Customer Reviews

Penguin Classics Little Dorrit

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is my personal favorite among Dickens novels, fully equal to Bleak House, though not nearly as widely read or admired. Most reviewers miss the fact that debtors prisons had long been closed before Dickens wrote the novel, so 'reform' was in no way its objective. What he really wanted to explore was self-imprisonment. His main character, Arthur Clennam, has been imprisoned by family strictures all his life. Denied love as a child, exiled from his sweetheart as a young man to an outpost of the family business in China, left by his father only with a watch inscribed 'DNF' meaning 'do not forget' (what he doesn't know) Arthur returns to England. We first see him 'imprisoned' in quarantine with others who suffer spiritual incarcerations of their own. The spiritual heart of this novel is the story of how Arthur loses hope that he can 'go home again' and pick up with his old life, how he reconstructs a personal life and satisfying work, and how he endures the collapse of the past and all its guilty debts, ultimately being set free to live life on a new foundation. This novel will hearten those who have arrived in the middle of our lives feeling that like Arthur, we stand among ruins, 'descending a green and growing tree' whose limbs die and wither under us as we come down. But when he is finally stripped of everything, Arthur gains all. While this great bildungsroman of maturity is being carried forward, Dickens offers a wealth of characters, plots, and subplots that will keep Dickens lovers turning pages in well-founded faith that Boz will once again knit all together in a satisfying tapestry of incident and meaning. It could be summed up as "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." All the characters are jailed by something--Little Dorrit herself by her prison home, her father by his dependency and pathetic grasping for reputation. Blandois, the wicked murderer, shows up first in a Marseilles prison and bestrides the plot with his vile presence. Arthur's mother stays voluntarily imprisoned in a decaying house and her wheelchair, and worse, in wrath and jealousy. We also meet a housemaid trapped in uncontrollable rage, the woman who abducts her, walled in pride and hatred, a young woman trapped in adoration of a worthless husband, parents frozen in grief over a lost child, a financier transfixed with the knowledge of his own falsity . . . and more. Secrets, nightmares, murders, lost deeds and treasure, stolen fortunes, all abound in this vivid and satisfying plum pudding of a novel. Modern readers may weary of the satirical chapters on 'the Circumlocution Office'--but they're no worse than the treatment of the Court of Chancery in Bleak House. The best of this novel is that it is not all written just for the satisfactory settlement of some young person, but rather for the arrival at full maturity of a man who is already adult at the novel's opening. Arthur (one remembers that Britain's legendary king bore that name) rescues others from despair, and finally learns to let others so rescue him. This is a redemptive novel, that shows us it is possible to see that we are inside the prison of who we've been taught we are, and believe we can't stop being, and it is possible to break beyond those prison walls and 'go down to a life' of quiet decency and common happiness. A great, grownup read!

Having been both a student and admirer of Charles Dickens for a number of decades, I can honestly state that this is not a tier #1 Dickens' novel. That being said, however, any 2nd tier Dickens's novel far outstrips the quality of other novels of this period. While the author's characterizations and universalities of subject matter remain high, this tale does seem to become bogged down during the lengthy descriptions of the middle chapters. This should not discourage an educated reader, however, from venturing into this 900 page civil discourse. The shallowness, selfishness and overall contriteness of the moneyed elite is well defined. The self-imposed uselessness of governmental agencies is quite evident. Whereas, the meaningful values of love, respect and inner joy is broadcast loudly through society's poorer working classes. Dickens portrayal of debtor's prison as a constant backdrop to life in London adds to and highlights the extreme social differences that exist while the author's whimsical, yet cutting, characters reveal personhood for what it is......

