About this title: In the world of books, there are hundreds of timeless classics. But only one collection of great works is a classic in itself - "Britannica's Great Books". This 60-volume set brings you centuries of celebrated writings from the greatest minds of all time, including Plato, Shakespeare, Swift, Freud, Hemingway and Twain. "Britannica's Great Books" ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Acceptable. Book is in good reading condition. Cover has wear at edges and corners. Spine has wear at edges. Dust jacket has some wear. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Date Published: 10/28/1999
ISBN-13:9780192835666ISBN:0192835661
Description: Fair. 0192835661 Unused overstock copy with moderate wear to edges from shelving. May have a remainder mark. Front cover is torn and back cover has light crease. read more
Description: Fair. Purchasing this item supports Pierce County libraries. Thriftbooks and PCL have partnered to help raise additional funds for the library system. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Purchasing this book supports the King County Library System Foundation. Thriftbooks and KCLSF have partnered to help raise additional funds for the library system. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Book has appearance of light use with no easily noticeable wear. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: New American Library
Date Published: January, 1981
ISBN-13:9780451512949ISBN:0451512944
Description: Very good. Read once. Reading creases on cover, clean pages, no spine creases. Review: ""One of the most significant works of the nineteenth century. "" Lionel Trilling Book Description: All texts are based on the Clarendon Edition of the Works of Charles Dickens. read more
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Odyssey Press, NY
Date Published: 1969
Description: Good. No Jacket. The cover is work, particularly along the edges. The top corner of the front is creased and there is another crease near the center of the fore edge. The page edges are slightly yellowed. read more
Description: Good. 0141439963 Quality used book! Clean inside with some cover wear. Ships quickly with free tracking! Questions or concerns? Contact me or check my feedback! read more
Edition: Not Stated
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Dodd Mead & Company, New York
Date Published: 1951
ISBN-13:9785551329725ISBN:5551329720
Description: Illustrated with Photographs. Very Good. No Jacket. EX-LIBRARY. EXPECTED MARKINGS AND ATTACHMENTS. DECORATIVE REBIND COVER. INTERIOR PAGES CLEAN, BRIGHT AND TIGHT, STAMPED "DISCARD" WITH LIBRARY STAMPS MARKED OUT, LIBRARY CARD HOLDER REMOVED. read more
"Decent story, but too long. The criticism of bureacracy and high Victorian society is scathing and illuminating, but an 800 page novel can't rely on satire alone, however witty. Some of the satire just feels like overkill(thinking specifically of all of the hoopla surrounding the princely Mr. Merdle and Society). The psychological study of the Dorrit family -- from William and Edward's denial to Fanny's aggression to Uncle's quiet dignity -- was perhaps the most valuable part. William Dorrit's character itself was fascinating. Frustrating, to be sure, but Dickens really handled him expertly, showing how a man accustomed to nobility will grasp at the flimsiest of straws even in the face of a quite disparate reality. The scene at the Marshalsea when they have gained their fortune and Tip comes in accusing Clennam of ungentlemanly conduct for not lending him money was fantastic -- it left me cringing in outrage. But there is a lot of truth in those characters' rationalizations.
It was refreshing, after Hard Times to read a Dickens book with some emotionally appealing characters. Unfortunately, in his return to a novel of Bleak House proportions, Dickens isn't able to sustain the narrative over the story's entirety. The book really bogs down about midway through, after picking up a lot of steam by the end of Book I. It struggles to regain momentum, even at the climax, and it left me frustrated at the long, aimless descriptions not only of different setpieces, but of the tedious Society. That said, the characters -- particularly Arthur, Little Dorrit, the Italian, and Pancks -- are some of the most memorable I have read lately, and the first two some of the most emotionally impactful. They were honorable to a fault, even sacrificing their own egos when they had every justification to defend them. There were other characters, like Flora, that were just annoying. I got the point after Clennam's first meeting that she was a prattler. After that, I pretty much skipped everything she said and was none the worse for it. Overall, I wish Dickens had spent more time with the Arthurs and Amys, and less time with the Floras, Merdles, Gowans and Wades."
"Once in a while as you read this book you may find yourself humming, "The girl that I marry a doll I can carry must be." But if you can get over the impossibly selfless and diminutive heroine (Dickens's idea of the ideal woman was apparently the woman who could almost make herself disappear), this novel is splendid. The style is dazzling, the characters unforgettable, the humor side-splitting. (Yes, there's humor, though in general it's not one of Dickens's merrier reads.) The usual Dickensian sentimentality, of course, and the usual two-dimensional villain, and one chapter near the end that is practically operatic in its screeching melodrama -- but that all said, it's still a wonderful book."
"I just absolutely loved this book. Dickens is so fabulous that it is hard to read another book. Along with Shakespeare, they are the greatest writers of all time. No one compares.
Little Dorrit takes place in London in the late 19th century. Her father was in debt, and at that time if you were a debtor, you were sent to a debtor's prison. The family was there as well. Little Dorrit was born in the prison and shortly after her mother died. After some history, the book basically starts when she is 22 years old. She still lives in the prison, but leaves during the day to work and return at night to care for her father. She is extremely caring and forgiving and you immediately love her character. She eventually meets a gentleman, Mr. Clennam and they become good friends.
The book is a satire of the way governments can become mechanized to the point of not caring for its people: the plight of the debtors as well as the poor. The book also stresses the abusive way in which the poor were treated by the rich during this time period. In some ways, we have changed since then, but in a lot of ways we have not (I kept thinking of Bernard Madoff during one part of the book). It touches on many personal aspects as well: love, romance, jeolousy, envy, and greed.
The book was 844 pages, but I wanted more. Dickens was said to have become despondent over the fact that the British had become selfish and insular. When I read this about him, I thought of "A Christmas Carol".
A must read. It's old English, but stick with. It grows on you and anything else does not compare."
"It had been so long since I'd read Dickens that I had forgotten how great he was. This novel portrays a crowd of characters surrounding Little Dorrit, a shy young woman who grew up in debtor's prison. I began reading this after watching and loving a Masterpiece Theater production of the book. The original is insightful, funny, satirical and amazingly fresh. A very long novel but a wonderful read."
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