133. Our Mutual Friend

Our Mutual Friend
Charles Dickens
1865
Around 900 pages

There were days where I simply couldn't will myself to pick up this book and days where I couldn't put it down.  Perhaps it was because of the sheer size, but this is one of the hardest books I have ever had to get through that I actually enjoyed.

A body is found in the Thames River and is identified as John Harmon.  Harmon was to inherit the estate of a rich old miser on the condition that he marry Bella Wilfer.  However, because of his death, the miser's estate goes to the Boffins, a quintessential example of a good, poor couple.  The Boffins decide to take in Bella, since she no longer has a fiancé.  I actually found Bella to be one of the most insufferable Dickens characters ever.  The way she talked to her father was just plain nauseating.

Several parts of this novel had me laughing out loud.  I loved the Lammles, a manipulative young couple who were reminiscent of the Thenardiers in Les Miserables.  Silas Wegg, an old man who attempts to blackmail the Boffins, also repeatedly made me chuckle.  However, I can't completely make this post a rave.  For one thing, I found some of the plot twists to be absolutely absurd and kind of hindered my enjoyment of the novel, since they caused quite a few continuity issues.  This book is also insanely long.  After all this time, Dickens still doesn't know when to shut up.

Our Mutual Friend is our last Dickens novel!  Although I wished for this moment to come many times (mostly while I was reading A Tale of Two Cities) I am really going to miss reading his novels. Oh well.  I still have a few tucked away that I can experience for the first time.  I mean, how can a book titled Barnaby Rudge be bad?

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Referenced many times in the tv show Lost.

The characters were heavily criticized by Henry James.

Trailer for the BBC version:

UP NEXT: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

126. Great Expectations

Great Expectations
Charles Dickens
1860
Around 400 pages

I recently did a count of all the Dickens novels I have read.  I came up with four that I absolutely loved and seven that I absolutely hated.  Conclusion: I am formally recommending him on this blog.  I know; it is such an honor that you are freaking out.  Don't worry; I still think he is capable of being dreadfully dull but on the other hand, he is capable of being hilarious and compelling.

Phillip Pirrip (which is possibly the worst name I have ever heard; subsequently, he is nicknamed Pip) is an orphan who only has his sister and her husband to look after him.  Since this is a Dickens novel, the sister is, of course, a total monster. Pip is eventually anonymously sponsored to be a gentleman.  Oh right, who is the incredibly creepy woman pictured above?  You know, the one from Insidious: Chapter Two?  That would be Miss Havisham, a creepy spinster who takes Pip on in order to provide a companion for her adopted daughter, Estella.  Side note: there were a bunch of sexy pictures of Gwyneth Paltrow as Estella that I could have used for the above picture but I instead chose Helena Bonham Carter being frightening.  You're welcome.

I actually tried to read this book in high school and failed, so I was a little weary going in.  However, I had so much fun with this one, particularly since my sister is currently reading David Copperfield for the first time.  We had a good time reading out loud humorous passages and relating to how melodramatic the characters were (we have a tendency to overstate things).  I still prefer David over Pip, but Great Expectations is a close second.

So after being extremely disappointed in A Tale of Two Cities, we get this novel to make us fall in love again.  It won't last long; we have Our Mutual Friend coming up.  Shoot me.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Mixed reviews by critics but considered by Charles Dickens to be his best book.



Trailer:

UP NEXT: Silas Marner by George Eliot.  I am seriously falling in love with this woman.

119. A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
1859
Around 250 pages

I am currently in bed after a rather serious surgery on my leg and foot.  It is uncomfortable as hell and I am not allowed to put weight on the right foot for six weeks.  That's right fellas: I am hell on wheels.  In any case, I expect to be reading a lot this summer and updating this blog frequently.

I was willing to give Dickens another chance after Nicholas Nickelby and David Copperfield.  However, I am forced to realize that giving a man a second chance is always a stupid thing to do.  This was one of the dullest books I have ever read.

If you haven't read the book, the only part you are probably familiar with is the opening sentence, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."  For those of you don't understand this quote, it means that its the best of times when you are not reading this novel and the worst of times when you are.  That is my interpretation at least.

