false 3052460 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg Our Mutual Friend was the last novel Charles Dickens completed and is, arguably, his darkest and most complex. The basic plot is vintage Dickens: an inheritance up for grabs, a murder, a rocky romance or two, plenty of skullduggery, and a host of unforgettable secondary characters. But in this final outing the author's heroes are more flawed, his villains more sympathetic, and the story as a whole more harrowing and less sentimental. The mood is set in the opening scene in which a riverman, Gaffer Hexam, and his daughter Lizzie troll the Thames searching for drowned men whose pockets Gaffer will rifle before turning the body over to the authorities. On this particular night Gaffer finds a corpse that is later identified as that of John Harmon, who was returning from abroad to claim a large fortune when he was apparently murdered and thrown into the river.

Harmon's death is the catalyst for everything else that happens in the novel. It seems the fortune was left to the young man on the condition that he marry a girl he'd never met, Bella Wilfer. His death, however, brings a new heir onto the scene, Nicodemus Boffin, the kind-hearted but low-born assistant to Harmon's father. Boffin and his wife adopt young Bella, who is determined to marry money, and also hire a mysterious young secretary, John Rokesmith, who takes an uncommon interest in their ward. Not content with just one plot, Dickens throws in a secondary love story featuring the riverman's daughter, Lizzie Hexam; a dissolute young upper-class lawyer, Eugene Wrayburn; and his rival, the headmaster Bradley Headstone. Dark as the novel is, Dickens is careful to leaven it with secondary characters who are as funny as they are menacing--blackmailing Silas Wegg and his accomplice Mr. Venus, the avaricious Lammles, and self-centered Charlie Hexam. Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens's most satisfying novels, and a fitting denouement to his prolific career. --Alix Wilber

]]> 31244 116 2888469 book 1865 Our Mutual Friend total:1677|5:691|4:568|3:314|2:79|1:25| 1677 6852 3060 196 239579 3.74 207997 10918 6897777 416390 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 5 5 false Thu Sep 27 11:48:55 -0700 2007 Fri Nov 23 03:14:41 -0800 2007 more...]]> 61983163 2482609 271283 0140434976 9780140434972 13 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1225898319m/271283.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/271283.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.20 91 Our Mutual Friend was the last novel Charles Dickens completed and is, arguably, his darkest and most complex. The basic plot is vintage Dickens: an inheritance up for grabs, a murder, a rocky romance or two, plenty of skullduggery, and a host of unforgettable secondary characters. But in this final outing the author's heroes are more flawed, his villains more sympathetic, and the story as a whole more harrowing and less sentimental. The mood is set in the opening scene in which a riverman, Gaffer Hexam, and his daughter Lizzie troll the Thames searching for drowned men whose pockets Gaffer will rifle before turning the body over to the authorities. On this particular night Gaffer finds a corpse that is later identified as that of John Harmon, who was returning from abroad to claim a large fortune when he was apparently murdered and thrown into the river.

Harmon's death is the catalyst for everything else that happens in the novel. It seems the fortune was left to the young man on the condition that he marry a girl he'd never met, Bella Wilfer. His death, however, brings a new heir onto the scene, Nicodemus Boffin, the kind-hearted but low-born assistant to Harmon's father. Boffin and his wife adopt young Bella, who is determined to marry money, and also hire a mysterious young secretary, John Rokesmith, who takes an uncommon interest in their ward. Not content with just one plot, Dickens throws in a secondary love story featuring the riverman's daughter, Lizzie Hexam; a dissolute young upper-class lawyer, Eugene Wrayburn; and his rival, the headmaster Bradley Headstone. Dark as the novel is, Dickens is careful to leaven it with secondary characters who are as funny as they are menacing--blackmailing Silas Wegg and his accomplice Mr. Venus, the avaricious Lammles, and self-centered Charlie Hexam. Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens's most satisfying novels, and a fitting denouement to his prolific career. --Alix Wilber

]]> 5 4 false Tue Jul 14 09:57:59 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 02 21:35:24 -0700 2009 Mon Dec 21 21:52:24 -0800 2009 Our Mutual Friend, I believe that I may well have just finished reading the finest book written in the English language. One could perhaps argue that the prose of Austen in her novel Emma is more perfect; but the plotting and characters of Dickens in Our Mutual Friend is exquisite. O...more...]]> 47034940 257105 844708 1853261947 9781853261947 2 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178843764m/844708.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/844708.Our_Mutual_Friend 3.42 12 Our Mutual Friend was the last novel Charles Dickens completed and is, arguably, his darkest and most complex. The basic plot is vintage Dickens: an inheritance up for grabs, a murder, a rocky romance or two, plenty of skullduggery, and a host of unforgettable secondary characters. But in this final outing the author's heroes are more flawed, his villains more sympathetic, and the story as a whole more harrowing and less sentimental. The mood is set in the opening scene in which a riverman, Gaffer Hexam, and his daughter Lizzie troll the Thames searching for drowned men whose pockets Gaffer will rifle before turning the body over to the authorities. On this particular night Gaffer finds a corpse that is later identified as that of John Harmon, who was returning from abroad to claim a large fortune when he was apparently murdered and thrown into the river.

