in Bleak House, I had begun to be a little sorry that it WOULD end - that's how good it was). Bucket is a fascinating detective. I believe Agatha Christie must have modeled Poirot on him. The only characters who I felt lacked verisimilitude were Guster and Jo. Perhaps Dickens didn't spend enough time with the poor - or maybe it's just that their slang isn't our slang. But I felt they were overly pitiable and affected. I understand he was trying to prove a social point. It was still heavy handed. There are a few others who could have obligingly dropped dead/exited stage left at any point and I wouldn't have minded at all. Jo and Guster would be exempt from that sentiment. They were very central to the action. But Volumnia? Who would miss her? Still, she had her part. It is a sad fact of Sir Leicester's life that, without Lady Dedlock, this is what is left to him - these are the people who are supposed to be his social peers and friends. But that ought not to detract from the overall excellence of the book. Guppy is hilarious, Mr. Jarndyce quite lovable, Skimpole hateful. I thought it was interesting what a different take the BBC had on some of these characters. Mr. Jarndyce, for one, is a much more tragic figure in the miniseries. Richard is much less likeable on the screen as well - possibly because in this, the original book, it does seem as though he really tries to give Mr. Jarndyce's ideas a fair trial, and to find a profession, and give it his all. But it just isn't in him, and there is always Skimpole around to spoil everything, little by little, unnoticed by everyone except us, the readers of the book.The ending was also a point in its favor. I won't say much about that, since reviews are ostensibly for people who have not read the book in question. But you should certainly read this book. Don't be put off by the name. It's my favorite Dickens book by far - and I didn't expect to like any Dickens novel better than Great Expectations. More full of mystery than GE, more emotionally affecting than A Christmas Carol, the obligatory crazy French person so you won't miss A Tale of Two Cities - obviously a must for the Dickens fan. And, as I said, full of romance - a little Austenesque.
    • 5/5
      At All Ears, we often recommend that children both read along with a book as they listen to the audio version - it helps them comprehend and retain more from the book. Recently, some of our adult customers mentioned that they also do this. I decided to give this a try with Bleak House by Charles Dickens. One reason I chose this book is that I love reading Dickens - his books are funny and such wonderful social commentary. And they are incredibly long - I've heard that he was paid by the word (he must have been very wealthy). I had an audio version of Bleak House narrated by Robert Whitfield (aka Simon Vance), one of my favorite narrators. Since it was a dilemma which I would enjoy more, listening or reading this book and I wanted to finish it quickly (relatively), I decided to do both. What a great experience! Vance's wide variety of accents and voices made the characters come alive. And taking time to read chapters allowed me to better understand all of the intricate plot twists and numberous characters in this long (33 hours/889 pages) book. This is my favorite Dickens book (so far). It had just the right combination of satire, mystery, and epic novel. And hats off to Simon Vance - phenomenal narration!
    • 4/5
      Interessantes und sehr langes Werk von Charles Dickens über einen Erbschaftsstreit (Jarndyce gegen Jarndyce), aber auch über das Leben der jungen Esther Summerson. Viele Motive, viele Personen-trotzdem kann man dem Buch gut folgen. Dickens´ Schreibstil, sein leiser Humor, seine soziale Anklage, seine Personen sind auch nach über 150 Jahren noch völlig aktuell.Jetzt schaue ich mir noch die BBC-Verfilmung an: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV_rbl5hQg8
    • 5/5
      Probably my favorite Dickens novel I've read to date. A friend of mine was surprised because there's "a WHOLE CHAPTER ON MUD." But I think Dickens makes some astute and far-reaching social commentary in this, something he was really starting to hone with Hard Times.
    • 5/5
      One of my all time favourites. Loved it.

      © Koplowitz 2011

    • 3/5
      Had it's good moments but overall it suffers from the same problem as all Dickens, it's too long.
