Classics > L Classics > Charles Dickens

Advantages: A wonderful evocation of the cruelties of Victorian society.
Disadvantages: The length of the novel might put readers with busy lives off.

Little Dorrit was the most widely read of Dicken's novels during his lifetime, and it is not difficult to understand why. His subtle evocation of a family blighted by debt, and Victorian society's treatment of debtors is punctuated by Dicken's special brand of humour. There are the grotesque Dickensian characters, yes, and these serve to lighten the overall bleakness of the novel's subject matter. However, it is Dicken's mastery of his sociohistorical ...
...to come. His female heroine, like many of Dicken's women, is good and generous and has devoted her life to duty. Nevertheless, she demonstrates a strength often lacking in Dicken's other female heroines that lends extra weight to the text's portrayal of London's Marshalsea prison and the lives affected by it. A wonderful read and thoroughly recommended. ... Read review

Advantages: Not too long, dramatic ending
Disadvantages: Controversial ending?

...controversial themes through the relationship of the two main characters. George: a sharp, quick-witted character and his best friend Lennie: a large, strong but dumb character who unintentionally often gets them into trouble. Set in America during the Depression it highlights the true struggle men went through to try and find work. Through their journey - the readers is given an insight into many problems the men faced: poverty, lonlieness, prejudice ... Read review

Advantages: interesting use of form and narrative; brilliant character detail and pace.
Disadvantages: Long....

Clarissa 'The longest novel in the european language'. A statement that is about as qualiatative as 'Britain's loudest band'. This is how most people will know of Clarissa. Which is a shame for two reasons: the length of the damn thing is what perhaps justifiably puts people off reading it; moreover, the novel truly deserves to be considered one of the finest in the English language, regardless of its length. I won't distil the plot as the other ...
...that. Also I want to focus instead on the intricacies of the novel and why Dr Samuel Johnson considered it to be 'the first book in the world for the knowledge it displays of the human heart'. One thisn that is important to remember when reading Clarissa is that, like most novels of its time, it was written in serial form. The detail and pace of character development and events in the novel are therefore perhaps more akin to that of a season of ... Read review

Advantages: Great characters, excellent narration which is thought-provoking yet humorous
Disadvantages: None really. Unless you severely dislike 19th century novels.

...are at its best. Vanity Fair is subtitled 'A Novel without a Hero', which is reflected in the balanced and honest narration and further in the establishment of characters who are soon seen to all contain significant flaws, as is natural for human beings (a point made by the narrator). The characters of this novel are of great depth and complexity, and of a wide range of diversity; perhaps the best feature of this book. The good and bad aspects of ...
...somewhat close-knit social scene of Vanity Fair. The novel begins with Amelia Sedley and Rebecca Sharp completing their studies at an academy for young ladies. It is soon made clear of the differing backgrounds of these two principal characters, and their respective experiences at the prestigious academy. This is the first of many contrasts of these two characters. The highly intelligent Miss Sharp who wishes to gain a lofty position in society ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent story, and not sappy
Disadvantages: None

...With around 1,000 pages, Gone With the Wind is a far more multi-layered read than I'm able to portray it. It's action-packed, with a lot of non-romantic stuff going on amidst Scarlett's pining for Ashley and careless use of men for her own gain etc. The key characters are all very different people, allowing for different perspectives on events…but generally only through dialogue, as Scarlett is our protagonist [however, the book isn't written in ...
...their feelings benefit her in some way. Basically, give it a chance and I think you'll be surprised by how good it is. You learn a lot about the culture and social structure of this historical period; you get sucked into the story - whether you like Scarlett or not you'll find yourself on her side because so many of the expected niceties that she tries to discard are nonsensical and unfair. I guess there's a strong feminist aspect to this novel, ... Read review