Harmon's death is the catalyst for everything else that happens in the novel. It seems the fortune was left to the young man on the condition that he marry a girl he'd never met, Bella Wilfer. His death, however, brings a new heir onto the scene, Nicodemus Boffin, the kind-hearted but low-born assistant to Harmon's father. Boffin and his wife adopt young Bella, who is determined to marry money, and also hire a mysterious young secretary, John Rokesmith, who takes an uncommon interest in their ward. Not content with just one plot, Dickens throws in a secondary love story featuring the riverman's daughter, Lizzie Hexam; a dissolute young upper-class lawyer, Eugene Wrayburn; and his rival, the headmaster Bradley Headstone. Dark as the novel is, Dickens is careful to leaven it with secondary characters who are as funny as they are menacing--blackmailing Silas Wegg and his accomplice Mr. Venus, the avaricious Lammles, and self-centered Charlie Hexam. Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens's most satisfying novels, and a fitting denouement to his prolific career. --Alix Wilber

]]> 4 4 false Sun May 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Feb 21 05:46:18 -0800 2009 Mon Dec 21 21:52:24 -0800 2009 Our Mutual Friend, the readers are taken to the dark side of Victorian society. And by dark, I do not always mean the world of the working class. In fact, here we’re served with the high class society, whose...more...]]> 29040325 184928 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 0 4 false Sat Aug 02 02:21:22 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 21 10:24:36 -0700 2008 inner life of a dinner table the family had nicknamed "Twemlow".

The confusing to passage: There was an innocent piece of dinner-furniture that went upon...more...]]> 6015630 286882 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 5 3 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Sep 10 18:05:51 -0700 2007 Fri Feb 08 17:44:37 -0800 2008
Reading them is better. I believe this is Dickens' last work; it may well be...more...]]> 1261443 87312 271283 0140434976 9780140434972 13 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1225898319m/271283.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/271283.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.20 91 Our Mutual Friend was the last novel Charles Dickens completed and is, arguably, his darkest and most complex. The basic plot is vintage Dickens: an inheritance up for grabs, a murder, a rocky romance or two, plenty of skullduggery, and a host of unforgettable secondary characters. But in this final outing the author's heroes are more flawed, his villains more sympathetic, and the story as a whole more harrowing and less sentimental. The mood is set in the opening scene in which a riverman, Gaffer Hexam, and his daughter Lizzie troll the Thames searching for drowned men whose pockets Gaffer will rifle before turning the body over to the authorities. On this particular night Gaffer finds a corpse that is later identified as that of John Harmon, who was returning from abroad to claim a large fortune when he was apparently murdered and thrown into the river.

Harmon's death is the catalyst for everything else that happens in the novel. It seems the fortune was left to the young man on the condition that he marry a girl he'd never met, Bella Wilfer. His death, however, brings a new heir onto the scene, Nicodemus Boffin, the kind-hearted but low-born assistant to Harmon's father. Boffin and his wife adopt young Bella, who is determined to marry money, and also hire a mysterious young secretary, John Rokesmith, who takes an uncommon interest in their ward. Not content with just one plot, Dickens throws in a secondary love story featuring the riverman's daughter, Lizzie Hexam; a dissolute young upper-class lawyer, Eugene Wrayburn; and his rival, the headmaster Bradley Headstone. Dark as the novel is, Dickens is careful to leaven it with secondary characters who are as funny as they are menacing--blackmailing Silas Wegg and his accomplice Mr. Venus, the avaricious Lammles, and self-centered Charlie Hexam. Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens's most satisfying novels, and a fitting denouement to his prolific career. --Alix Wilber

]]> 5 2 false Wed May 16 18:32:44 -0700 2007 Mon Dec 21 21:52:24 -0800 2009 more...]]> 21431641 203607 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 5 2 false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu May 01 19:14:47 -0700 2008 Thu May 01 20:16:43 -0700 2008 more...]]> 78963888 2833741 271283 0140434976 9780140434972 13 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1225898319m/271283.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/271283.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.20 91 Our Mutual Friend was the last novel Charles Dickens completed and is, arguably, his darkest and most complex. The basic plot is vintage Dickens: an inheritance up for grabs, a murder, a rocky romance or two, plenty of skullduggery, and a host of unforgettable secondary characters. But in this final outing the author's heroes are more flawed, his villains more sympathetic, and the story as a whole more harrowing and less sentimental. The mood is set in the opening scene in which a riverman, Gaffer Hexam, and his daughter Lizzie troll the Thames searching for drowned men whose pockets Gaffer will rifle before turning the body over to the authorities. On this particular night Gaffer finds a corpse that is later identified as that of John Harmon, who was returning from abroad to claim a large fortune when he was apparently murdered and thrown into the river.

