Our Mutual Friend
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"Of all the Dickens I've read … Our Mutual Friend remains my favorite." — Jane Smiley.
A young man returns from abroad to claim his inheritance — but he never arrives and is presumed to have drowned in the Thames. Mr. and Mrs. Boffin, a warmhearted, working-class couple, are the next heirs in line, and their generosity is tested when their windfall opens the door to a vast gallery of scoundrels, strivers, and social climbers.
Charles Dickens's genius for observing and characterizing people from every walk of life sparkles in this, his final complete novel. The great storyteller's cast of extraordinary personalities ranges from grasping Mr. Podsnap and greedy Silas Wegg to selfless Lizzie Hexam, insanely jealous Bradley Headstone, and spoiled Bella Wilfer, whose initial disappointment paves the way for a change of heart. Blending elements of mystery, horror, romance, and farce, Dickens paints a brooding portrait of the minds and motives of desperate people as well as a delightful satire of middle-class snobbery.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
David Timson reads Dickens's last complete novel with a sense of fun. As always, Dickens creates a fabulous array of characters: the nouveau riche Veneerings, the dwarf who makes doll clothes, the bizarre schoolmaster, and the abysmally poor who trawl the Thames for bodies or daily sift the dust and dirt of Victorian England for a skimpy living. Timson's dramatic talents add dimension to each personality just the sort of acting that makes an audio experience so satisfying. Naxos has done a fine job of abridging the book (Timson also reads the unabridged version on 28 CDs). Not much is lost in terms of plot and characterization, and Dickens's great satiric and social themes come through clearly: the plight and misery of the poor and the greed and heartless stupidity of the rich. If the abridgment seems a bit disjointed, it simply follows the novel's narrative style. This is a wonderful listen for Dickens fans and novices alike.
