Little Dorrit

Description

Little Dorrit is considered by many, including G. B. Shaw, to be the best novel ever written by Charles Dickens, work that measures up to Bleak House in every aspect. It gives a bitter criticism of the society and government of Dickens’ time, indeed, and social criticism is paired with a moving and very human story.

The story starts in Marseille, with a scary murderer confessing to his cell mate that he had murdered his wife. What the reader reads about next is Arthur Clennam returning to London to see his mother who has returned from China after the death of her husband, Arthur’s father. Arthur inherits a watch from his father. He finds a note in it with only the letters DNF and as his mother refuses to tell him what it means, mother and son become estranged. The other story line introduces William Dorrit, an inmate of a debtors’ prison and the father of three children, Fanny, Edward and Amy, usually called Little Dorrit who all grew up in the prison. Little Dorrit is the only one who works, supporting her two siblings. The girl becomes employed with Arthur’s mother and Arthur tries to find out more about what led to her father’s imprisonment. Arthur eventually discovers that William Dorrit is the heir to a large fortune and the man is finally released from prison. Dorrit travels to Europe with Amy, then he dies, leaving Amy alone. After lots of hardships, Little Dorrit also finds out she is a wealthy heiress and after even more tragic events, she and Arthur finally get married to live happily.

Little Dorrit is a very entertaining read. The book is full of marvelously penned characters and a complex plot with lots of unexpected turns. The language and the style is truly Dickensian – elaborate, beautiful.
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