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The Mystery of Edwin Drood

3.6 of 5 stars 3.60 · rating details · 3,393 ratings · 321 reviews

The main issue in the novel is the disappearance of Edwin Drood and the suspicion that he has been murdered. But as intriguing as this central plot are the startling innovations in Dicken's work and the troubled elements lurking within the novel: a dark opium underworld, the uneasy and violent fantasies of its inhabitants, the disquieting presence of old 'Princess Puffer',...more

Kindle Edition, 250 pages

Published (first published 1870)

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Feb 01, 2009 Nancy Oakes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: translated-to-film

I knew at the outset that Dickens died before he had the chance to finish this novel, but I didn't realize how incredibly frustrated I was going to be because of it! It seems that he was just getting somewhere, and that there was going to be some climactic action coming up shortly, and then poof. No more book. But on the other hand, it was so good getting to that point, and as noted, I am aware that The Mystery of Edwin Drood was unfinished, so I can't say that I was all that frustrated, really....more

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Nov 25, 2012 Alberto rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery

This novel is a mystery in itself. It appeared originally serialized, its three first installments being published in April, May and June 1870. Then its author passed, but three more parts were written so the publication continued during August, September and October. The text tells the story of the suspectful disappearance of one Edwin Drood. No more writings nor clues nor drafts were ever found in what would’ve been a twelve installments saga, so it will remain a mystery forever what happened...more

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Oct 29, 2008 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: newberry-library, mystery

Four years, many speaking engagements, and a trip to America intervened between Charles Dickens' penultimate novel and his final one, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Ever since his involvement in a train accident in 1865 on his return from France, and perhaps even before, Dickens was ailing with a variety of illnesses, some of which were at least aggravated by overwork and his refusal to reduce his schedule. It was thus in 1869 that he began writing his final novel of which the first six of the origi...more

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Apr 26, 2009 Jeanette rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-fiction, classics, europe-and-british-isles, miss-trees

I'll tell you one thing for free-----the ending sucked! :D

I don't know how to rate a book that's only half-written due to author demise. It's not my habit to read unfinished novels. I only read this so I could see Dan Simmons' jumping-off point for his recent Drood novel. Simmons used very little from Dickens' story. There's erratic behavior by an opium user, and some of the characters are similar, but Simmons' book is really his own creation. He focused more on the lives of Charles Dickens and...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yes, Dickens’ …DROOD took me a whopping 10 months to read. That kicks the ass of former record-holder, MOBY DICK, which took me 4 months. The tedium of MOBY DICK results from the actual plot amounting to little more than a short story. The remainder of the nearly 600 pages is a treatise on whales. Very trying to the patience, even for an animal-hater with a bizarre affinity for cetaceans. The tedium of …DROOD is far more complicated.

I knew going into …DROOD that it had a dead author instead of a...more Yes, Dickens’ …DROOD took me a whopping 10 months to read. That kicks the ass of former record-holder, MOBY DICK, which took me 4 months. The tedium of MOBY DICK results from the actual plot amounting to little more than a short story. The remainder of the nearly 600 pages is a treatise on whales. Very trying to the patience, even for an animal-hater with a bizarre affinity for cetaceans. The tedium of …DROOD is far more complicated.

I knew going into …DROOD that it had a dead author instead of an ending. I did not realize that it was literally HALF A BOOK. Only 6 installments of the intended 12 were committed to paper before the world lost Master Dickens forever, and only 4 appeared in print in time for him to see. Consequently, it is never made clear that Drood is even dead, more or less revealed who killed him. Characters like “Princess Puffer” and “Deputy” never get the chance to matter. We never find out what the hell opium and all the lugubriousness associated with it have to do with anything. Worse, several new supporting characters are introduced in the unintentionally “final” chapters. Those poor souls are rendered utterly superfluous by the missing 6 installments. Very disappointing, given that Dickens would have eventually brought every one of them neatly into the fold had he lived. (He always did.)

