Nie wystawię żadnej gwiazdki, bo usunięcie 40 rozdziałów jest nie do pomyślenia.

This book is so precious. Little Dorrit’s innocence, kindness and ability to see the good in everyone makes her such an amazing heroine and I needed this re-read this week. I needed some hope.

The best book of the year.

Charles Dickens being my favorite writer ever, and his books being amongst the best I've read, I came into this novel with some high expectations already. And the paying of such went even further. Before starting this masterpiece, I was unaware of what was I coming into. Because this book. OH MY.

There are multiple, layered and quite complex plots, that not until p.400 start to mingle and dwindle with each other, but, that even if they were not to be regarded as secondary or frame sides of the main story, by their own they are already quite brilliant.

I've never been invested in such a way with such characterization without already being related to the story as much as in here. This characeters aren't from this world. From the dear Arthur Clennam, to the tender Amy (Little) Dorrit, to the suspicable Pancks, to the hilarious Flora Casby, to the fond Daniel Doyce to the icy Mrs. Clennam and the dreamy Affery Flintwinch not to talk of the genius arch of his husband, Jeremiah Flintwinch. From the remarkable Cavalletto to the evil-grandeur-architect of doom-murderer-scaryass Monsieur Rigaud/Lagnier/Blandois; and the storme and misunderstood Miss Wade, to the quick tempered Tattycoram and their masters the Meagleses. It would be a sin not to alude to Mrs. Merdle and her annoying parrot, or Fanny Dorrit and Frederick Dorrit with his aimiable character, and his brother the GUY William Dorrit; Father of the Marshalsea. Last to be mentioned but most surely not least the brilliant plot of Mr. Merdle or the honour and rightfulness of John Chivery, or the bitter Mr. F's Aunt.


i'm probably leaving many fantastic characters unmentioned, but EVERY single person that comes across this book is brilliant. Every word tells something and there's not a word too much.

A harder book than say Great Expectations or David Copperfield, but a must read for anyone aware of Dickens' writing style.


and that ending

*sheds tears*

Although not so well known as many of Dicken's other works, this is one of my personal favorites.

Little Dorrit the novel is a solid Dickens endeavor, this time focusing on social striving, cultural pretensions, and the spiritual aspects of the conflict between God and Money. There is even a cautionary plot twist involving the difference between financial investing and speculation. For those trying to figure out if it's worth their time, I liked it about as much as Our Mutual Friend.

Little Dorrit the character is a meek, diminutive avatar of Goodness, Selflessness, and Service. She isn't remotely believable and I will add myself to the ranks of those who have found her insipid.

Though the title character is static, never wavering, by the end, she has transformed into a symbol. I was reminded of the title character in My Ántonia in that she too becomes a symbol by her book’s end—a symbol of an ideal American woman. In much the same way, Amy Dorrit is the symbol of ideal English womanhood, at least in the eyes of the time period: taking care of her difficult father, always with patience and love; sticking by her man, doing all for him, even when he’s not aware of it.

Though Little Dorrit is Duty personified—never drudging Duty, always loving Duty—she’s not submissive; and it’s rather amazing that Dickens does get this across, even to modern-day sensibilities. She’s even surprisingly forward at one juncture.

Because I am not of the 19th century, when I read this in the 20th century, I loved the character of the bitter Miss Wade. Her articulation of her anger at her lot in life drew me in. Now, in the 21st century, reading Miss Wade’s letter, I didn’t feel the same frisson; but she’s still my favorite of this bunch: a powerful psychological portrait by Dickens. Miss Wade is clearly not Dickens’ favorite, yet he doesn’t punish her as much as the time he was writing in might’ve expected.

The last page of the novel is exquisite, a perfect rendering of an oasis of peace amidst a world that will never shut up.

(A reread with the Dickens Fellowship of New Orleans)

Как и многих романистов XIX века, Диккенса увлекает тема денег и личности. Я не очень люблю истории с чудесными обогащениями, хотя разумеется, они случаются. И если во времена Диккенса такими фантастическими историями обогащения были наследства, в том числе и непостижимо невостребованные наследниками и волшебным образом полученные, то сейчас такие нувориши больше чиновники, приходящие на госслужбу голодными и дешево одетыми, а уходящие состоятельными господами с внушительным списком активов и зарубежной недвижимостью. Но актуальность романа в том, как себя ведут чудесно обогатившиеся. Как быстро они забывают свое недавнее прошлое, как резко меняется их отношение к людям! И если Диккенс остается оптимистом, веря в то, что не все не проходят испытания свалившимся на голову богатством, и рисуя свою крошку Доррит честным и цельным созданием, не подверженным искушениям, то сейчас, наверное, такие типажи в принципе невозможны. Удовольствие от Диккенса - в прекрасном, богатом языке и невероятном чувстве юмора, зоркости взгляда при описании общества и глубине характеров.

