Dombey and Son
(Modern Library Classics)
By Jonathan (INT), Charles/ Lethem, Charles Dickens, Jonathan Lethem
(20)
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Book Description
"Dombey and Son, Charles Dickens's story of a powerful man whose callous neglect of his family triggers his professional and personal downfall, showcases the author's gift for vivid characterization and unfailingly realistic description. As Jonathan Lethem contends in his Introduction, Dickens's "geContinue
2 Reviews
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Robot-mel said on Nov 27, 2010 about the Audio Cassette edition | Add your feedback
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guaddess said on May 31, 2007 | Add your feedback
Book Details
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Rating:
(20)
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- English Books
- Paperback 912 Pages
- Edition: Modern Library
- ISBN-10: 0812967437
- ISBN-13: 9780812967432
- Publisher: Modern Library
- Pub date: Apr 08, 2003
- Dimensions: 1290 mm x 839 mm x 194 mm Just how big is that?
- Also available as: Mass Market Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Library Binding, Others and eBook
- In other languages: other languages
Prices Change currency & sellers
| ISBN | Edition | List | Sale | Seller |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9780812967432 | Paperback | $8.95 | $8.05 | bn.com |
| $12.00 | $12.38 | The Book Depository | ||
| Other editions → | ||||
Aidan 
I feel like I can now quite safely say I do not care at all for Dickens! This was my third (and probably final) attempt at liking one of his novels. It was recommended to me by people who also don't normally like him so I thought it'd be my best chance and there were indeed some parts I did like.
I ... (continue)
I feel like I can now quite safely say I do not care at all for Dickens! This was my third (and probably final) attempt at liking one of his novels. It was recommended to me by people who also don't normally like him so I thought it'd be my best chance and there were indeed some parts I did like.
I liked Paul and Florence as children, there was one description of Paul at school as an old alchemical text which I thought was brilliant. I liked Florence and Edith when they were grown up. Indeed the only way I could make it through the secound half was imagining all sorts of femslash between Edith and Florence - who loved each other so much - and I just really wanted the two of them to run away together.
I had two huge problems with the book. One the unbearably cartoonish/caricture charcters. Captain Cuttle, Bagstock, Mr Dombey, Miss Tonks etc. They were just so far removed from actual people they just made the whole thing seem like a farce. It totally removed any of the feeling and depth to the story because it was far too ridiculous to be remotely plausible.
The other problem I had was that nothing really happened. While I don't have a problem with that in books that have great characterisation, here it was almost unbearable. People met and had idiotic conversations and left to disapear for a few chapters then come back and something similar would happen.
I must admit with only a few exceptional sentences I didn't care at all for Dickens prose. Normally I love the Victorian style of writing, but compared to most of the authors I like he just writes like an exceptional verbose children's book.
So no more Dickens for me. At least not for a few years. There are so many Victorian authors I do love and would rather be reading those.
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