    • 4/5
      Not the strongest of his plots, but still a very good book. A good condemnation of the civil justice system. I absolutely saw the ending coming though. The spontaneous combustion was a little weird -- what it had to with anything, I'm not sure. What it boils down to, though, is that I really liked Esther and her scenes carried the book. Richard should have been slapped around and Ada needed a mega dose of reality, but many of the other characters were pure Dickensian classics, whether you loved them, hated them or cried with them.
    • 5/5
      It's a heavy volume of 1034 pages (that includes the intro and many appendices). What is the Bleak House? It is an old mansion, home of John Jarndyce and his three wards: Ester, Ada and Richard. It is also the squalid conditions of Tom's-All-Alone. It is the bleak out come of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce. It is the Victorian shame of an illegimate child. There are many bleak houses in this book. Bleak House carries a warning against the excesses of nuisance suits and the danger of a laissez-faire government which it wraps up in a delightful albeit complex and dense comedic romance of a young woman supposedly orphaned and sent to live with her guardian who is stuck in a generations long lawsuit over an estate. Interestingly, I recently read an American story that obviously borrowed heavily from Bleak House. To anyone who enjoys Bleak House, I recommend The Big Mogul by Joseph C. Lincoln.
    • 4/5
      Three tries and two years later, I finally know what Dickensian means. That was more a matter of timing than of taste though, because, really, how can you not love this book? It's got everything: fine ladies, gentlemen, grubby orphans, delusional man-children, conniving lawyers, crazy cat ladies and one vigorously shaken grotesque, all woven together in a fine web of estrangement, love both true and unrequited, murder, spontaneous combustion, and, certainly, a spoonful of social commentary. Not without some dear remembrance, indeed.
    • 4/5
      It was a happy day when I, for whatever reason, elected to sample Charles Dickens. Having read A Tale of Two Cities in high school, I digressed to more popular fiction (Michener, Clavell, McMurtry, King, Grisham), as well as periods of science fiction and even non-fiction (Ambrose, McCollough for example), before making an effort to upgrade my reading list.I read some Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Steinbeck and Hemingway with mixed success before reading Great Expectations. I liked it enough to read David Copperfield, and I was hooked. A Tale of Two Cities followed and then Oliver Twist (not my favorite) before taking on this lengthy tome.Bleak House is something of an indictment of the English legal system, more particularly the Chancery Court of Dickens’s period. It takes as its subject the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, a Chancery Court case that droned interminably through the system, taking on a life of its own as it outlived its various parties, barristers and judges. Much like David Copperfield, the characters that Dickens creates on the periphery of the story give it much of its charm, however, there are so many of them, and they flit in and out of the story so frequently, that it was difficult for me to remember some of them.Having read several Dickens works prior to this one, I was aware that a period of acclimation is required before becoming comfortable with both the language and the cultural landscape, however the comfort that I eventually attained in the previous novels was more difficult to come by here. In addition, I found the prose to be far more florid and tortured in this book than in the other Dickens novels that I enjoyed far more.Make no mistake, at nearly 1,000 pages this is a real door stop, with long periods of very slow advancement and tedious description. Not my favorite, and hard to recommend.
    • 5/5
      I love Dickens and this one has so many characters that its length is a bonus for the reader.
