Little Dorrit in Never too Late to Read Classics

Dec 25, 2018 Sara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, 19th-century-literature, victorian, gutenberg-download

UPDATE: 11/2020

I have upgraded my rating to 5-stars and feeling quite different toward both Amy Dorrit and the other characters of Little Dorrit this time around. I read the book very slowly (one chapter a day) with full discussions in the Dickensians group, and my appreciation of it rose daily. I'm afraid one read is just not enough for this complex and profound novel. My hat is always off to Mr. Dickens, one of the greatest writers of all time.

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Dickens built his ...more

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Nov 16, 2021 Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-trad-and-modern, 2021-read, dickens

Little Dorrit (Book 54) - Review
This is the 11th book in my #ayearofdickens2021 challenge.

Little Dorrit was a slow burner for me. It took me a while to become engaged in the characters and it wasn’t until the second half of the book that the mystery and intrigue hinted at in the first half, really came to fruition and captured my attention.

This is perhaps a slightly darker and more pessimistic book than some of the preceding ones. Dickens criticises aspects of government, class and society and n ...more

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Feb 05, 2025 midnightfaerie rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics, literature, rory-gilmore

I tend to find the women insipid in Dickens novels, but Little Doritt was different for me. I saw her strength, her courage, and her constant insistence on taking care of herself somewhat hero-like. She was determined not to rely on anyone but herself and I have a huge affection for that. I also hate this obsession with money that society has. I recently read an article that asked a number of 14 yr old boys what they wanted to be when they grew up. A good many of them said “billionaires”. I thin I tend to find the women insipid in Dickens novels, but Little Doritt was different for me. I saw her strength, her courage, and her constant insistence on taking care of herself somewhat hero-like. She was determined not to rely on anyone but herself and I have a huge affection for that. I also hate this obsession with money that society has. I recently read an article that asked a number of 14 yr old boys what they wanted to be when they grew up. A good many of them said “billionaires”. I think our society is glorifying wealth and it’s taking its toll.

Dickens expounds on this theme and the differentiations between the classes, as well as many of his other favorite themes in this book. He talks about the asinine practice of putting those who can’t pay their bills in debtor’s prison, with no way to work their way out and love and redemption at the cost of saving face. So many interesting characters, this novel once again shows Dickens brilliance at weaving together storylines of the elite and those we can relate to. John, the boy who falls in love with Amy but can’t seem to win her love to Amy’s father, who we go from loving, to hating, to feeling sorry for. Arthur Clennam, at first glance, seems boring and cliché, the proverbial nice guy who’s always doing the right thing. But his character takes a turn for the worse when he invests in a proposition he shouldn’t, seemingly innocently. I think my favorite character, by far, is Rigaud, who’s interesting take on life and smoothness of charm no matter who he’s talking to, seems to both unnerve and sooth the recipient with said charms at the same time. He’s the most fun to follow and the easiest to despise, despite being the one that I seemed to look forward to seeing the most as he appeared. His ending to his story was a bit cheesy, but I’ll forgive Dickens that for he makes up for it with adventure and hilarity with Rigaud’s demeanor. I always tend to lean more toward the “bad guys” in a story.

For as “old” and “classical” and “boring” people see Dickens as, I really see him as more of a soap opera writer of his day. He liked to write with aplomb. His characters all seemed to intertwine storylines that kept you at the edge of your seat, and most all his books seemed to end with a happy ending, which always makes me happy. I think despite his 18th century writing, if people knew more about his work, they would see it as easier reading than they imagine it to be. I enjoyed this book immensely and even though it wasn’t my favorite, it was pretty high up there on the list. So glad I read this one. Highly recommended. ...more

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