Bleak House

Bleak House opens in the twilight of foggy London, where fog grips the city most densely in the Court of Chancery. The o... (more)

Bleak House opens in the twilight of foggy London, where fog grips the city most densely in the Court of Chancery. The obscure case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, in which an inheritance is gradually devoured by legal costs, the romance of Esther Summerson and the secrets of her origin, the sleuthing of Detective Inspector Bucket and the fate of Jo the crossing-sweeper, these are some of the lives Dickens invokes to portray London society, rich and poor, as no other novelist has done. Bleak House, in its atmosphere, symbolism and magnificent bleak comedy, is often regarded as the best of Dickens. A 'great Victorian novel', it is so inventive in its competing plots and styles that it eludes interpretation. (less)

Textual notes and a Dickens chronology accompany this satire of Victorian society built around an interminable suit at t... (more)

Textual notes and a Dickens chronology accompany this satire of Victorian society built around an interminable suit at the Court of Chancery. (less)

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Literature GuidesCreated by Harvard students for students everywhere, SparkNotes is a new breed of study guide: smarter,... (more)

Literature GuidesCreated by Harvard students for students everywhere, SparkNotes is a new breed of study guide: smarter, better, faster.Geared to what today's students need to know, SparkNotes provides:chapter-by-chapter analysisexplanations of key themes, motifs, and symbolsa review quiz and essay topicsLively and accessible, these guides are perfect for late-night studying and writing papers. (less)

Bleak House is one of Dickens' finest achievements, establishing his reputation as a serious and mature novelist, as wel... (more)

Bleak House is one of Dickens' finest achievements, establishing his reputation as a serious and mature novelist, as well as a brilliant comic writer. It is at once a complex mystery story that fully engages the reader in the work of detection, and an unforgettable indictment of an indifferent society. Its representations of a great city's underworld, and of the law's corruption and delay, draw upon the author's personal knowledge and experience. But it is his symbolic art that projects these things in a vision that embraces black comedy, cosmic farce, and tragic ruin. In a unique creative experiment, Dickens divides the narrative between his heroine, Esther Summerson, who is psychologically interesting in her own right, and an unnamed narrator whose perspective both complements and challenges hers. (less)

Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work Bleak House, as well as its importance and critical reception. Includes ... (more)

Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work Bleak House, as well as its importance and critical reception. Includes a chronology of the life and works of the author. (less)