Reading the Chunksters discussion
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Our Mutual Friend
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Our Mutual Friend - Week 16 (and whole book discussion)
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I will comment more fully when I have time hopefully tomorrow, but to answer Hugh’s question, I didn’t guess at all that Bella was deliberately being misled. When it was finally revealed, I had to reread to make sure I understood what had happened. I’m still not sure how I feel about that part of the plot. Were there any hints or clues that might have given the reader any indication? I don’t think so, but at the same time I wasn’t even thinking along those lines so maybe I missed them. I’m certainly glad I didn’t know beforehand, I would have been upset to have seen that spoiler!
I found the book’s ending to be disappointing because many of the events just did not ring true to me.1. The Estate – The Harmon estate only goes to Harmon due to the benevolence of the Boffins? Besides assuming there is no gift tax, this ending relies upon the total good will and obsequious attitude of the Boffins. Why wouldn’t the Boffins keep the whole and just give some of it to Harmon? Also, under present day standards, this resolution is not really the just outcome it is portrayed as. Harmon did nothing to earn the estate except being born while the Boffins were loyal workers for the estate owner. Views of the fairness of the ending may differ between 19th century and 21st century readers.
2. Boffins’ Acting Job – That Mr. B only play acted at being miserly and Mrs. B play acted as the caring worry-wort is hard to accept. They are so basic and genuine that they could never pull off such a long-term and extensive acting job. The goal of testing Bella seems too small a goal for such an extensive subterfuge. It’s also a goal that is insulting to our heroine.
3. Mutual Drowning – Headstone and Riderhood drown each other? Really?
As to the entire book, I found it overall a disappointment for the following reasons: (this will go in my review)1. The story seemed poorly organized. There were too many story threads and one read many chapters without getting back to a certain storyline. It was hard to tell what threads were important or not and many of the storylines seemed extraneous;
2. There were too many characters, the mast majority being underdeveloped. Three sets of villains are too many. As for the heroic characters, I never felt I got to know them well, including Harmon, Eugene, Bella or Lizzie. None are as nearly as memorable as the ones from Great Expectations or David Copperfield. The best characters in this book were the offbeat quirky ones like Riah, Venus and Jenny Wren that Dickens populates his books with. However, these are unrealistic characters that are just added spice to a story and my fondness for them is insufficient to change my view of the the meat of the novel;
3. Dickens descriptions of scenes in this novel seemed more cryptic than usual, resulting in my often not properly visualizing the story events. While that is more due to my own lack of reading ability, I don’t remember having such a similar problem with the 5 previous Dickens I have read;
4. I was placated while reading this novel by the expectation that the story threads were to be woven together in a highly satisfactory ending, Instead, I found most of the ending events to be unrealistic and unsatisfying;
5. I was expecting to read a high-level Dickens ranking with Bleak House yet enjoyed this less than the other Dickens I have read. Again, this disappointment is likely a result of my lack of skill at reading and understanding Dickens. From what I have read, my reaction is more similar to the reactions of the general reading public of the time while true latter-day Dickens aficionados appreciate this book and rate it highly.
I have 6 GR friends who have read and rated this book. They are all skilled and knowledgeable readers whose opinions I respect. Every one of them has rated this book as a 5-star read. Moderator Hugh rates this as 4-stars. Our Mutual Friend has the highest GR rating of all of Dickens’s novels with a 4.08-star average.
Thus, I can only view the finish to my relationship with this book as definitely a “It’s me – not you” situation. I waver between rating this as 3-stars or 2-stars based on my own disappointing reading experience.
