I always love Dickens. This is my sixth by him. I am always left a little breathless by the wit with which he sketches his characters. This book certainly had its unforgettable characters, my favorites were Cap'n Cuttle, Walter Gay, Mr. Toots and Susan, and for villain, the sheer toothiness of Mr. Carker is downright awful.

I found the book a bit slow in its first half though the gradual build of Florence and little Paul's relationship, especially down at the sea was pivotal to the whole story and very beautiful. Things really picked up with Mr. Dombey's second marriage, and from there, it was a pretty engrossing read.

One of the themes seems to me to be extreme loyalty in this book: Florence's to her father, Walter's and Mr. Toot's and Susan's to Florence, Cap'n Cuttle to Walter and Sol Gills. I love the faithfulness of the good hearts in this tale. So, while this isn't my favorite Dickens, I loved it, left feeling enriched.

I didn't find myself quite as connected to the characters as I had in other stories by him. With Our Mutual Friend and David Copperfield, I still feel as if they are friends that live in a different place. To read them again is to reconnect an old, familiar acquaintance. I never reached that depth with this book.