Julie Davis’s Reviews > Bleak House > Status Update

Murder. Marriage. Etc. Remains fascinating!

I am now wondering ... do I trust John Jarndyce? Would that be the biggest twist ever if Rick were correct, despite all appearances to the contrary? (Wow, Dickens is GOOD, right?). Also, it occurs to me that Esther Summerton seems too kind to be true, while still being very aware of those around her ... but she is not exaggerated at all. She is my sweet oldest daughter Hannah in quite a lot of ways!

Pooor Lady Dedmore. On another subject, I maintain there is a horror element to this novel. Those flecks of soot? I KNEW they were ominous! KNEW IT!

Mr. Bucket, I presume? Possibly one of the best detectives I've ever seen (at this admittedly early point in the book) ... how is it I didn't know Dickens wrote a detective? And one so canny and good at blending in?

Now I've done it. This will be the November book for A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. 900 pages of solid goodness. Ladies and gentlemen, start your reading now!

I can never possibly convey how great, how riveting I am finding this book. It is a mystery, a horror novel, a romance, a look at character (or the lack thereof), and much more ... all laced with a self awareness that I find startlingly modern. O Dickens. And here I thought A Tale of Two Cities was sublime. How little I knew...