Wow, Brian, you nicely articulated so many of my thoughts that I hadn't properly organized in my head yet. But, my first thought upon finishing was that this was a 3 star book for me, and certainly not anywhere near 5 stars that it appears a handful of my GR friends gave it. I was reluctant to post my 3 stars until I had thought about it more. Was I missing something? I gave Bleak House and Great Expectations 5 stars, followed by Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, Little Dorrit and A Tale of Two Cities with 4 stars and I enjoyed those much more. I just can't rate this book up there with the others.I think the biggest issue for me was that there were too many characters and I didn't feel like I didn't really knew the characters well enough. I enjoyed the comic relief characters the best, with probably Jenny Wren and Sloppy were near the top. On top of that, who were really the main characters or the ones to focus one besides Rokesmith and Bella? It was hard to tell.
I also had trouble visualizing some of the scenes, and I initially chalked it up to the fact that I hadn't read a Dickens book in awhile. But maybe that wasn't actually the case since I wasn't the only one to have this issue.
I didn't like that the wrap up with Mrs Boffin realizing who Rokesmith actually was took place off page, along with the resolution to the estate. And ultimately, I didn't care for the fact that the Boffins pretended in their roles in order to test Bella. Perhaps this would have been OK to me if it had happened within a short time frame, but this was carried out for at least a year or longer, enough time for Bella to finally be fed up with Boffin's miserly ways, then to marry Rokesmith and have an infant. The deception went on way too long.
I was also dissatisfied that we didn't see from Lizzie's brother again (unless I missed it??). How is he going to take in all this information? I assume that now he's OK with being associated with his sister now that she's moved up in society? Maybe I better review the last section, because I can't believe that the brother would not give one final appearance.
As to the double-drowning of Headstone and Riderhood, I was OK with that wrap up. Headstone had to go, and Riderhood's drowning seemed fitting for someone who kept claiming that a "drowned man can't be drowned twice".
I too noticed that Lizzie's brother Charlie was left out of the resolutions. As I was already complaining about there being too many characters, I didn't want to also complain that one was left out at the end, even though that is a different type of complaint.The Riderhead drowning was definitely satisfying, especially with his superstition, but the double-drowning still was another unrealistic event among other unrealistic ending events.
Brian wrote: "As I was already complaining about there being too many characters, I didn't want to also complain that one was left out..."Lol.
Mod
Hugh wrote: "I didn't really warm to Wrayburn for most of the book - much of his game playing has a slightly sadistic element, and displays all of the casual entitlement of his class."Same here. And great point about his use of entitlement.
When Wrayburn and Lightwood were initially introduced, I had them pictured as much older men than they actually were. And I didn't find Wrayburn's puzzling absences and lack of forthright towards Lightwood endearing at all, but instead annoying. So from there on out, I wasn't sympathetic towards him and when I found out he was interested in Lizzie, I couldn't picture it for what it was, but instead as something nefarious. It wasn't until very much later in the story that I realized that he really did care for Lizzie so I gave in to him a little, even though I didn't like the way he went about going after her.
Mod
Thank you, Hugh, for organizing the read and writing up all the chapter summaries. They were really helpful. And thank you to everyone who participated in the discussions. I enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. I’m glad I finally got this chunkster checked off my list. :)
I've finished this now and I think I am echoing Brian and Linda's thoughts that this book was okay but not a favourite. There was a lot that I liked about it especially the character of Jenny Wren, but the protagonists were a bit boring and the plot contrivances strange and confusing.I didn't find the resolution realistic at all, mainly because I'm sure that there were scenes that did not involve Bella where Boffin was keeping up his miserly act (for example with Wegg and Venus). It all seemed very convoluted for the purposes and didn't need to go on for so long. I also feel sorry for the Boffins that after all that work put into the act, they lose the home they have been living in for a year.
I did enjoy the Headstone and Riderhood resolution as they were awful characters who deserved what was coming to them.