And this is where I get angry with my beloved Dickens for not finishing the manuscript in time. It is well known that Dickens tends to be highly verbose, if not straight-up overwritten, because he was paid by the word. This phenomenon manifests itself very differently from novel to novel. GREAT EXPECTATIONS is almost entirely plot, and thus the verbosity flows quickly. A TALE OF TWO CITIES is almost entirely imagery, which is why high school students (other than yours truly) tend to hate it. THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD is really in a class by itself in this regard. We’re talking 2-page descriptions of tea pots in the homes of minor characters. Because the reader is aware that the book doesn’t end, these novellas written about inanimate objects are MADDENING.

I close with a personal message to Charles Dickens, wheresoever his brilliant soul may be:

Dearest Mr. Dickens:

You should have spent less time with the teapots, sir. Perhaps, then, you might have finished your damn book.

Lots of love from your biggest fan,
Stacy
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Mar 04, 2009 Ben Loory rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who want to drive themselves insane

Recommended to Ben by: dan simmons

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 31, 2013 Gale rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british-classics, drama

“For Love of Rosebud”

What men will do to woo this pampered heroine! Offered as a real mystery Dicken’s last novel—the more tantalizing because it remains unfinished—offers readers the case of young Edwin Drood. Vanishing from the world of men on a stormy Christmas Eve his body was never found (at least not in the 270 pages of the extent novel) Foul play seems evident when his watch and shirt pin are discovered by the
weir. Set in the fictitious cathedral town of Cloisterham the story opens in a...more “For Love of Rosebud”

What men will do to woo this pampered heroine! Offered as a real mystery Dicken’s last novel—the more tantalizing because it remains unfinished—offers readers the case of young Edwin Drood. Vanishing from the world of men on a stormy Christmas Eve his body was never found (at least not in the 270 pages of the extent novel) Foul play seems evident when his watch and shirt pin are discovered by the
weir. Set in the fictitious cathedral town of Cloisterham the story opens in a shabby London opium den; in fact the opium hag makes odd appearances during the novel—possibly holding the key to the mystery of the “dear boy’s fate.

Dickens’ scholars concur that the character of the John Jasper is villainous right at the outset—cruelly capable of devious schemes, patient planning for an obsessive goal, and precise execution of his dark intent. Snakelike he can mesmerize his helpless victims with his stare and intense mental powers. John Jasper’s external persona is one of musical talent and benign avuncular affection; as the cathedral’s soloist and choir master he is respected and praised. Very few people realize that he possesses a dark side--which runs viciously deep.

Most of the novel is set is Cloisterham, but six months after Edwin’s scandalous disappearance many of the travel to London for various purposes. It is amazing that so many men fall for the charms of a young, spoiled girl-woman who lives at Nun’s House to complete her education: her fiancé, Edwin, naturally, his brooding uncle, John Jasper, newcomer Neville Landless, bronzed sailor Mr. Tartar and even her middle aged guardian, Mr. Grewgious. Dickens’ characters turn their lives upside down to impress Rosebud, as she is nicknamed.

No one knows how Dickens planned to resolve the mystery and punish the guilty or reward or exonerate the innocent, although speculation among scholars and mystery writers may prove a delightful and a scholarly occupation.

NB: Jasper, not a gemstone though sometimes perceived as such, is
very hard, appears variously as green, red or brown; it also possesses an opaque quality. Despite Jasper’s penchant for evil he occasionally evinces a few streaks of tenderness. Perhaps the author deliberately chose this name for his refined villain to slyly indicate his complex nature.

(March 20, 2011. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)

(less)

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Feb 01, 2013 Ericli rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Ericli by: Ms

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I thought that the mystery of edwin drood was a good book with a few interesting characters. I also thought that some of the dialogue was funny and well written.
The book is about Edwin Drood who is mysteriously killed for unknown reasons. Edwin Drood is a fairly normal guy that thought he was in love with Rosa but they agree to end their marriage. We even see them meeting up together just to talk and bicker about how they aren't cut out for each other. Apparently Edwin has sort of ignored rosa i...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Lucinda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Starkly realistic, mysterious and sinister this spinechilling novel is exceptional!

Written by one of the greatest, if not the greatest, writers of all-time this literary masterpiece will blow you away and render one speechless. Stark, gritty and candid this realistic masterpiece brings the harshness of the times to life and is so atmospheric. The exquisite detail, descriptiveness and prose are just awe-inspiring, exemplifying how accomplished Charles Dickens was, and is to this day, someone to...more Starkly realistic, mysterious and sinister this spinechilling novel is exceptional!