Basically, this book is about the start of the French Revolution.  While this might sound interesting, there are so many boring characters thrown into the mix and it becomes exceedingly dull.  Lucie Manette is a character we all seen roughly 500 times?  She is a perfect, meek angel that everybody falls in love with.  Groan.

Overall, one of my least favorite Dickens' novel.  Hopefully the next one will serve as a better distraction.

RATING: *----

Interesting Facts:

Most of the characters in this novel are flat.

A Tale of Two Cities is considered the least humorous of Dickens' novels.

UP NEXT: Max Havelaar by Multatuli. Huh?

114. Hard Times

Hard Times
Charles Dickens
1854
Around 350 pages

I hope the four posts I did give you enough reading material for awhile since this is a really busy time for me and I have a couple other books lined up before I get to the next one on The List.  Of course, if it takes you two weeks to read four posts, I don't know why you are on a book blog in the first place.

This is our seventh Dickens book on the list and there is no end in sight.  When I am done with all of these I am going to reward myself with cupcakes.  Hell, I am going to do that any way but at least now it will have meaning.

Josiah Bounderby is a rich factory owner who predictably is a major jerk (hey, it is Dickens after all and he is rich).  He marries his best friend's daughter, despite him being gross and her being good looking.  Stephen Blackpool, a factory worker, walks around with a halo around his head but is stuck married to a terrible woman.  And there is someone named Sissy, I think?  Damn, now I can't remember.  And I am having trouble finding any particle in me that cares.

So the good news?  I think this is the shortest Dickens on The List.  This book aims to bring attention to poverty in England at the time.  I don't know about you, but every year in school we would have a unit on the Industrial Revolution so I kind of already know that it have sucked to be alive back then.  Maybe in his time, he was divulging new information, but I was bored as soon as I turned the first page.

RATING: *----

Interesting Facts:

Mixed reviews from critics.  Yay, some are on my side for once!

UP NEXT: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.

112. Bleak House

Bleak House
Charles Dickens
1852-53
Around 650 pages

Look, it is Agent Scully!  I guess she was in an adaptation of Bleak House!  Who knew?  Okay, that is the most interesting thing about this post and this novel.  You may go back to your porn now.  Is that not appropriate?  I will go back and change it later.

I actually read this book a long time ago and I am sure as hell not going to go through that horror again.  A friend actually recommended this to me when I complained to her that I couldn't find a Dickens book I liked (this was, of course, before I fell in love with David).  She was convinced that I would like it since I like Jane Austen.  Unfortunately, we are not still in contact so I can't ask her what the hell she was talking about.

Honestly, I was just reading the plot summary for a quick refresher and I couldn't finish it because it was so goddamn boring.  I have been in boring meeting all day, though, so my tolerance is waning.  Basically, the story centers on the court case Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce.  Apparently, a man made several wills.  Yeah, I know.  Riveting.  Dickens uses the novel to heavily criticize the English judicial system. Do trials move slowly?  Wow, thank you for the lesson, professor.

The only notable thing about this novel is that it is narrated by a woman.  However, it is clear from reading this book (and knowing what I do about Dickens' personal life) that he really has no idea what a female point of view even looks like.

RATING: *----

Interesting Facts:

I got nothing; here is a trailer that claims you won't be bored.  Have we touched a nerve?

UP NEXT: Walden by Henry David Thoreau.  This is technically a collection of essays, not a novel.  More lies!

104. David Copperfield

David Copperfield
Charles Dickens
1850
Around 800 pages

"Like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favorite child.  And his name is David Copperfield."  All right, I know it is a bit of a cheap writing trick to start with a quote but I thought it was astounding that Dickens and I finally agreed on something.  David Copperfield is not only my favorite Dickens novel, but one of the best novels I have ever read.  This has been a great shock to me since I always thought Dickens was one of the dullest, most overrated authors in existence.  I have been telling everyone I know that I have been reformed but (another surprise!) nobody really cares.