Диккенс не упускает возможности критиковать пороки того общества, например, бюрократию и неэффективность государственного управления:

" Это славное учреждение появилось на свет тогда, когда государственные мужи открыли один великий и непревзойденный принцип, исчерпывающий все трудное искусство управления страной. Оно первым сумело усвоить этот благодетельный принцип и с успехом стало руководствоваться им в своей официальной деятельности. Как только выяснялось, что нужно что-то сделать, Министерство Волокиты раньше всех других государственных учреждении изыскивало способ не делать того, что нужно . Боже мой, это в точности, как работают наши государственные органы.

Диккенс высмеивает и ксенофобию, и враждебность общества к иностранцам. Разве не современно звучат эти строки?

" Нелегкая это была задача для иностранца, все равно больного или здорового — заслужить благосклонность Кровоточащих Сердец. Во-первых, все они пребывали в смутной уверенности, что каждый иностранец прячет за пазухой нож; во-вторых, исповедовали здравый и узаконенный национальным общественным мнением принцип: пусть иностранцы убираются восвояси. Они никогда не задавались вопросом, скольким их соотечественникам пришлось бы убраться из разных стран, если б этот принцип получил всеобщее распространение; они считали, что он применим только к Англии. В-третьих, они склонны были усматривать проявление гнева божия в том обстоятельстве, что человек рожден не англичанином; а различные бедствия, постигавшие его отечество, объясняли тем, что там живут так, как не принято в Англии, и не живут так, как в Англии принято. В подобном убеждении они были воспитаны Полипами и Чваннингами, которые долгое время официально и неофициально вдалбливали им, что страна, уклоняющаяся от подчинения этим двум славным фамилиям, не вправе надеяться на милость провидения, — а вдолбив, сами же за глаза насмехались над ними, как над народом, более всех других народов закоснелым в предрассудках.
Такова была, так сказать, политическая сторона вопроса; но у Кровоточащих Сердец имелись и другие доводы против того, чтобы допускать в Подворье иностранцев. Они утверждали, что иностранцы все нищие; и хотя сами они жили в такой нищете, что дальше, кажется, уж идти некуда, это не ослабляло убедительности довода. Они утверждали, что иностранцев всех держат в подчинении штыками и саблями; и хотя по их собственным головам немедленно начинала гулять полицейская дубинка при малейшем выражении недовольства, это в счет не шло, потому что дубинка — орудие тупое. Они утверждали, что иностранцы все безнравственны; и хотя в Англии тоже кой-когда бывают судебные разбирательства и случаются бракоразводные процессы, это совершенно другое дело. Они утверждали, что иностранцы лишены духа независимости, поскольку их не водит стадом к избирательным урнам лорд Децимус Тит Полип с развевающимися знаменами, под звуки «Правь, Британия». Чтоб больше не утомлять читателя, скажем только, что они еще многое утверждали в таком же роде."
Умница Диккенс, обожаю его проницательность.

from da scorchin sun a marsellies 2 da dark cold cellof a debtors prison, lill dorrit b 1 of dickens 4gotten masta pieces.

dey be lockin boyz up 4 sum wack shit back in da day. ma man dorrit wuz in jail 4 debt 4 so long he had 3 dam kids up in there. N now he think he hot shit jus cus all da prisoners look up 2 him. n he always thinks his kids don work (but dey do). he is off his wacker n shiyt, nom sayin? so dis guy arthur think he owes dees dorrit peeps bc his pops was into sum shady shyt or whateva. N lil dorrit crushin on arthur hard, but arthur aint into her like dat. she seem pretty plain, but sum dig her so maybe she fine. her sista seem fine doe. maybe lil got a tite body but aint much to look at. or maybe da other fellas chechin out her sis. dont really noe.

anyway, book was pretty legit, doe i wish lil d wuz finer. she probly alright doe. deres also dis thing called da circumlocution office. mad funni satire bro!!!!!! 1 dey be sayin gov cant do shit. i bet sum obama h8ers wrote dem chapters. sic dis book is old.

Having not fallen fully under the sway of Dickens’s longest, Bleak House, we’re back to the savagely impressive corkers with this satirical and tender effort from the Immortal Blighty Scribe (IBS—unfortunate acronym). On a less grandiose scale than the preceding tome, Little Dorrit is much quieter, funnier, more powerfully affecting novel throughout than BH. In two parts, Poverty & Riches, the novel charts the progress of Amy Dorrit, (the token spirit of purity and goodness), and her family from Marshelsea debtors’ prison into a shaky life of infinite riches and never-ending Italian holidays. Central to the novel is her father William, who replaces his memories of destitution with violent hauteur, and whose mental collapse is rendered with masterful swings of wrenching drama. Clenham is the more complex, reticent hero, almost frustratingly dim in spots, but no less than impeccable on the moral scruples front. Apart from a sudden gallop into action-packed melodrama in the last 100pp or so, and a byzantine final-reveal sequence to out-Lost Lost, Little Dorrit goes straight atop the essential-Dickens pile, along with all the others. [And a final warning to Oxford World’s Classics: if you make your fonts any smaller, I will send in the midget assassins].