Written by one of the greatest, if not the greatest, writers of all-time this literary masterpiece will blow you away and render one speechless. Stark, gritty and candid this realistic masterpiece brings the harshness of the times to life and is so atmospheric. The exquisite detail, descriptiveness and prose are just awe-inspiring, exemplifying how accomplished Charles Dickens was, and is to this day, someone to idolize and revere. This creepy, horrific and disturbingly sinister tale is the equivalent of the modern-day ‘Jack the Ripper’ or ‘The Woman in Black’ but which contains so much more depth. It is and shall remain forever a classic.

Edwin Drood is contracted to marry the orphan Rosa, but when he breaks off the engagement suddenly and disappears questions begin to form in everyone’s mind… His Uncle is questioned as to his motives for jealousy, as too is the possibility of murder and so turning detective the reader is swept into a world of danger, deception and deadly deeds. Dickens sadly passed away before completion of this novel, hence the mystery to this day remains unsolved and which will leave you guessing as questions float around in ones mind – waiting for you to form your own opinions on the outcome of this tale. The Dickensian mix of fantastical imaginative creativity and vision combined with the gritty, harsh realities of the age is beautifully done and which makes this novel one of his greatest.

This edition contains new evidence as to how this mystery, and if, it can really be solved together with a chronology, illustrations and appendixes.

Just stopping abruptly short of a most dramatic, climatic ending this story leaves you pondering over all the possibilities and has to be the most thought-provoking work of great literature I have encountered. Containing many alternative theories this edition presents to the reader many different options, in conjunction with the many film adaptations and stage productions that have been made. This truly is a most astonishing, remarkable work that I highly recommend and which is so profoundly affecting that its story will remain with you for all-time, etched deep within the darker recesses of your mind! Sending Goosebumps down my arms and chills running down my spine, this story was so poignant and emotive, brutal and brilliant that it will shake ones inner core. Just spectacular. (less)

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Dec 25, 2012 Jeff Jellets rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, classic

The Mystery of Edwin Drood is perhaps literature's most famous "unfinished" work and the last novel penned by Charles Dickens. While most readers will know Dickens from A Christmas Carol or Oliver Twist, Drood is a far darker story and concerns the strange disappearance (or murder) of young Edwin Drood by (presumably) his opium-addicted uncle. The novel was to have been serialized in 12 installments, but Dickens died suddenly -- weirdly enough just a few hours after finishing the sixth chapter o...more The Mystery of Edwin Drood is perhaps literature's most famous "unfinished" work and the last novel penned by Charles Dickens. While most readers will know Dickens from A Christmas Carol or Oliver Twist, Drood is a far darker story and concerns the strange disappearance (or murder) of young Edwin Drood by (presumably) his opium-addicted uncle. The novel was to have been serialized in 12 installments, but Dickens died suddenly -- weirdly enough just a few hours after finishing the sixth chapter of the book – leaving readers and literary enthusiasts to puzzle over the final solution to the mystery. Today, it’s a bit hard to imagine the stir the unfinished novel created among Dickens’ readers. Imagine, for example, George Lucas dying just after the release of The Empire Strikes Back -- all the dangling plot threads, such as whether Darth Vader was Luke’s father, the fate of the carbonite-encased Han Solo, and the unresolved Luke-Leia-Han love triangle – and you get a feel for the fervor. I have to admit I read Drood purely to get a feel for Dickens’ dark side – the author had witnessed a horrific train accident and was engaged in a salacious affair with a young actress when he penned the book -- and as preparation for reading two modern books, inspired by Dickens’ classic: Matthew Pearl’s The Last Dickens and Dan Simmons’ Drood (two authors I really like). But despite my low expectations (pun!), I enjoyed the original Drood , which is replete with amazingly well-developed (and often macabre) characters, such as the grave-digger Durdles; Princess Puffer and her opium fiends; and the epitome of the creepy uncle John Jasper. It certainly helps to know a bit about Dickens and the circumstances surrounding the writing of the novel to properly appreciate the unfinished Drood so if you venture into this book, I recommend one with a good notes section. I also like what Pearl has to say about the “un-ending” of The Mystery of Edwin Drood ; he says, “So you musn’t shed a tear for Drood. No there is much to envy about it – I mean that each reader will be happy with their own private finale in their mind.” (less)

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Nov 28, 2012 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Originally published on my blog here in July 2001.