Wow, how to give a summary of a story that recounts an entire lifetime?  We start with the night David is born.  I usually don't like stories narrated by children.  There is usually lots of crying, abuse, and everyone is a caricature.  However, the first half of the book, which tells the story of David's childhood is actually quite entertaining and at times hilarious.  But more on that later.

David's widowed mother marries the evil Mr. Murdstone, who is a burning hatred for David.  David eventually goes to school and meets one of the most interesting characters Dickens has ever created, James Steerforth.  Steerforth is universally admired teenager who even the teachers try to impress.  Anyway, as David grows up he falls in and out of love, experiences both joy and tragedy, and watches his childhood perceptions of the people in his life alter and shift drastically.

There are a few traces of the Dickens I despise in this novel.  For one thing, the main villain, Uriah Heep, is made of the his typical villain mold: ugly, twisted, poor, and unredeemable. This characterization is not only a one way ticket to Dullsville, but also stretches the limits of plausibility.

However, the rest of the characters in this novel have more layers and dimensions than in any of his other stories.  Take Rosa Dartle, Steerforth's cousin, who is portrayed as a cruel, sarcastic, and angry spinster.  But can we blame her?  Rosa has harbored a crush on Steerforth his entire life and stood patiently by while she watched his mother spoil him until he became vain and selfish.  And all that Rosa gets in return is a hammer thrown at her face.  I would be bitter too.  Anyway, my point is that most of the villains in this novel are not the typical hideous and child abusing schemers that Dickens loves to create.

I will finish this review with a big thank you to the creators of The Book who forced me to continue trying with Dickens and enabled me to find a hilarious and fascinating novel.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Idea for a drinking game: take a shot every time someone bursts into tears.  Wait, scratch that; you would end up in the hospital.

Considered to be the most autobiographical of Dickens' novels.

Okay, I looked at a couple of trailers for adaptations of this book and they all contain major spoilers so I would recommend not checking them out.

UP NEXT: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne aka The Terror of The High School Senior.

92. Martin Chuzzlewit

Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens
1843
Around 800 pages

YES!  I am finally free! I have had this 800 page yawn on my desk for about two and a half weeks now and I dreaded every time I had to open it.  I am so relieved to have this one pound weight of my chest.  On a side note, for Halloween I ended up reading The Collector and Perfume but I am afraid that you won't get those reviews for three thousand years since they were 20th century works (by the way, thanks for all the suggestions last post no one!).

I do not have a whole lot to say about this novel, mostly because all my complaints are pretty much reruns.  We all know I feel about Dickens' incredibly dull writing style.  We also have the token miserly old man which is an archetype that I am getting quite sick of; but again, I think I mentioned that before.

All right, this a picaresque novel (throwback!) about Martin Chuzzlewit who falls in love with Mary, his father's nursemaid.  His father is quite upset about this because then Mary might try to kill him so that they can get their inheritance from him, I guess?  This is when I started paying less attention to the story and more attention to the different ways I could destroy the novel (my favorite being dissolving it in acid).

I was starting to change my opinion of Dickens.  I mean, I knew I would never love the guy but after Nicholas Nickelby, I thought we at least had some kind of grudging respect thing going on.  No such luck and now I hate him more than ever.

RATING: *----

Interesting Facts:

Dickens attacked America (well, we hate you too) and slavery in his novel.

Referenced in The Simpsons.

Short clip of the BBC miniseries:

UP NEXT: The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe

89. A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens
1843
Around 125 pages

And here we are, back with Dickens again for one of the most iconic stories of all time.   This was actually required reading in eighth grade and there was even a field trip to see the play, which I didn't attend since I had just had surgery. I was never a huge fan of the story (probably because it is so cliche at this point) but I have seen a few adaptations, including Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (hey don't judge me; I watch plenty of good movies too).

So Ebenezer Scrooge is a huge asshole, but somehow does not realize it until three different ghosts show him his past, present, and his future.  In typical sappy Christmas story style, he learns the true meaning of love and goodness.

So in case you didn't pick up on the sarcasm there, I really hate Christmas stories.  The Christmas episodes of television shows are always the worst of the series.  The sentimentality makes me ill so I guess I am due for a visit by some creepy ghosts tonight.  Add that to the fact that I hate Dickens' writing style (do I sound like a broken record yet) and you can come to the conclusion that I am not a fan of the novella.