Dickens' last novels (with the exception of the unfinished EDWIN DROOD) really form a group all to themselves: exceptionally concerned with the excesses of social institutions and the cruelties of high society, they in some ways read more like Trollope and Thackeray than they do Dickens' own earlier works, although they retain Dickens's fine gift for character and bite. LITTLE DORRIT is proabbly my favorite of the later works: its multiple stories are extremely gripping, and his satire at its sharpest and most necessary. Many people say these later novels are not as funny as his earlier works, but DORRIT is to me an exception: there are few funnier (or more dear) characters in Dickens' repertoire than the breathless, kindhearted Flora Finching, and I find myself almost helpless with laughter whenever Flora's senile and hostile charge, Mr F's Aunt, makes her perfectly doled-out appearances in these pages. (Arguably the funniest scene Dickens ever wrote is the scene with this "most excellent woman" and Arthur Clennam and the crust of bread). This is a great Dickens novel even for people who tend not to like Dickens (and yes, there are some of them, as hard as that may be for the rest of us to believe).

Little Dorrit is frustrating and uplifting to read (usually not at the same time) but Dickens ultimately comes through and makes a story out of it. The journey here, though, is better than the destination. Dickens can't resist trying to tie things up neatly and his ending suffers for it somewhat. In the meantime, we see the tired and disillusioned middle-aged protagonist, Arthur Clennam, trying to restart his life more or less after being abroad for a long time. The title takes its name from the angelic Little Dorrit, who is surprisingly likeable and believable considering her annoying sweetness and perfection - she's not completely believable, of course. She's one of Dickens' sweet little angels (e.g. Agnes from David Copperfield and so on) and as such annoying and maybe the biggest problem with the novel.

With Dickens, of course, you get the grittiness and realities of the oppressed life along with the fairy tale - nobody mixes the two so well as he does. Also, the ending revelations are pretty good in Dickensian terms which is to say, not mind-blowing, but good. As usual, with Dickens, its the journey, not the stops along the way, that make it all worthwhile.

This was a mandatory reading for a Literary Theory class and I must say, at first, I was less than pleased. I have read Dickens a few times before tackling "Little Dorrit" (David Copperfield is my favorite)and his works aren't always "gripping." However, upon finishing the novel there was a great sense of accomplishment. This story reveals so much about the wrongs of high society and the(wrongs of) importance of appearances. In this 800 page epic, Dickens gives us a love story that can actually be useful in, and comparable to, today's world.
I left this book feeling most glad that I had been "forced" to read it because it has reminded me that times have not changed so very much when it comes to what's important in life.
In warning, it is not exactly quick in pace (considering it was written serially for periodicals over several months of time)but it does have an important message...and the characters are just quirky enough to make it interesting. Dickens even delves into the surreal once or twice, which makes for a nice twist.
A tip: If you find yourself in the middle of a harsh winter in, say Michigan, and you have some free time in your days, this book would perfectly fit the mood. Warning!: Do not take this one to the beach for leisure reading!!!

With Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens touched upon a subject near and dear to his own heart; that of having a father who was incarcerated in Debtor's Prison. But Dickens extends this probing eye to include many different types of prisons that we either fall into by the fault or actions of others, or by our own actions.

Arthur Clennam returns home to London after many years away to find many things changed, and many the same. His mother, a recluse to the home that Arthur grew up in, remains a solitary figure, cast in shadows. Flora Casby Finching, the love of Arthur's youth, who married another and now finds herself alone; re-enters his life, and he finds himself wondering what he ever saw in such a flighty, chatty girl. Arthur also finds Jeremiah Flintwinch and his wife, Affery; in attendance to his mother. Jeremiah, a rough-edged, secretive man is a stark contrast to his meek, timid wife, who is plagued by dreams of augury throughout the story.

Also entering Arthur's life are the Dorrit's, the 'first family' of the Marshallsea Prison...Father William, the debtor in question, Amy; the caretaker and martyr of the clan, Fanny; the arrogant, self absorbed elder daughter, and Tip; the lazy, shiftless brother who, when given the chance and opportunity to strike out on his own and find a better life, wanders back to London to re-tie the family apron strings he was to break free from. Amy, employed to Arthur's mother as a seamstress; finds herself ever the voice of reason, the sacrificer, the kind and gentle soul....swimming in a sea of ingrates.