Two subjects have fascinated readers of Dickens' final, unfinished novel ever since the author's death. The more obvious is the question of how it should end; what we have is about half of a psychological thriller, not quite enough to make it clear exactly what the conclusion was to be. The second topic of discussion is just how much the novel is different from Dickens' other fiction.

Edwin Drood is set in the cathedral town of Cloisterham, based...more Originally published on my blog here in July 2001.

Two subjects have fascinated readers of Dickens' final, unfinished novel ever since the author's death. The more obvious is the question of how it should end; what we have is about half of a psychological thriller, not quite enough to make it clear exactly what the conclusion was to be. The second topic of discussion is just how much the novel is different from Dickens' other fiction.

Edwin Drood is set in the cathedral town of Cloisterham, based on Rochester, one of Dickens' homes in early life. There, Edwin Drood, a young man who lives in London, spends his holidays with his uncle Jasper. He is visiting Rosa Budd, who is just completing her schooling and who was betrothed to him long ago by the wishes of both their parents, now deceased. To the town also come the Landlesses, brother and sister, who have returned to England from the East and are lodging with a relation in the Cathedral Close. Neville Landless takes a fancy to Rosa, and is piqued by Edwin's growing feeling that Rosa and he are not particularly suited. They quarrel about his treatment of her, and though they seem to have made it up, he is an obvious suspect when Edwin goes missing after the two of them dine with Jasper.

The one thing that is clear about the solution of The Mystery of Edwin Drood is that the villain is Jasper, despite the virtuous front that fools the world. The unanswerable question, in the absence of notes about the ending, is how his guilt will become known; this is obviously connected with the appearance of a stranger in Cloisterham just before the end of the completed section. Conjectures as to who this is have included Neville's sister in disguise, trying to clear her brother's name, or even Edwin himself. To know what Dickens intended here would probably make it easy to work out the solution.

That Our Mutual Friend, Dickens' last completed novel, and Edwin Drood are rather different in some fairly fundamental way to the rest of the author's output is undeniable. The difference almost certainly stems from two causes. Towards the end of his life, spurred by feelings of financial insecurity because he was supporting two households, Dickens massively increased the reading tours that he made, which were extremely lucrative. Not only did they leave him little time to write new material - the gap between the two novels is much longer than in the earlier days, when the appearances of some in periodical form overlapped - but the physical strain they caused is likely to have hastened his death. The longer period of gestation must have made a difference to the way that he approached his novels, and the pair are much more carefully put together. Edwin Drood is much sparser than Our Mutual Friend, which has many complicated subplots and far more characters, and is perhaps a novel planned by a man conscious of his own exhaustion.

The other cause of the change is that there were new writers about who were writing different novels; Edwin Drood was at least in part inspired by a desire to complete with Wilkie Collins, a close friend. Times change and fashion moves on, and to some extent Dickens must have wanted to change in response. That he succeeded so well is a tribute to just how talented he was; Edwin Drood is recognisably by the same author as Oliver Twist, but has new concerns which are expressed differently.

The very beginning of Edwin Drood makes it obvious that it would have been a great novel, with its remarkably modern seeming description of the awakening from an opium dream. The atmosphere of Cloisterham is as well rendered as any Dickensian backgrounds, and the plot is clearly one of his best. The element which is missing, an absence hardly noticed, is the crowd of minor characters which throng most of his novels, Our Mutual Friend included. The incompleteness of Edwin Drood is one of the major tragedies of English literature.(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic

This review originally appeared at www.readinsinglesitting.com.

I’ve never understood the utter terror that accompanies being told how a book or a movie turns out, and I certainly don’t understand the passionately head-in-sand approach to learning anything at all about a story ahead of time. With the possible exception of a whodunnit novel, I’m perfectly happy to read on even if I know exactly how a book is going to turn out, and have had every single plot point and reveal explicated to me along...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dickens's last book was unfinished. Ever since, learned (and not so learned) readers and scholars have tried to solve the mystery. Is Edwin Drood dead? Did his uncle John Jasper kill him? Or did Neville Landless, whom Jasper claims had murderous intent against Drood, kill him? Who knows?