Harmon's death is the catalyst for everything else that happens in the novel. It seems the fortune was left to the young man on the condition that he marry a girl he'd never met, Bella Wilfer. His death, however, brings a new heir onto the scene, Nicodemus Boffin, the kind-hearted but low-born assistant to Harmon's father. Boffin and his wife adopt young Bella, who is determined to marry money, and also hire a mysterious young secretary, John Rokesmith, who takes an uncommon interest in their ward. Not content with just one plot, Dickens throws in a secondary love story featuring the riverman's daughter, Lizzie Hexam; a dissolute young upper-class lawyer, Eugene Wrayburn; and his rival, the headmaster Bradley Headstone. Dark as the novel is, Dickens is careful to leaven it with secondary characters who are as funny as they are menacing--blackmailing Silas Wegg and his accomplice Mr. Venus, the avaricious Lammles, and self-centered Charlie Hexam. Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens's most satisfying novels, and a fitting denouement to his prolific career. --Alix Wilber

]]> 0 1 false Wed Nov 25 10:33:26 -0800 2009 Mon Dec 21 21:52:24 -0800 2009 more...]]> 12041756 758249 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 5 1 false Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Wed Jan 09 00:59:44 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 09 01:08:13 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3960948 199658 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 5 1 false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 02 07:10:25 -0700 2007 Sun Sep 23 19:50:15 -0700 2007 more...]]> 45499127 1999320 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 4 0 false Tue Jan 13 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 15:33:25 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 15:33:42 -0800 2009 more...]]> 64133863 2485937 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 5 0 false Fri Nov 10 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Sun Jul 19 15:30:39 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 19 15:32:25 -0700 2009
Immediately upon starting Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend," I was struck by parallels with Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo." Both big novels revolve around a powerful character who conceals his identity in a complicated plot to obtain social justice....more...]]> 61004450 2050811 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 5 0 false Mon Jun 29 17:18:26 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 24 19:19:56 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 29 17:18:26 -0700 2009
Mr. Venus, taxidermist and "articulator of bones," is easily his most extreme character.

Also, lots of reflections on language in this one, some funnier than others:

'Too dry for you, eh? Well, I suppose it wants some years of sticki...more...]]> 4899310 254986 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 5 1 false Tue Aug 21 16:25:21 -0700 2007 Thu Dec 17 06:21:59 -0800 2009 77325062 1108123 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 3 1 true Tue Nov 10 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 09:31:05 -0800 2009 Fri Dec 04 13:40:12 -0800 2009
THE DETAILS:
Adaptation by Mike Walker of Charles Dickens' classic ...more...]]> 42160287 730330 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 4 0 false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Tue Jan 06 17:59:08 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 06 18:06:54 -0800 2009 more...]]> 76892787 900147 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 4 0 false Fri Dec 04 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 06 01:46:42 -0800 2009 Fri Dec 04 13:34:34 -0800 2009
Adaptation by Mike Walker of Charles Dickens' classic novel.

A father and daughter on the Thames at night, and tied to their boat a lifeless shape bobs in the water.

Charles Dickens ...... Alex Jennings
Bella Wilfer ...... Daisy Haggard...more...]]> 53837216 1042057 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 5 0 false Sat May 17 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 24 11:44:56 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 24 11:53:10 -0700 2009 more...]]> 51981140 373703 31244 0375761144 9780375761140 163 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168272815m/31244.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31244.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.08 1474 Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.” Charles Dickens’s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens’s most complex—and satisfying—novels.]]> 5 1 false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 1986 Wed Apr 08 15:08:58 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 12 11:26:22 -0700 2009 Little Dorrit, which I read years after this. Our Mutual Friend is a denser novel that reminds me a bit of Thomas Hardy. Dickens allows himself to get darker and deeper than he does in his other novels. I think people who are always left wanting more from Dickens will be de...more...]]> 71575746 2747747 830540 0679420282 9780679420286 4 <![CDATA[Our Mutual Friend]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223635181m/830540.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/830540.Our_Mutual_Friend 4.45 11 3 0 false Fri Jan 30 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Sep 17 12:53:34 -0700 2009 Mon Dec 21 21:52:24 -0800 2009 more...]]> 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3052460