Book Cover of Our Mutual Friend

Our Mutual Friend

by Charles Dickens

Our Mutual Friend, written in 1864–1865, is the last novel completed by Charles Dickens and is one of his most sophisticated works, combining savage satire with social analysis. It centres on, in the words of critic J. Hillis Miller, quoting from the character Bella Wilfer in the book, "money, money, money, and what money can make of life". Most reviewers in the 1860s continued o praise Dickens' skill as a writer in general, but did not review this novel in detail. Some found the plot both too complex and not well laid out. The Times of London found the first few chapters did not draw the reader into the characters. In the 20th century, however, reviewers began to find much to approve in the later novels of Dickens, including Our Mutual Friend. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, some reviewers suggested that Dickens was, in fact, experimenting with structure, and that the characters considered somewhat flat and not recognized by the contemporary reviewers were meant rather to be true representations of the Victorian working class and the key to understanding the structure of the society depicted by Dickens in the novel.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

1865

Authors

Charles Dickens image

Charles Dickens created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 18...

Books by Charles Dickens

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

La Comédie Humaine: 05 - Scènes de la vie de province tome 1 Cover image

La Comédie Humaine: 05 - Scènes de la vie de province tome 1 by Honoré de Balzac

La Comédie humaine estla collection en plusieurs volumes d' Honoré de Balzac (1829-1848) de romans et d'histoires interconnectés décrivant la société...

Nether World Cover image

Nether World by George Gissing

This novel revolves around the problematic issue of money. Michael returns from Australia a rich man, but he hides this fact from everybody. Instead o...

Our Mutual Friend, Version 2 Cover image

Our Mutual Friend, Version 2 by Charles Dickens

Our Mutual Friend, Dickens's last completed novel, is a complex and multifaceted exploration of Victorian London society. The story revolves around th...

The Coxon Fund  Cover image

The Coxon Fund by Henry James

The story revolves around Saltram and a group of people who are fascinated by him. Ruth Anvoy, a young American woman with a wealthy father, comes to...

Town Before You Cover image

Town Before You by Hannah Cowley

"The Town Before You" is a satirical comedy set in 18th century England. The play centers on a group of impoverished lords and wealthy ladies who enga...

Sangre y arena Cover image

Sangre y arena by Vicente Blasco Ibanez

Set in 19th-century Seville, "Blood and Sand" follows the rise and fall of Juan Gallardo, a young bullfighter from a humble background. As Juan's fame...

La Comédie Humaine: 04 - Scènes de la vie privée tome 4 Cover image

La Comédie Humaine: 04 - Scènes de la vie privée tome 4 by Honoré de Balzac

La Comédie humaine estla collection en plusieurs volumes d' Honoré de Balzac (1829-1848) de romans et d'histoires interconnectés décrivant la société...

Frau Jenny Treibel Cover image

Frau Jenny Treibel by Theodor Fontane

Frau Jenny Treibel is a novel by Theodor Fontane, published in 1892. It is a humorous and satirical look at bourgeois society in Berlin. The novel cen...

La Comédie Humaine: 08 - Scènes de la vie de province tome 4 Cover image

La Comédie Humaine: 08 - Scènes de la vie de province tome 4 by Honoré de Balzac

La Comédie humaine est le titre sous lequel Honoré de Balzac a regroupé un ensemble de plus de quatre-vingt-dix ouvrages — romans, nouvelles, contes e...

Scenes from a Courtesan's Life  Cover image

Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honoré de Balzac

Scenes from a Courtesan's Life is one of the last great works completed by Balzac for his huge novel series entitled The Human Comedy. Sections of thi...

Reviews for Our Mutual Friend

No reviews posted or approved, yet...