It's actually fun to read and know that you're NOT going to know. It took me awhile to get into this one, but by Chapter V I had settled in to the enjoyment that is a Dickens novel.

Perhaps the most fun part of t...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Paul Brogan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic

When Ernie produced this book at the last Gentlemen's Book Club, he took me to one side before the others could muscle in on this little gem. 'Here,' he said, 'I know you'd be interested in this.'

He was right. After all, when we first formed the club, I'd expressed a particular interest in filling the Dickens-shaped hole in my education. Of course, I'd rather had in mind something like Oliver Twist or The Pickwick Papers, but this seemed to me to be as good a place to start as any.

My knowledge o...more

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Jul 21, 2012 C rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century

Ah, the unfinished novel. Charles Dickens died a few hours after writing part of this book, about half way through his plan for 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood'. Edwin Drood mysteriously disappears Christmas Eve. His timepiece is found in the river. He just broke it off with his fiance, Rosa Bud, that it seems everyone in the town is in love with. Being a mystery, the murder of Edwin Drood went unsolved when Dickens died. If there even was a murder, as they never find the body of Drood. Dickens love...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Thom Swennes rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Many artistic geniuses continue with their art to the end. Mozart, Schubert and Dickens are just a few examples of artists that left unfinished works. Charles Dickens’ last novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood could have been one of his best stories, if he could have lived long enough to complete it. This tale, as all his works, is colored with a copious number of unique characters with even more inimitable names. (Pussy) Rosa Bud, Reverend Septimus Crisparkle, Neville and Helena Landless, Princess...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Vanessa Wu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know what made me buy this book and start reading it. The first few pages were torture. I knew the novel was unfinished. At least it would be short. But why even bother at all?

Then gradually there appeared light in the murk. Uncle and nephew, Jack and Eddy, got out their nuts and started to talk about Pussy.

No one does dialogue like Dickens. It is crisp, clear, entertaining and lifelike. Even the way the men crack their nuts adds to the drama.

Dickens is completely unafraid of sentiment....more

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Aug 03, 2011 Andrew Ives rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To say nothing happens in this book would be an understatement. The plot vaguely meanders along, characters come and characters go with very little reason why, as if it was written with hardly an end goal in mind. After the first few pages, once I had realised the main characters were clergymen, clerks, a simpleton stone mason, an auctioneer, a young urchin etc, I didn't expect it to be like Miami Vice, but it really is tedious and overly-verbose in the extreme. Most of the 'action' if I can cal...more

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Feb 09, 2010 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Toughest book to rate, EVER. The final novel from a master — but exactly half finished! That makes a five-star rating out of the question, but can I give it four when it isn't otherwise truly great? Well, I did. Maybe I'll change the rating daily (four, three, four, three) for the rest of my life.

"The Mystery of Edwin Drood" opens with three men and a woman sprawled across an "unseemly" bed, two of the men in a stupor, the woman smoking opium, and, emerging himself from a haze, John Jasper, a ma...more Toughest book to rate, EVER. The final novel from a master — but exactly half finished! That makes a five-star rating out of the question, but can I give it four when it isn't otherwise truly great? Well, I did. Maybe I'll change the rating daily (four, three, four, three) for the rest of my life.

"The Mystery of Edwin Drood" opens with three men and a woman sprawled across an "unseemly" bed, two of the men in a stupor, the woman smoking opium, and, emerging himself from a haze, John Jasper, a man who will figure prominently in this novel. We're a long way from "The Pickwick Papers."

"The Mystery of Edwin Drood" is, in fact, dark, lean, not as panoramic and funny as early Dickens. It also is, despite being a half-told tale, quite good. Jasper is a jealous uncle to the title character; Edwin's future marriage to Rosa Bud is an arranged one. Edwin disappears — very likely murdered — shortly after he and Rosa mutually break off the engagement (a fact of which Jasper, besotted with Rosa, is unaware). The "mystery" in the title coupled with the tale's unfinished status might tempt some — likely its non-readers — into thinking that the identity of the perpetrator has vanished in the mists of time. But "Edwin Drood" isn't really about whodunnit — we're quite sure we know, and the little evidence that exists of Dickens' plans certainly seems to confirm our obvious take on what happened. What the novel is about, and doubtless would have explored more deeply if completed, is the psychology of Jasper, a voice in the church choir and by outward appearances an upright man, whose darkness sometimes creeps out in threatening body language amid otherwise cool control.