    • 4/5
      Bleak House takes place in 19th century England at a time when the chancery court system was full of controversy. The courts were criticized and mocked for the delays within the litigations and the story is based on one such litigation.Esther Summerson was raised by her aunt, unbeknownst to her, and is treated as a worthless burden. Upon her aunts death she is given to John Jarndyce and eventually moves in to Bleak house with him and his wards, Richard and Ada. The two are beneficiaries in an ongoing litigation that is caught up in the chancery court system because of conflicting wills. Lady Dedlock is also a beneficiary in one of the wills and is married to Sir Leicester Dedlock. She is the mother of Esther although the two are unaware of their connection since Lady Dedlock was told that her child died upon birth. Sir Leicester is unaware of his wife’s past love affair which was with a sailor by the name of Captain Hawdon or “Nemo”. Nemo dies as a pauper and Lady Dedlock hears of his death and travels to see his grave paying Jo, a homeless boy to show her to his gravesite. Richard and Ada fall in love and are secretly married but Richard’s health declines because of his obsession over the court case. Dr. Woodcourt who knows Richard from an internship, is taking care of Richard. Dr. Woodcourt secretly loves Esther and the feelings are mutual but Esther is promised to John Jarndyce her guardian and does not pursue a relationship. Lady Dedlock and Esther come to realize their connection but keep it secret. As the story progresses Hortense, Lady Declock’s maid and Tulkinghorn, Sir Leicester’s lawyer,discover Lady Declock’s past. They confront her and she flees, leaving her husband a note apologizing for her misdeeds. However, Hortense after being dismissed by Tulkinghorn feels betrayed and murders him and sets it up to appear that Lady Dedlock has done the deed. Sir Leicester upon hearing the news of his wife’s departure and death of his lawyer has a stroke yet survives. He enlists inspector Bucket to search for his wife and bring her back to him because he forgives her for any wrong doing. Inspector Bucket and Esther set on a search for Lady Dedlock only to find that she has gone to the grave of Nemo her ex-lover and died. Esther is devastated but Dr. Woodcourt comes to her aid. The chancery case takes a turn when a new will comes to the surface that postdates any of the other wills and leaves the bulk of the inheritance to Richard and Ada. However, because of the costs involved they are left with nothing which is too much for Richard to bare and he succumbs to his illness and dies, leaving Ada a widow and pregnant. John Jarndyc e realizes the mutual attraction of Dr. Woodcourt and Esther and renounces his ties to her and gives his blessing that they should be married providing them with a small estate. Ada with her child eventually returns to Bleak house to live once again with John Jarndyce.The story is filled with many minor plots and characters and takes some adjusting to follow each subplot through. In the end it was worth the read and quite enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      The main character is actually likeable despite being the "perfect" female character. She's humble, made of love, and takes care of everybody around her. Good story.
    • 5/5
      Critics say this is Dickens' best and most complicated work. I would agree! There are so many sub plots and so many characters that one needs to be on their toes while reading this book. Was it worth it? YES! This Dickens novel tells of the injustices of the 19th century legal system in England. It has the makings of a great soap opera: drug use, affairs, illegitimate children, stalking, murder, and spontaneous combustion! [Bleak House] is told both by an unidentified, third-person narrator and a first-person narrator. The third person narrator tells the story in the present and Esther Summerson tells the story in the past, which may be confusing. [Bleak House] is a not an easy read, but well worth the effort.
    • 4/5
      My first thought upon finishing this book was sweet, sweet relief. I finally finished it! It sat on my shelf and stared at me for over a year but I finally did it! But, really, it was so good! I am suspicious of Dickens, mostly due to my unceasing hatred of Great Expectations and there were parts of Bleak House when I thought this might go the way of Pip. But even though it's a million pages, it was interesting and wonderful and I was flying through because I NEEDED to know what would happen. Also, Esther is amazing - her narrative was hands down the best part of the book and she is probably my favorite Dickens character. Anyway, there is so much going on and there is no way I am going to summarize it, but you should definitely read it especially since you tyrannically forced me to write this review (BRYAN). Finally, if you have the penguin classic (as I did), be forewarned that the notes have major spoilers! I know you can't exactly spoil the classics but it still was very uncool.
    • 4/5
      David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations are all favorite books I'll read multiple times in my lifetime. Bleak House is not. The plot centers on a chancery case involving the heirs to Jarndyce wills. The case is so complicated that no one can understand it – not the lawyers, not the parties to the case, not the judges, and apparently not Dickens, since he never really explains it to readers. With the exception of Lady Dedlock and the lawyer Tulkinghorn, the major characters are pretty dull. The secondary characters are what made the book worth reading once: Mrs. Jellyby, who is so concerned with the natives in Borrioboola-Gha that she neglects her own large family; that model of deportment Mr. Turveydrop; the intrepid Mrs. Bagnet; and Jo, the poor crossing sweeper, to name a few. Readers new to Dickens should try another work first. Don't start with this one!