With typical Dickens flair; fortunes are reversed, lives are intertwined; secrets are kept, and revealed; and once again the reader realizes that nothing is ever what it seems on the streets of London. Numerous plot twists throughout the novel propel the story along at a very satisfying pace. Little Dorrit, after an unexpected windfall comes to the family; still finds herself in the same unenviable position in the family. Mr. Dorrit finds himself trapped by his prison background even after he is released, in the manner of trying to 'measure up' to society, and rise above his past. One particular point I found interesting was having Mr. Dorrit, in Book 2, settle his family into a large, virtually empty hotel to live...as if he could not leave the enormity of the prison, and all its rooms and inhabitants, completely behind.

The 'prisons' that Dickens visits in the latter half of the story are those of kept secrets; past transgressions; emotional obligation; and so many more that exist in our minds and memories.

While I only give the book four stars, it was a wonderful read. The characters are up to their usual flourish and flaw. But at times the plot devices were visible all the way from Marseilles to the Marshallsea, and seem to come from nowhere, really. While they help the story immensely, in terms of direction...they lack in credibility, and seemed a bit soap-operaish in their 'timely arrival'.

Nevertheless - I enjoyed immersing myself in Dickens' London once again..and walked away satisfied with the outcome. Even in Dickens' darkest tales, he usually delivers a silver lining.

A highly enjoyable read...

Little Dorrit is probably not the first Dickens novel one should read; work up to it. But it's a great novel, reaching across the levels of society, and with Dickens's facility of invention reined in by moral seriousness. The melodramatic element is subdued here, and Dickens displays a perception of psychology that may be unexpected for those used to his more entertaining books. Some critics rate this his finest novel.

Almost as good as Bleak House. Two shortcomings, though. One, the poetry of the language never reaches the same heights. Dickens just doesn't seem as inspired here, and there are moments when he even seems tired and to be suffering from the same disappointment his characters complain of. Two, the mystery theme is pushed to the background and is lame in comparison. Otherwise, the structure is excellent, weaving the themes of the Circumlocution Office and self-imprisonment relatively seamlessly through the story.

One reviewer here has commented that "Little Dorrit" is not without Dickens' trademark humor, and, with one qualification, I would agree. Mr F's Aunt, Mrs Plornish, and Edmund Sparkler in particular are all quite funny. Characters like William Dorrit and Flora Finching, however, who would have been funny in earlier books (eg, Wilkins Micawber and Dora Spenlow in "David Copperfield" it can be argued, are younger - and more romantic - versions of Dorrit and Flora) are only pathetic in this one. It is a sign of the change in Dickens that he can no longer see the lighter side of these characters.

BTW, there is another little joke for those versed in Victorian Lit. The comedic couple Edmond Sparkler and Fanny Dorrit are a play on an earlier couple, Edmond Bertram and Fanny Price in Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park". The joke is that Dickens has taken the names and inverted the characters. Fanny Dorrit couldn't be more different than Fanny Price, and likewise Edmond Sparkler and Edmond Bertram. I'm sure this is not an accident. Dickens had a thing for the name Fanny, using it for two of his less appealing "temptresses", Fanny Squeers (in "Nicholas Nickleby") and of course Fanny Dorrit. Funny stuff.