Dickens expertly peels away layers of Jasper's cunning; it is presumed the author would have brought us even further into Jasper's head — and taken him into his own.

Other strong characters stand out, including Septimus Crisparkle, a canon of the church who also stays in great physical shape by shadow boxing. Personally, I love Deputy, a boy hired by Durdles, a stone mason and inscriber of gravestones. Deputy's duty? Throw stones at Durdles if he stays out past 10 o'clock at night — to, in fact, stone him home. Love that!

The book does drag at times, primarily in the first 50 pages (despite the atmospheric opium haze of the opening) — when Dickens seems uninspired — and after Edwin's disappearance, when there's a sluggish recharging of the batteries.

What perhaps resonates most, though? What a shame it is that the novel never was finished; it could have been one of Charles Dickens' major works. Instead we're left with questions and empty speculations. Who was the mysterious Mr. Datchery? Could he be another character in disguise? What to make of the opium woman? How would Dickens have resolved the crime (assuming it was a crime)? What would have been Jasper's end, and how would his fascinating psychology have been further explored? Sadly, we'll never know. Onward, then, to more Droodian darkness. Dan Simmons' "Drood" is next.(less)

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Nov 08, 2009 Paula rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's hard for me to rate anything by Dickens as less than 3 stars, but this was a little bit of a struggle. I started the book with an apprehensive and mournful attitude, knowing the the author passed away before finishing the book.

Throughout the story, it almost seems as though Dickens was aware that he wouldn't finish, aware that his time was running out, and was in a rush to get as much in as possible before he couldn't add anymore. That left a story that was quite confusing in parts and cha...more

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Nov 06, 2012 MJ Nicholls rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, oxford-classics, pre-1900s, sassysassenachs, art-or-illustrated

An incomplete Dickens novel is like a half-finished jigsaw. How do you rate a half-finished jigsaw? This fragment, being Dickens, actually comprises about 1.5/3 of the intended work, but still isn’t enough to want to invest oneself emotionally and intellectually in the characters and plot happenings (for me, anyway). In this instance, it may be wiser to skip the book and head straight for the recent BBC adaptation (much as it pains me to recommend TV over text). Still: not without its usual char...more

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May 25, 2012 agent zero rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: anglofoni

Per mio costume non giudico un romanzo incompiuto.
Però due cose vorrei dirle su questa edizione Utet.
Leggo nel risvolto della prima di copertina: "Ultimo e incompiuto romanzo di Dickens (la stesura fu interrotta dalla morte dell'autore) viene qui presentato in una nuova traduzione così innovativa da rendere pressoché evidente la soluzione del giallo".
Al momento dell'acquisto questa frase mi inquietò e rimasi indeciso, ma alla fine cedetti perché la vecchia edizione Bompiani risulta irreperibile...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had a moment of euphoria while reading this book, around the fifth/sixth chapter...one of those great moments where you realize why you love good books. If finished I think it would've made a terrific book, as it is, it's still wonderful. The edition I read included a short introduction by G.K. Chesterton that analyzed different theories for the books end, from the murderer's identity to the strange character of Mr. Datchery to the possibility that Edwin Drood is not dead at all. I was reminde...more

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Dec 07, 2009 Paul Patterson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Once I got over the Dickensian style, especially the delicate china-doll description of his women protagonist Rosa Bud, I was hooked. This sadly, foreshortened-by-death, novel reveals as much in its superb descriptions, including humanly depicted dish set, that speaks to the reader, than it does in its plot.

Every benevolent inhabitant of this retreat had his name inscribed upon his stomach. The pickles, in a uniform of rich brown double-breasted buttoned coat, and yellow or sombre drab continuat...more Once I got over the Dickensian style, especially the delicate china-doll description of his women protagonist Rosa Bud, I was hooked. This sadly, foreshortened-by-death, novel reveals as much in its superb descriptions, including humanly depicted dish set, that speaks to the reader, than it does in its plot.