However, I agree with The Book 100% that you should read this before you die.  A true classic.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

The phrase "Merry Christmas" was popularized by this book.

Fans of the story include Robert Louis Stevenson and William Makepiece Thackeray.

Trailer for one of many adaptations:

UP NEXT: Lost Illusions by Honore de Balzac.  I am going to take a break for a little while to read Sue Grafton's new book but I should be back shortly.

85. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Charles Dickens
1839
Around 800 pages

I am currently in bed and I fully expect this review to take a couple hours since I can't stop using tissues or coughing.  I believe that Charles Dickens inflicted this disease on me because I kept putting off reading this novel.  Yesterday all I really had the energy to do was lay in bed and finish the book once and for all.  Interestingly enough, today I feel worse than I did before.  Is there a connection?  I wouldn't bet against it.

I feel like I zoned in and out a lot with this novel.  There were some chapters that I was fully invested in and others that I read and have no memory of.  A character died once and I didn't even realize it until three chapters later.  Oops.

This is the story of Nicholas, a stand up guy who tries to protect his mother and sister from his evil uncle.  In typical Dickens fashion, there are actually lots of evil guys.  Mr. Squeers, for instance, beats children for no apparent reason.  Am I the only one who hates all of the characters' names.  There are just so cheesy.

So obviously, I did not enjoy the book.  800 pages of an extremely dull writing style was just excruciating.  All of Dickens' characters are either dirty, weeping, or both.  It is very exhausting and not at all enjoyable to read.

However, I did enjoy the character of Miss Squeers and her friend Fanny.  Miss Squeers convinces herself that Nicholas is in love with her (we have all been there girlfriend) which leads to some comical scenes and perhaps one of the harshest rejections in literature (some rejections I have received in real life could probably trump them all).

Two Dickens down, eight to go.  Oh boy.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Criticized for lack of character development.

Paul McCartney's favorite novel.

Trailer for 2002 version:

UP NEXT: The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe.  I love me some Poe.

84. Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens
1838
Around 450 pages

Well, I can't say I didn't see this day coming.  I just thought I had more time.

Dickens has arrived, ladies and gentlemen.

Dickens is one of my least favorite authors and the problem that I am now facing is that all his books are lumped together (although we do get a few breaks).  I just find him to be incredibly dull and I have have tried all of his notable works at least once.  Well, perhaps it will be like in a movie, where we don't understand each other at first but gradually we come to realize we are not so different after all.  Or maybe I will go on hating him until my dying day.  Either way, the time has come to face one another.

I had already read this book a couple of years ago and as I am certainly not going to reread any CD novel, I will have to recall it from memory.  This shouldn't be too difficult, since this is probably one of the most well known stories of all time.

This is the story of Oliver Twist, an orphan who lives a miserable life in a workhouse.  He manages to escape but falls into the hands of a gang of pickpockets, led by the evil Fagin.

This is the only Dickens novel I have ever enjoyed.  I still think his style is dull, but there is actually an interesting story here, if you can get past the dry writing.  Oliver is probably the weakest, and therefore the most boring character, but characters like Fagin and Artful Dodger make the book worth reading.  Nancy is another strong character, which pleases the feminist in me, since most heroines in the 1800s can't do anything without fainting.

Like I said, though, I hate his style and he is simply not as entertaining as say, Fielding or Austen.  Still, this book kept me hooked and maybe eventually I will convert into a devout Dickens reader.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Called Europe's attention to the child labor problem in London.

Like Henry Fielding, Dickens names his characters after their personalities or origins.

A highly anti-Semitic novel, but I suppose I am use to it from reading such early works all the time.  Still absolutely horrifying, though.

Yes, I used an Oliver and Company picture for this post.  It is the only adaptation of this novel that didn't suck.  I mean, Oliver! was just awful.  In fact, let's all enjoy a tune from Oliver and Company:

UP NEXT: The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens.  Expect some delay here since this is a pretty long novel that I am not too enthusiastic about starting.