Recent Andrew Davies BBC version on YT

What a book. One of Dickens's best - a truly fantastic, moving clever novel, and an absolute favourite of mine.

I was given a copy of this book by a co-worker. It was 860 pages long with denser prose than that of which I am fond. A debtors' prison is the main setting and where Little Dorrit is born. I am not a careful enough reader to catch much of the humor Dickens injects regarding low and high society as well as patent offices and other government bureaucracies. There is a Bernie Madoff like character and a happy ending.

Ah, Dickens and his paragons. I adore Dickens, but his paragons are no different from anyone else’s—they’re excruciatingly dull. They’re stuffed full of every high-minded, moral quality with nary an inch for any of the less-attractive, negative qualities the rest of us mere mortals possess. They face their trials and tribulations with gentle courage and purity, braving despair, degradation, and death, and they escape unscathed, as innocent as newborn lambs. I thought, at first, that Little Dorrit was going to be one of these angels without wings. Happily, I was not completely right.

Don’t get me wrong! She’s pretty darn innocent and pure. The difference is that, unlike some of Dickens’ other virtuous characters, we’re allowed a little more access to her mind. We see that she has fears, there are people she dislikes, and she recognizes some bad behavior when she sees it. Amy Dorrit (sorry, Amy—I prefer your given name to “Little Dorrit”), while mind-bogglingly forgiving of those she loves, seems a little more fleshed-out and real than I expected her to be when first introduced to her. And she only fainted once (or maybe twice). Still, that’s not too bad for one of Dickens’ ingénues, you gotta admit.

Little Dorrit follows the lives and adventures of Amy Dorrit and Arthur Clennam. They meet while Amy is working as a seamstress for Arthur’s very unpleasant mother, and he is taken by her air of gentle sweetness. She is in her early twenties, but looks much younger, so Arthur persistently views her as a child. He befriends her and also gets to know her family. Amy has the dubious distinction of being the first child ever to be born and raised in Marshelsea prison, where her father is imprisoned for debt. This part draws on Dickens’ personal experience of having his own parent incarcerated in this same prison for this same offense. Just as the Dorrit family did, Dickens’ own family joins their patriarch in the prison (Charles didn’t, but was no less humiliated about the whole situation).

Mr. Dorrit deals with his humiliation by affecting airs of gentility and lording it over the other prisoners as “a gentleman fallen on hard times.” Eventually, his arrogant attitude and his sheer longevity earn him the title of “Father of the Marshelsea,” and his air of condescension would have done a duke proud. Amy’s brother and sister are whiny, entitled (somehow!) brats who blame everyone else for their problems and generally bully their baby sister. Amy alone feels the shame of their position, but her loving nature forgives her family’s crass self-centeredness and ignorance.

This book follows the ups and downs of Amy’s and Arthur Clennams’s fortunes, and both of them experience the extremes of wealth during the story. There is so much going on in this book—mysteries and secrets, unrequited love and heartbreak, shady characters and innocent victims, blackmail and fraud . . . and money. Everything comes back to money. We go from the elegant salons of the uber-rich to the dank cells of the imprisoned impoverished . . . and sometimes these people trade places!

Dickens is at his satirical best here, as he skewers both the arrogance and pretensions of the upper classes, as well as the delusions of the power of wealth by the economically disadvantaged. Their comfortable conviction of their own superiority, their reverence for Mr. Merdle solely for his power to make money, and their embrace of Fanny, the former dancer, after she becomes wealthy lays bare their venality and hypocrisy. The Dorrits, meanwhile, bemoan their lot in life and their lack of means to support their station, but are no happier when they are suddenly in possession of the wealth they had long dreamed of.

And of course, there is the portrayal of the benevolent powers of government. This is a literary portrait of true beauty, and Dickens’ deft touch is sublime to behold. He presents us with the all-powerful, awe-inspiring Circumlocution Office (literally: talking in circles), which is mostly staffed by the members of a socially prominent family by the name of Barnacle (another jibe!), and the sole aim of this government office is to show how NOT to do things. They are very careful to never actually accomplish anything or help anyone—that would be beyond the pale! Dickens’ presentation of this institution is laugh-out-loud funny. There were SO many quotable lines that I just couldn’t include them all in my status updates, or it would have taken me twice as long to finish this book!

I’m not going to go into all the characters, sub-plots, and mysteries in this book: there are so many! It’s quite an entertaining read, and contains a host of Dickens’ trademark minor characters, such as Flora, Clennam’s ex, who speaks in stream-of-consciousness, and her slightly-addled bequest, known only as “Mr. F’s Aunt.” There’s Young John Chivery, the lovelorn turnkey, and Edward Sparkler, the brainless stepson of “the eighth wonder of the world,” Mr. Merdle. As with all of Dickens’ books, I highly recommend it.