Charles Dickens
Our Mutual Friend
An epic tale of love, avarice and betrayal which has two distinct but intertwined stories each worthy of a novel of it's own although the intertwining makes this greater than two could ever be. The last of Dickens novels is a masterpiece with surprises til the end. The love stories are of the true love of self sacrifice offset but the love of obsession and wanting possession. Part of the beauty of the novel is how these two are switched by more than one of the characters. Dickens also gives a decent dose of humour and sensitivity whilst railing against the poor law, the attitudes of those who are rich and in power and in the bigoted attitude towards Jews. I won't give spoilers and no few sentences can do the book justice but a highly recommended read. What I don't understand is how such a complex and rich story could have been read in monthly installments without the readers forgetting the characters and plot of the previous month. If it were me I'd have to read all previous installments when I receive the next. Maybe that's my age or in the 1850s people had less to fill up their minds not having the endless stream of drivel we enjoy from the internet and TV. Or maybe they did but had a better memory than me. Read.
