Dombey and Son
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
Dombey and Son (1848); its full title is Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son: Wholesale, Retail and for Exportation.
The story concerns Paul Dombey, the wealthy owner of the shipping company, whose dream is to have a son to continue his business. Mr. Dombey is a stiff, dignified man who rarely shows emotion, but the birth of his infant son, who is named Paul, is cause for rejoicing. The fact that Mrs. Dombey dies shortly after the boy’s birth does not concern him; his attention centers entirely on the little infant. Mr. Dombey also has a daughter, but she means nothing to him, for she cannot take a place in the firm.
Paul loves his sister very much, and they are constant companions, but Paul’s love for Florence only makes Mr. Dombey dislike her. He resents the fact that she is healthy when his son is not, and he feels that his daughter is coming between him and his son.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This dark study of pride is a pivotal if unappreciated work in Dickens's oeuvre. Dickens focuses on the Dombey family, eschewing his idiosyncratic panoramic scope and ensemble casts. David Timson is a dream casting; he endows each character with depth, personality and pathos, again displaying why he is a perennial favorite in audio narration. This abridgment offers about one-third of the full text, which will serve the casual listener well without burdening their wallet or commandeering the listening schedule.