Every benevolent inhabitant of this retreat had his name inscribed upon his stomach. The pickles, in a uniform of rich brown double-breasted buttoned coat, and yellow or sombre drab continuations, announced their portly forms, in printed capitals, as Walnut, Gherkin, Onion, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Mixed, and other members of that noble family. The jams, as being of a less masculine temperament, and as wearing curlpapers, announced themselves in feminine calligraphy, like a soft whisper, to be Raspberry, Gooseberry, Apricot, Plum, Damson, Apple, and Peach.

Its texture, dialect and dialogue make The Mystery of Edwin Drood a mesmerizing book. Dickens certainly had the ability to conjure up bickering women, like the landlady and the school marm, who battle it out over for the influence of Rose Bud our novel’s lady in waiting. The drunken stonemason Durdles and the ancient opium pusher Princess Puffer, representatives of the lower classes, deliver the most honest and suggestive interpretations of the situations. The local canon Chrisparkle lives up to his name as a truly gentle and integral arbiter of truth.

Plot-wise Drood was an improvement on many of Dickens earlier works. The reader has the sense that there must be a twist coming. What that twist was, we will never know, but even its absence has a ghostly presence that drives us to make all kinds of speculations about who the criminal culprit may be. Both the novel and historical comments by friends of Dickens select John Jaspers as the obvious murderer. But that seems too obvious. Like many children’s books, the reader of The Mystery of Edwin Drood is encouraged to “choose your own ending”.

My tentative, upon this reading, of the book is that Edwin Drood may not be dead at all but only in hiding. If Dickens maintains his usual themes a reconstituted set of relationships will emerge through the sacrifice of one of the characters either Chrisparkle or Rosa Bud. I may be wrong but happily cannot be proven so.

Dickens died only hours after working on the Mystery of Edwin Drood. The following quote read in this historical context is prescient:

It was a journey, a difficult and dangerous journey. That was the subject in my mind. A hazardous and perilous journey, over the abyss where a slip would be destruction. Look down! Look down! You see what lies at the bottom there?

Whether Dickens was reminiscing about his former near death experience in a train-wreck five years earlier, or anticipating his death is hard to tell. The slip had been made and the journey from the father of Christmas to the exhausted, prematurely aging man, family in tatter, his adult children retreating from him, and his mistress Ellen Ternan only tolerating him, had been difficult. Sad circumstances but his life was no less mysterious than his concluding novel of which there is no bottom of his imaginary talent. (less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Chelsea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, classics, mystery

Everything about this book was spectacular. This is easily my favorite Dickens book that I've read, and I think that's primarily because he allows all of his characters to be so wonderfully, achingly flawed. Too often, Dickens's villains are far more vivid and complex than his wooden "good guys," but I never felt that with this novel. Everyone is just slightly off, either hiding their own secrets or using dubious means to hide someone else's. This was the last novel Dickens ever wrote, and he le...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Gerald Sinstadt added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-general

This half a book: Dickens died before he could complete it. A summary of the plot is widely available (try Wikepedia), so let us take that as read. The mystery truly has no solution though there may be a variety of plausible beliefs. Personally, I am happy to remain in ignorance. The disappointment is less in not knowing the outcome as in the loss of what has all the makings of a novel to stand with the best of Dickens.

Setting aside the main protagonists, there is great joy to be had from a rich...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Sasha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was Dickens last-and unfinished-novel. If you read it, you may be disconcerted by the abrupt finish before any loose ends have been tied up. Notwithstanding that I still recommend this book as a cracking read.

