Charles Dickens – Geneva D

Born and raised in a debtor’s prison, with a broken father, a haughty sister, and a thoughtless brother, Amy Dorrit’s patient, gentle character is still able to find happiness in serving others. But when her father inherits a vast estate and is suddenly freed, her old life is relentlessly swept away—the old friendships and simple pleasures as well as the old hardships and trials. How will Amy cope with the wealth that instantly spoils the rest of her family?

Little Dorrit is no afternoon read—it’s long, rivalling Bleak House, War and Peace, or The Count of Monte Cristo.

Given its length and Dickens’ literary writing style, Little Dorrit would be hard for younger readers to wade through, but readers 15+ would likely enjoy the book. Readers is a key word though—if you don’t like reading much, Little Dorrit is not the book for you!

Jump straight to the bottom to avoid spoilers and catch my brief conclusion along with a link to the ebook, or read on through for the details!

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Sissy Jupe is the abandoned daughter of a poor clown—Louisa Bounderby is the rich wife of one of Coketown’s magnates. But Sissy lives a happy, healthful life of love to others, while Louisa’s upbringing has made her cold, hard, and tired of life. When will Mr. Gradgrind, Louisa’s father and Sissy’s adopted father, compare the two and learn his mistake?

For a full-fledged Dickens novel, Hard Times is short. It’s about as long as Tom Sawyer or Anne of Green Gables.

Hard Times is largely a social critique, which I doubt would be interesting or intelligible to younger readers. It also has a fairly dark plotline. I think it would be suitable for readers 17+.

If you’re just looking for a brief recap, jump to the end where you’ll find my three sentence conclusion. If you need more details, read on!

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Tag: Charles Dickens

Book Review: Little Dorrit (by Charles Dickens)

Book Review: Hard Times (by Charles Dickens)