About the book
The complex story of a notorious law-suit in which love and inheritance are set against the classic urban background of 19th-century London, where fog on the river, seeping into the very bones of the characters, symbolizes the corruption of the legal system and the society which supports it.
“Jarndyce and Jarndyce” is an infamous lawsuit that has been in process for generations. Nobody can remember exactly how the case started but many different individuals have found their fortunes caught up in it. Esther Summerson watches as her friends and neighbours are consumed by their hopes and disappointments with the proceedings. But while the intricate puzzles of the lawsuit are being debated by lawyers, other more dramatic mysteries are unfolding that involve heartbreak, lost children, blackmail and murder.
The fog and cold that permeate Bleak House mirror a Victorian England mired in spiritual insolvency. Dickens brought all his passion, brilliance, and narrative verve to this huge novel of lives entangled in a multi-generational lawsuit—and through it, he achieved, at age 41, a stature almost Shakespearean.
Introduction by Barbara Hardy
Editions of Bleak House
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780679405689
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780394605203
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780553212235
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780099511458
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780375760051
- EBook
- ISBN 9780735253490
- EBook
- ISBN 9780307950529
- EBook
- ISBN 9780553903065
- Audiobook
- ISBN 9781415914472
- Audiobook
- ISBN 9781415914489
- Audiobook
- ISBN 9781415914496
- Audiobook
- ISBN 9780736621274
- Audiobook
- ISBN 9780736621281
Read an Excerpt
The complex story of a notorious law-suit in which love and inheritance are set against the classic urban background of 19th-century London, where fog on the river, seeping into the very bones of the characters, symbolizes the corruption of the legal system and the society which supports it.
“Jarndyce and Jarndyce” is an infamous lawsuit that has been in process for generations. Nobody can remember exactly how the case started but many different individuals have found their fortunes caught up in it. Esther Summerson watches as her friends and neighbours are consumed by their hopes and disappointments with the proceedings. But while the intricate puzzles of the lawsuit are being debated by lawyers, other more dramatic mysteries are unfolding that involve heartbreak, lost children, blackmail and murder.
The fog and cold that permeate Bleak House mirror a Victorian England mired in spiritual insolvency. Dickens brought all his passion, brilliance, and narrative verve to this huge novel of lives entangled in a multi-generational lawsuit—and through it, he achieved, at age 41, a stature almost Shakespearean.
Introduction by Barbara Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bleak House about?
The complex story of a notorious law-suit in which love and inheritance are set against the classic urban background of 19th-century London, where fog on the river, seeping into the very bones of the characters, symbolizes the corruption of the legal system and the society which supports it.
“Jarndyce and Jarndyce” is an infamous lawsuit that has been in process for generations. Nobody can remember exactly how the case started but many different individuals have found their fortunes caught up in it. Esther Summerson watches as her friends and neighbours are consumed by their hopes and disappointments with the proceedings. But while the intricate puzzles of the lawsuit are being debated by lawyers, other more dramatic mysteries are unfolding that involve heartbreak, lost children, blackmail and murder.
The fog and cold that permeate Bleak House mirror a Victorian England mired in spiritual insolvency. Dickens brought all his passion, brilliance, and narrative verve to this huge novel of lives entangled in a multi-generational lawsuit—and through it, he achieved, at age 41, a stature almost Shakespearean.
Introduction by Barbara Hardy
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Bleak House?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre > Classic fiction: literary and general
Where can I read a sample of Bleak House?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780679405689
Is Bleak House part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Everyman's Library Classics Series
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Bleak House?
Charles Dickens
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Bleak House is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780679405689) and hardcover(ISBN 9780394605203) and paperback(ISBN 9780553212235) and paperback(ISBN 9780099511458) and paperback(ISBN 9780375760051) and ebook(ISBN 9780735253490) and ebook(ISBN 9780307950529) and ebook(ISBN 9780553903065) and audiobook(ISBN 9781415914472) and audiobook(ISBN 9781415914489) and audiobook(ISBN 9781415914496) and audiobook(ISBN 9780736621274) and audiobook(ISBN 9780736621281)
Where can I buy Bleak House online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Bleak House from below
Where can I buy Bleak House?