And speaking of Fanny Dorrit, I have one last comment. It is often said of Dickens that he couldn't create good female characters. This puts me in mind of Chesterton who related a similar complaint made by Dickens' male contemporaries that he couldn't describe a gentleman. As Chesterton deftly pointed out, however, what these gentlemen really meant was that Dickens couldn't (or wouldn't) describe gentlemen as they wished themselves to be described. Rather, Dickens described gentlemen as they actually appeared. I might say the same thing about the women who complain about Dickens' female characters. It's not so much that Dickens couldn't (or wouldn't) describe good female characters. Rather, it's that the kinds of characters he did describe aren't the ones the complanaints wish to see. Women praise the Elizabeth Bennetts of the book-world not because the real world is full of Liz Bennetts (it's not), but because that's the way they themselves wish to be seen. Truth is, however, there are far more Fanny Dorrits and Flora Finchings and Dora Spenlows than there are Liz Bennetts. The women who complain of these characters, though, would rather ignore this unflattering little fact. Whatever. The truth will out, and there's far too much truth in Dickens characters to be so lightly dismissed.

4 1/2 stars

this is a novel about disappointment. almost every character is unhappy about his lot in life: clennan about his lost youth, lost loves; mrs clennan about her marriage; william dorrit about his time behind bars; daniel doyce about his failed efforts to promote his invention; henry gowan about not being provided for by his well-connected relations; the meagles about losing their only daughter to a man like mr gowan; the villain rigaud about his 'ungentlemanly' treatment by society; flora finching about her lost looks; miss wade and tattycoram about society's supposed condescension; little dorrit about her father's fate; and so on. the main line of the book, then, is how each of these people deals with his/her disappointment.

the story is also about 'surfaces', or the airs people put on to enhance their places in society. many take on personas to hide their disappointment. william dorrit is the prime example of this, but others, like rigaud, ms wade, little dorrit's sister fanny, mrs clennan, henry gowan, also adopt personas. then there are the already-elevated members of the ruling class, like the family barnacle and the capitalist titan mr merdle, who put on airs to hide their disqualifications for their exalted positions. mr merdle even uses his 'surface' to perpetrate a collosal fraud that would put the worldcoms and enrons of our time to shame.

this theme of 'surfaces' is reinforced by the narrative design of the book which is itself a surface. much of the action in the story happens behind the scenes - ie, below the surface. panks' investigation of the dorrit inheritance, the business at clennan and co., rigaud's machinations, ms wade's relationship with tattycoram: all are described in only enough detail to let the reader know that something is happening, but never enough detail to know precisely what. in hiding the machinery of the story, dickens puts the reader in the position of someone who is in the dark about the story, as if the reader himself were in a prison and was wholly reliant on outsiders for information about what is happening. it's in this subtle narrative structure that the book itself resembles a prison, a prison that mirrors and reinforces the dominant symbol of the book. this is the strongest feature of the book.

Do we still have the time and patience to read a 900 page Dickens novel? Are we willing to put up with the long-winded paragraphs, the "cardboard characters", the convoluted mysteries of 19th century fiction? Rags-to-riches stories may not command as much attention today as they did then - until we read how gullible people are lured into shady investment schemes, how greed spreads like an epidemic, creating stock market bubbles followed by collapse and ruin; then we realize that not much has changed after all. Sudden wealth brings out the worst in people: pretentiousness, social climbing, dissipation. The Dorrit family, set free from Debtor's Prison by an unexpected inheritance, behave just as the newly rich behave today - all except Amy ("Little Dorrit") who is not cowed by poverty nor blinded by riches.

The novel is about all sorts of imprisonment: physical, mental, spiritual. It's almost like a morality play, with stock characters who might as well be wearing signs proclaiming GREED, ENVY, PRIDE, WRATH, etc. People trapped in loveless marriages, indifferent jobs, money-grubbing schemes or self-righteous posturing are victims of the "mind-forged manacles" evoked by Blake. The social criticism may be dated, but the commentary on human nature surely is not.

For those who lack the stamina to plough through the entire novel, there is an excellent 4-part video version with Alec Guiness as Mr.Dorrit and Derek Jacobi as Arthur Clennam. It takes some liberties with the text, but the acting is superb.

As an afterthought, you might enjoy reading Evelyn Waugh's "A Handful of Dust", where the theme of entrapment is pursued in unexpected ways, culminating in a reading of "Little Dorrit".