'"Dom-bey and Son"...Those three words conveyed the one idea of Mr. Dombey's life. The earth was made for Dombey and Son to trade in, and the sun and moon were made to give them light.' The hopes of Mr Dombey for the future of his shipping firm are centred on his delicate son Paul, and Florence, his devoted daughter,is unloved and neglected. When the firm faces ruin, and Dombey's second marriage ends in disaster, only Florence has the strength and humanity to save her father from desolate solitude. This new edition contains Dickens's prefaces, his working plans, and all the original illustrations by 'Phiz'. The text is that of the definitive Clarendon edition. It has been supplemented by a wide-ranging Introduction, highlighting Dickens's engagement with his times, and the touching exploration of family relationships which give the novel added depth and relevance. The Notes and Bibliography have been substantially revised, extended, and updated.
Dombey and Son
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“There’s no writing against such power as this—one has no chance.”—William Makepeace Thackeray
From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
DOMBEY sat in the corner of the darkened room in the great armchair by the bedside, and Son lay tucked up warm in a little basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
DOMBEY sat in the corner of the darkened room in the great armchair by the bedside, and Son lay tucked up warm in a little basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
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Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The inexplicably neglected 'Dombey and Son' is a stunning masterpiece of 19th century fiction. The invention and bravura of Dickens' use of language is astounding. Coupled with that is a wonderful insight into the introduction of the railways in Victorian England and the often oppressive, alienating powers of a rampant Capitalist system that forces itself above the values of family and personal relationships. In 'Dombey and Son', the dangers of equating business partnerships with social ones are vividly revealed. Coupled with all of this is the presentation of one of Dickens' most compellingly vile villans: Carker. You could call this book, and the ones that come after it, "Dickens' with Teeth" and it is 'Dombey and Son' that inaugurates this development in Dickens' writing. Read it. It's wonderful.
By Pierre Gauthier
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD
As in some other Dickens novels, `Dombey and Son' starts off well but seems to run out of steam about one quarter of the way through. Tongue in cheek humour gives way to long-winded descriptions and watered-down dialogues. Major characters disappear and plot development slows down to snail's pace.
Things do pick up about three quarters of the way into the book (and some characters reappear!). Yet, one can only consider that such literature is the 19th century equivalent of soap operas.
To those still interested in this work, I recommend listening to it part by part with other works thrown in between each in order to provide some relief.
Things do pick up about three quarters of the way into the book (and some characters reappear!). Yet, one can only consider that such literature is the 19th century equivalent of soap operas.
To those still interested in this work, I recommend listening to it part by part with other works thrown in between each in order to provide some relief.
Format:Paperback
I didn't expect to love this novel. Having previously read only _Tale of Two Cities_ from Dickens' works, I expected the forces of security, order, affection and moral imagination to dominate again, and of course, they do win out in _Dombey and Son_. However, Dickens' overlong tale of an indomitably driven capitalist and his alienation from his children does not shy away from giving due attention to powerful contradictions and volcanic voices of dissent. As Paul Dombey attempts with increasing energy to force everyone around him to comply with the demands of domestic and economic respectability, his wife, children, and friends increasingly undermine him. Most striking are the figures of Edith, whose titanic dissent totally thrilled me, and James Carker, who exposes the internal contradictions of "family values" and capitalism. Dombey's daughter Florence, who he attempts mightily to ignore and devalue in favour of his son, is ultimately vindicated: Dombey must finally give her due justice as a human being (although Florence's dogged loyalty and inexplicable affection for her father seriously irked me!). Dickens provides some astonishingly powerful passages, especially the description of the railway as it thunders mechanized order through the city and countryside, and its association with Dombey's single-minded capitalism. Working-class characters are represented with neither dignity nor justice. However, the book is a great read, and highly recommended, even if you dislike Dickens' politics.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Dickens Ever
This is one of the best Dickens novels I have ever read. The character of Florence is so beautifully developed, and while I was reading, I got the sense that Dickens himself was... Read more
Published on Jan 2 2004
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dickens' First Mature Novel
I was not overly thrilled with Dickens' previous novel Martin Chezzlewit, despite those amazing American scenes. Read more
Published on Sep 10 2003 by D. C. Cannon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Touching story, adorable main character
This is the first story that has been able to touch my "heart". The touching and heartbreakingly-ended relationship between the young girl Florence Dombey (the main character who... Read more
Published on Aug 4 2003 by "anonymous6868"
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Story, Touching Plot, Adorable Characters
First and foremost, this is the first story that has been truly able to touch the part of my brain that is concerned with love and affections (functions mistakenly assigned to the... Read more
Published on Aug 4 2003 by "anonymous6868"
3.0 out of 5 stars
Dombey and...Daughter
On the birth of one of Dickens sons, he voiced his disappointment - he would of rather had another girl. Read more
Published on Feb 28 2003 by JR31
5.0 out of 5 stars
one of dickens' best
this novel, sitting as it does between dickens' early and late novels, captures the best of both dickens. Read more
Published on Jan 8 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars
one of dickens' best, inexplicably neglected
I don't know why "Dombey and Son" isn't as well known as some of Dickens' other novels. I've read ten of his books and this is quite easily one of his best. Read more
Published on Dec 1 2002
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ponderous portrait of pride
If you love Dickens, you'll like this book. If you're not committed to the work and style of Boz, you may have a hard time getting through it. Read more
Published on Feb 19 2002 by Royce E. Buehler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
The inexplicably neglected 'Dombey and Son' is a stunning masterpiece of 19th century fiction. The invention and bravura of Dickens' use of language is astounding. Read more
Published on Nov 21 2001
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dombey & Daughter
I saw a first edition of this book at the home of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's relatives when I was on vacation in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Read more
Published on Oct 1 2001 by Lee Armstrong
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