Bleak House Readalong: March 2018 - Sept 2019

[ScribblyGum]

Some of us are doing this on the 50 books thread so I thought I would start a separate discussion thread.

Inspired by Books and Things on YouTube, aim is to read Bleak House in the time frame in which it was published, so reading 3-4 chapters per month starting in March this year and finishing in September of next.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=W-DYX4lyw1M

I’ve linked the original YouTube video (she is really really excited about Bleak House ), Katie also has chapter discussion threads on her good reads page, and a picture of the chapters and the months in which they are to be read.

Does Dicken's do twists? My money's on the angry French woman.

I don't watch GoT but love Line of Duty (or I did , until ridiculous Morse Code shenanigans which I am sure Dickens would not do!). But the dark, twisty plot is certainly twisty! Quite nasty in places, isn't it? Much more so than Great Expectations, I think : or maybe just more melodramatically and Gothically (?) so.

I too like Dickens' humour, although it often takes me whole chapters to work out who these more minor and comical characters are!

scribbly, do you think it's just you and me left on the thread , chewing the (hopefully not spontaneously combustible) fat??

Just you, me and Princess at the last.

May chapters now up :

Is there anyone out there to discuss June chapters?

Hello?

Hellooooooooooooooo??

Hello hello!

I have read June’s chapters and have not a lot to say about them, apart from concern that Esther has not really entered into the spirit of her engagement has she?

Was June a bit blah?

How’s George's mother going to help?

I liked learning about the empty carriages the rich used to send to funerals. Sort of grief virtue signalling but with horses. Dickens did not approve.

Yes, the funeral was interesting. There were 4 chapters, weren't there and yet I do feel not much occurred. I suppose the moral dilemma is presented : Esther wants to save George, but in doing so may damn her own mother.

I do often wonder what Dickens would make of 21st century society. Probably just as well he isn't here.

He'd probably be very disappointed that the gulf between the have and the have nots is still so conspicuous in London.

Yes you are right about those chapters setting up a moral quandary for Esther. She's still got the hots for Allan and is regretting her decision to say yes to her Guardian so she's got that to deal with too. At least she can get some headspace under her veil.

I probably should read the chapters again. I'm sure as missed loads, but am getting impatient with the lack of progress with the plot since Tulkinghorn's unfortunate demise.

I have the hots for Allan, never mind Esther!

I think we have entered the detective novel stage in the last chapter we read with all Bucket's observations. Some promise there.

I had completely forgotten about Ada and Richard's secret marriage confession. What a fool. Does Dickens always do happy endings? (frame of reference is only Christmas Carol and the film versions of Oliver and Great Expectations). I'll be annoyed if their relationship ends all rosy with Richard finally getting all the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce loot. Richard is an arse and Ada is a twit for marrying him.

I don't know. Haven't pondered that. My frames of reference are the same three as yours plus A Tale Of two Cities. That's a bittersweet ending .

Surely the moral of (Richard and Ada’s) story can’t be ‘Attempt half heartedly lots of jobs at someone else's expense and then jack them all in because it’s all fine you'll get the girl and inherit a shit tonne of money anyway.’ Dickens isn’t going to pull this one on us is he? He better not. If anyone is worthy of blowing up spontaneously it’s work-shy entitled Richard.
Ada love you can do so much better. If hotty doctor Allan wasn’t already spoken for then I’d say go for it.

I'm ashamed that my analysis of Bleak House has all gone a bit Love Island but I think this is the consequence of reading it so slowly. I can’t keep the loftier literary themes in my head.

Hi can I join? Haven't been following since March 2018 routine but have been reading part by part and enjoying Katie's analysis. However I saw her vlog today about 'Jane Austin July' which sounds so time-consuming that I can't imagine when she'll have time to post June's chapters !!!!

I think that is Katie's problem! Too many irons in the fire!
Join away! I am sure scribbly and I could do with the company.

yesbutnobut Katie has history for overextending herself. If she gets more that a few months behind then Piggy send her a stern message on Twitter and she sorts herself out pronto

Piggy when it’s the third week of July and Katie still hasn’t posted her June chapters video.

Exactly what I look like! I wear a feather boa and a disdainful look every day.

It’s a versatile look

yesbutnobut you are very welcome to join. It’s a very niche posters thread right now.
Who do you think done Tulkinghorn in?

Thanks both!!! I had a long train journey at the weekend and I must admit I read on past the June chapters!!

I don't think it will be a happy ending for Ada and Richard, but do you think Ada is pregnant (I thought she could have been hiding her knitting). As one of the themes of the novel is self destruction, and we've seen Richard going firmly down that path, I don't think marrying Ada will make any difference. Maybe it will reinforce all the more how Richard's obsessions with the law suit was so destructive?

Who killed Tulkinghorn? It's looking like Lady D for me at the moment - but perhaps that's too obvious?

I'm finding myself thinking what was going on in the first 700 pages of the novel, as suddenly the story is coming together and all the characters we thought were just amusing characters have a key part to play/an identity we didn't know about. You can see how Dickens really eked out the serialisation!!

Looking forward to Katie's commentary (at some stage)...

I’m monitoring Katie’s You Tube feed but as predicted she has fallen down a Jane Austin hole. Tsk.

Ooh now Ada being pregnant would be interesting. Hadn’t thought of that.

Surely it’s not Lady D? It’s got to be big hands H.

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't posted for a while, I got behind again but have caught up now.
The July chapters were very exciting, I can't wait to find out what happens next and I had a quick look and I think all the August chapters are from Esters POV which makes me happy as I find them so much easier to read
Only 102 pages left to go! I am on holiday at the end of August so I am planning to take the book with me to read at the end of August, then finish it on the 1st September when we are travelling home. We are driving back from the south of France so I will have plenty of time to read in the car.
I hope there is a happy ending for Lady D and that Mr Smallweed gets some kind of comeuppance for being such a horrible person.