    • 5/5
      1999, Blackstone Audiobooks, Read by Robert Whitfield Bleak House is a long, sweeping novel (I don’t think Dickens writes another kind), which took me considerable time to get through but was entirely worth the effort. I needed to remember that Dickens, for me, is always a long, slow, quiet read; that established, I settled in comfortably for the long haul. I part-read and part-listened to Bleak House; shout out goes to Robert Whitfield who does an exemplary job of this Blackstone audiobook – he reads Dickens’ host of characters flawlessly, from homeless, illiterate urchin to arrogant lawyer.The first chapters introduce a profusion of characters, and keeping them straight sent me to CliffsNotes on more than one occasion. However, true to form, Dickens introduces not a single one of them needlessly; all play a role in spinning the tale that is Bleak House. The characters are as varied as they are numerous; and the intricate web that eventually ties them all one to the other is impressive.The main plot of the novel is a scathing social criticism of the ineffectiveness and ineptitude of England’s Chancery Court. Dickens declares the legal system to have failed utterly and completely in bringing justice; exhaustive court costs and legal fees have ruined the lives of many. Fast forward to present day, and I needed to ask myself what, if anything, has changed. Tom Jarndyce explains: “’The lawyers have twisted it into such a state of bedevilment that the original merits of the case have long disappeared from the face of the earth. It’s about a will and the trusts under a will – or it was once. It’s about nothing but costs now. We are always appearing, and disappearing, and swearing, and interrogating, and filing, and cross-filing, and arguing, and sealing, and motioning, and referring, and reporting, and revolving about the Lord Chancelor and all his satellites, and equitably waltzing ourselves off to dusty death, about costs.’” (ch 8)Of course, Bleak House is about much more than the failed Chancery. Dickens masterfully uses his cast to inform of, among other things, the inequities of social class: poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, domestic abuse – to name but a few. Indeed, I think he could not have nailed the inadequacies of our modern society any better supposing he’d had a crystal ball. Timeless, a true classic – highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Bought the Penguin edition and and the audio as well.
    • 5/5
      Addictive. The whole Esther and her guardian and Allan triangle was a bit disturbing, but I loved everything else. I was so glad that Sir Leicester took the stance that he did and the ultimate fate of Jarndyce v Jarndyce was perfect.
    • 4/5
      This is of course one of Dickens's most famous and esteemed books, a huge novel with a galaxy of fascinating characters. For me, this is not quite up there with my personal favourites, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby and Pickwick Papers, but is still a very good novel. The basic narrative is quite simple, drawn out across 67 chapters, but it is that galaxy of characters that really make this one. In some Dickens novels (Our Mutual Friend, Little Dorrit), I have found significant numbers of characters rather dull and the chapters in which they featured very skimable, but there were almost none such here. Some of the most memorable/interesting were the tragic Lady Dedlock; the vagabond trooper George; Mrs Jellyby, who is dedicated to public causes but abandons her husband and children; the Bagnets, where the wife articulates all her husband's opinions for him at his request; Boythorn, the Dedlocks' neighbour in dispute with them over a right of way; Miss Flite, the poor little lady whose mind has become unhinged by the interminable legal case Jarndyce and Jarndyce, which also breaks the health of Richard Carstone. No one describes grinding poverty and degradation like Dickens and his descriptions of the unfortunate Jo, the crossing sweeper and Jenny, grieving over her dead baby and brutalised by her husband, are also striking and tragic. The novel is almost a microcosm of early 19th century society, both the lows and highs.
    • 5/5
      An F***ing great book!

      This particular edition is okay. The endnotes were decent, blah, blah, blah. But my partner found a much better one with footnotes that were much more extensive and interesting.
    • 4/5
      Fun read and much better than I anticipated from the title or jacket blurb. I thought it would be really depressing because it dealt with a court case and injustice. Turned out to be pretty typical Dickens: Wordy, sentimental, large cast and, finally a happy ending. I give it four stars because it was so engrossing that it left a Bleak House shaped hole in my reader's heart. I feel some regret that I'm done.