Hi everyone
This is my review for Charles Dickens’ Dombey and Son.
My gorgeous copy has 1022 pages of story and 36 pages about the novel itself.
I bought it at Waterstones.
You can find all my Charles Dickens reviews here.
My gorgeous copy has 1022 pages of story and 36 pages about the novel itself.
I bought it at Waterstones.
You can find all my Charles Dickens reviews here.
“Dombey and Son is both a firm and a family and the
ambiguous connection between public and private life lies at the heart of
Dickens' novel. Paul Dombey is a man who runs his domestic affairs as he runs
his business: calculatingly, callously, coldly and commercially. Through his
dysfunctional relationships with his son, his two wives, and his neglected
daughter Florence, Dickens paints a vivid picture of the limitations of a
society dominated by commercial values and the drive for profit and explores
the possibility of moral and emotional redemption through familial love.”
First, take a moment to admire the beautiful cover. And if
you have a copy with the original drawings inside, take a look at those too
because they’re gorgeous.
I really, really enjoyed this book.
It took me a whole month to finish it because I read a few chapters each day. I find it easier to enjoy Dickens this way then reading it all a week or two. Dickens wrote most of his books as serials so they were meant to be read in parts and reading them in parts definitely enhances the experience.
Dombey and Son is such a beautiful book.
The story is very moving and more emotional then I had expected. I did shed some tears. One scene especially is truly heart wrenching. It’s a tragic story with a few uplifting (sometimes even comedic) elements.
Dickens’ characterization is, as always, perfect. Some characters are clichéd or just a bit too much to be realistic but realism wasn’t his goal. He wanted to drive a point home. Florence for example is too kind, too good and too forgiving, so much so it can be annoying. But in the end, Florence’s love and kindness prove to be the only things that matter. Her father’s self-importance, pride and money didn’t save him; her love did. There are quite a few contrasts of this kind in the novel.
The novel is very well constructed, there’s a host of distinct, warm and charming characters and the writing is elegant and beautiful.
The story is very moving and more emotional then I had expected. I did shed some tears. One scene especially is truly heart wrenching. It’s a tragic story with a few uplifting (sometimes even comedic) elements.
Dickens’ characterization is, as always, perfect. Some characters are clichéd or just a bit too much to be realistic but realism wasn’t his goal. He wanted to drive a point home. Florence for example is too kind, too good and too forgiving, so much so it can be annoying. But in the end, Florence’s love and kindness prove to be the only things that matter. Her father’s self-importance, pride and money didn’t save him; her love did. There are quite a few contrasts of this kind in the novel.
The novel is very well constructed, there’s a host of distinct, warm and charming characters and the writing is elegant and beautiful.
I don’t know about you, but it took me quite some time to
figure out whether Carker is actually a good or an evil character.
Dickens is brilliant.
Dickens is brilliant.
I loved it.
5 STARS
Happy reading!
Helena
Helena
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