Bleak House
An epic novel beautifully written with a compelling storyline incorporating many sub plots, which include farce, tragedy, comedy and a proto whodunit murder mystery. This makes it an extremely readable book as we flit between the different styles. The main message is one of love and dependability. One of the most interesting aspects is that much of the book is Esther's Narrative whereby the story is told from a girl's view. There are some stand out passages especially Dickens at his best in describing the appalling poverty of the poor in London. The Tom-All-Alones chapter is one of the most moving descriptions of the dehumanising nature of poverty which you can imagine which is still applicable today both in London and in the world's slums.
I was given this for Xmas 2017 by our lovely close friend Lucienne who is from Belgium but whose grandfather was a regular in London and patronised Simpson's Restaurant in the Strand. The book is a Xmas 1924 gift from Simpson's manager to Lulu's grandad. This is particularly apt as Dickens starts the novel by describing the thick London fog calling it the London Particular. The usual name for the smog was a Peasouper after green pease pudding or pottage or soup. In a typical London slang turnaround the Simpson's chefs nicknamed their pea soup the London Particular after Dickens' description in Bleak House and then this name found it's way onto the official menu. As an afterward Lulu was landlady at another famous London hostelry the Camden Head in Islington. which I used to frequent way back before I'd ever met Lulu. In fact I have a suspicion that she told me not to swear once when I was standing at the bar then back when I was young and foolish.