Thanks Hugh for the great summaries and discussion starters and Linda and Brian for your interesting insights,
Chapter summaries:
(view spoiler)[
13. Mrs Boffin starts to tell Bella the real story, starting by asking her her husband’s surname, to which Bella’s answers of Rokesmith and Handford are dismissed. Mrs Boffin says that she found out who John was the night he proposed to Bella and started preparing to leave, she recalled seeing him look similarly dejected as a child. Bella finally realises that her husband is John Harmon. John continues the story of how he and the Boffins concocted a plan. Boffin knew Bella was essentially good hearted and wanted to demonstrate this to John. Hence Boffin’s apparent change into a corrupted miser and everything that followed, including his treatment of John. The original plan was to reveal the deception at the wedding, but John wanted to wait, and the baby delayed things further.
14. Wegg watches the last of the mounds cleared away, having yielded nothing. Wegg goes to see Venus, seeing that the shop is now much brighter, to which Venus credits “an adorable woman” (i.e. Pleasant Riderhood). Wegg and Venus agree to “make Boffin stump up” the next morning. On arriving at the House, they are taken into the library, where Wegg is surprised to see Rokesmith. Wegg’s hat is thrown out of the window, and Sloppy also announces that he has not gone. Boffin refuses Wegg’s demand to throw them out. Venus tells Wegg about his secret dealings with Boffin, who has found him an honest man. He also credits Boffin and John with having helped arrange his marriage. Boffin declines Wegg’s deal and turns to Harmon, who explains that the will Wegg wishes to exploit is worth nothing. He bangs Wegg’s head against the wall and tells him to look in the Dutch bottle. Harmon explains that this is the real final will, in which Boffin is left everything and John nothing – Boffin found it in the bottle after old Harmon’s death and buried it in the third mound, but was persuaded by John to retrieve it on being told about John’s suspicions of Wegg. John explains that it was his idea to let Wegg’s scheming run its course, and that Boffin has given him back the Harmon fortune. Boffin says that Wegg deserves nothing but offers to set him up in a new stall. Wegg starts to itemise his costs, and Boffin offers him £2, then gets Sloppy to throw him out.
15. Headstone reflects on his actions and regrets them. He realises that Lightwood’s investigations are avoiding him deliberately, and that Wrayburn is behind this. Riderhood comes to see him at the school. He gets Headstone to write his name on the board, and asks the children to read it, thus learning Totherest’s real name for the first time. He says he wants to see Totherest at the river, and Bradley agrees. He shows Bradley the recovered bundle and leaves. The next day Bradley walks up the river, arriving at the lock in the evening. Riderhood demands an extortionate reward for his silence, and Bradley insists he cannot pay. Riderhood suggests Miss Peecher can help, and that Bradley should marry her. Bradley walks out, and Riderhood follows him, eventually realising he can’t shake him off (echoes of his own chase of Wrayburn). At the lock, Bradley wrestles Riderhood to the ground, and eventually drags both into the water, where they both drown.
16. The Harmons seek to help everyone who has been wronged, including Jenny, Riah and even the Police Inspector. They employ Lightwood as solicitor and Blight is promoted. They pursue Fledgeby and get him to settle with Twemlow and Riah. Mrs Wilfer comes to the house, where her husband is now Secretary. In the carriage on the way Lavvy and George Sampson quarrel, and Mrs Wilfer intervenes. Sloppy goes to see Jenny. They talk about her life and his new career as a cabinet maker – he offers to make her something. She gives him the Harmons’ doll and he leaves, promising to come back. The Wrayburns also visit – Eugene is slowly recovering, and they come to stay with the Harmons. Eugene admits that his wife has changed him for the better. He tells Lightwood that his father MRF has met Lizzie and said her portrait should be painted, his form of approval. He talks of going to the colonies. They discuss Society and Lightwood decides to have another look at it.
17. Lightwood accepts a dinner invitation from the Veneerings. The narrator reveals the eventual decline of the Veneerings and how quickly they are forgotten by society. Mrs Tippins talks to Lightwood, and attempts to mock the new Mrs Wrayburn. Most of the company take her side, but Twemlow argues that Wrayburn has behaved like a true gentleman and calls Lizzie a lady. Lightwood takes Twemlow home and shakes his hand.
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