The novel starts in the dinghy confines of an opium den and a Gothic atmosphere pervades the novel. It is set in the imaginary Cathedral town of Cloisterham, replete with low vaulted ceilings, dark graveyards and musty crypts. There is even an old crone who calls people 'Deary'. Who,...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Marcia Lonteen-Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel is unique to Dickens in that it is unfinished. It is hard to speculate where he may have taken this. It is only 274 pages instead of his usual 900, so I can only think he would have added many more twists and turns. This story involves the murder of a young man named Edwin in an imaginary village called Cloisterham. He is visiting his uncle, John Jasper, the choir director of the local cathedral as well as his betrothed, Rosa, a young woman attending a local school for girls at the Nu...more This novel is unique to Dickens in that it is unfinished. It is hard to speculate where he may have taken this. It is only 274 pages instead of his usual 900, so I can only think he would have added many more twists and turns. This story involves the murder of a young man named Edwin in an imaginary village called Cloisterham. He is visiting his uncle, John Jasper, the choir director of the local cathedral as well as his betrothed, Rosa, a young woman attending a local school for girls at the Nuns House. They decide not to marry after years of intentions set in place by their deceased parents. Edwin is quite depressed, and goes for a walk with Neville Landless, a young man attending school with the local pastor, Mr. Crisparkle. The two are resolving their differences after a wild disagreement in which the hotheaded Neville came to physical blows. After this Edwin disappears. Naturally, everyone except his mentor suspects Neville, but signs also point to his uncle, a greasy, beady-eyed jerk who has developed an abiding love for the young Rosa. She despises him, and has ceased her music lessons with him. He comes to her and pleads his case and his love, offering to drop his harassment of young Neville Landless and his sister Helena, whom Rosa dearly loves as a fellow student at her school. It is Rosa herself who first begins to suspect his uncle. Lots of interesting characters cross the pages: Mr Grewgious, Rosa's guardian; the Tartar, a friend of his and quite an eccentric; Durdles, the stonemason and tomb expert; the Deputy, who regularly pelts Durdles with rocks to force him drunkenly home at night; Mrs Twinkleton, the girls' schoolmistress; Mrs Billickin, outspoken proprietor of the rooms Rosa and Mrs Twinkleton lease in London to get away from Jasper; the old lady at the opium den frequented by Jasper; and the mysterious Dick Datchery, newly arrived in the village. There has been much speculation by critics concerning his identity, including that he is Edwin come back in disguise, or even Helena Landless, both which seem preposterous to me. Some of the best Dickens scenes ever occur in this novel. One is the dinner in which Rosa, Mrs Twinkleton, and the Billickin share during which the Billickin refuses to direct any conversation to Mrs Twinkleton but instead speaks to her through Rosa, despite the fact that both are face to face. I love how Dickens calls her the Billickin. She is angry because Mrs Twinkleton, in counting her luggage, came up with 17 by including Mrs Billickin as one of the pieces. The other is a dinner at Mr Grewgious's in which he employs waiters from the Furnival Inn across the way. One is called the flying waiter, who makes multitudinous trips to and fro for items, and the stationary waiter, who stands there reaping praise for all that is done. Although unfinished, this novel is one in a series which I wanted to read to finish my Dickens quest. I find John Jasper one of the most despicable villains in all of Dickens.(less)

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Oct 29, 2011 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-the-library, mystery, literature, crime

Dickens is at the height of his power here. Almost every paragraph is exceptional. It amazes me how he can vocalize each character in their own peculiar ways. You always know who is speaking or thinking. Unfortunately, the book is unfinished, Dickens died at about the halfway point in the story.

Some people do not approve of his characters, especially the young women, who are often portrayed as very beautiful, delicate and unable to care for themselves. The heroes are strong and handsome and of...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this up after reading Hazel’s friend’s suggestion that one should read a Dickens a year. The Mystery of Edwin Drood is Dickens’ last book—unfinished since Dickens died halfway through the piece. It’s probably most memorable for its unfinished aspects, though the cast of characters (always unique and loopy) includes a few new varieties (the erratic opium addict and a truly horrible sprite who stones everyone) along with the standard cast: the feeble-minded princess, the intelligent young...more

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About Charles Dickens

A prolific 19th Century author of short stories, plays, novellas, novels, fiction and non-fiction; during his lifetime Dickens became known the world over for his remarkable characters, his mastery of prose in the telling of their lives, and his depictions of the social classes, morals and values of his times. Some considered him the spokesman for the poor, for he definitely brought much awarenes...more

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“I loved you madly; in the distasteful work of the day, in the wakeful misery of the night, girded by sordid realities, or wandering through Paradises and Hells of visions into which I rushed, carrying your image in my arms, I loved you madly.” — 18 people liked it

“How beautiful you are! You are more beautiful in anger than in repose. I don't ask you for your love; give me yourself and your hatred; give me yourself and that pretty rage; give me yourself and that enchanting scorn; it will be enough for me.” — 7 people liked it

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