Sylvere Monod

The first time I read Bleak House I was unimpressed; I didn't understand what justified the lengthiness. Later, I had a journey through the legal system and then I understood perfectly the absurdity, the leeches that bleed the system, the pointlessness of the sacrifice it demands. Great BBC production if you prefer film.

I read this book for a Victorian Literature class, and I enjoyed it and had some insights, but I didn't fully understand it until several years later when I worked in a county law library in the courthouse. There I saw how the Law can make people crazy. Definitely ought to be required reading for anyone going to law school or otherwise involved with civil law.

This may be one of Dickens' longer novels, and any reader will admit that it takes a while to get into, but I have to say it's my favorite from what I've seen. The story feels more complex and careful than what I've read from him, and the structure is interesting. It may be slow, but if you can get going, this is worthwhile and touching. As far as the criticism, it's what you'd expect from a norton critical edition--some seems fairly obvious and some is an interesting look at the novel. show more There's a good spectrum here, subject-matter wise. show less

Having read a lot of Dickens, I want to recommend this particular edition highly. The footnotes include references not only to the sometimes obscure vocabulary, but also popular songs of the time, the Book of Common Prayer and Shakespeare. Readers in Dickens time would have picked up on the phrases but we readers in the 21st century appreciate the little extra help.