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Our Mutual Friend (Revised)
Our Mutual Friend (Revised) | Charles Dickens
With a cast of characters that covers the whole spectrum of London life, from the grotesque nouveax riches Veneerings to the poverty-stricken Betty Higden, Dickens weaves a tapestry of tales that are by turns funny, moving the and tragic. It is both a powerful satire on the corrupting power of wealth and a richly comic vision of the great city of Dickens' time.Originally produced for BBC broadcast by the world's most talented creators of radio entertainment, this audio presentation of Dicken's last completed novel is brought magically to life. Wtih a full cast and stirring music, "Our Mutual Friend" is an extraordinary dramatization listeners won't soon forget.
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kplovesbooks
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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#12BooksOf2021 #4thbookof2021 #april
My favorite for April, my favorite Charles Dickens thus far, and my 5th favorite of the year. 😁
⭐⭐⭐⭐
@Andrew65

Andrew65 A true classic! 3y
23 likes1 comment
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sisilia
Our Mutual Friend (Revised) | Charles Dickens
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Pickpick

4⭐️ My first Dickens in English! (I read Great Expectations in Indonesian decades ago) Dickens is brilliant with his characterization; my favorite part about this novel is its character development, formed by either ambition, jealousy, greed, etc. Theme-wise, it can be summarized as “Money is the root of all evil.” It was true then, it is still true now.

This makes me want to read another Dickens now... any recommendation?

Leftcoastzen I haven‘t read them all but love Bleak House 3y
sisilia @Leftcoastzen It‘s in my shopping cart now 😬 Lots of people told me that it‘s good 3y
zuzia A Tale of Two Cities is another good one. 3y
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sisilia @zuzia I‘m curious about how Dickens told the story of Paris 3y
mabell I really enjoyed Nicholas Nickleby. I think that one and Our Mutual Friend were my favorites. But it‘s also been years, so my memory for the stories isn‘t crystal 😆 3y
TheSpineView I liked A Tale of Two Cities. The story is so well told. 3y
Liz_M Bleak House (best bizarre death ever) and A Tale of Two Cities (fabulous villain) 3y
sisilia @TheSpineView @Liz_M Thank you 😘 I ordered The Bleak House, and will read A Tale of Two Cities next 3y
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sisilia
Our Mutual Friend (Revised) | Charles Dickens
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The best set-up for reading

DivineDiana Would love to see the book stand! Looks like a perfect setup! 🙂📚👏🏻 3y
57 likes1 comment
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sisilia
Our Mutual Friend (Revised) | Charles Dickens
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Slow progress 😓 It‘s hard to focus when there are a lot of things in my mind

BarbaraBB Good things I hope 💚 3y
Cathythoughts Yes , it is so hard to focus when the mind is busy ... hope you settle soon ❤️👍🏻 3y
65 likes4 comments
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sisilia
Our Mutual Friend (Revised) | Charles Dickens
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I‘m glad that my copy has illustrations in it 😍

Leftcoastzen Oh yes! Added value! 4y
47 likes1 comment
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sisilia
Our Mutual Friend (Revised) | Charles Dickens
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Starting this today, for next month‘s Chunkster Book Club meeting

TheSpineView I've not read so curious what you think. 4y
58 likes1 comment
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STORYBOOK-CAFE
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Brooke_H
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Bailedbailed

I‘m so bummed I couldn‘t get into this one. It‘s the only Dickens I‘ve ever read that I didn‘t like! So many characters...I found it to be rambling and confusing. ☹️ I stopped at p80.

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Emilymdxn
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Pickpick

I‘m finding I much prefer Dickens‘ later books to his earlier ones, I guess my tastes run darker than his earlier books! This was probably my favourite Dickens I‘ve read! I love the bleakness but also the constant idea that you can be reborn, people are always growing into new versions of themselves for better or worse. It was funny and sad and my heart was in my mouth at times. It was definitely worth spending thirty something hours on

MittenGirlPeach I loved The Outrun so much. Just a luminous book. 🧡 5y
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Centique
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Pickpick

Aaaaaand it‘s finished! 779 pages - I feel like that‘s worth celebrating!
This has more characters in it than any other Dickens I‘ve read - which kept it entertaining, but could be confusing if you were dipping in and out. It‘s also the most humorous of his books I‘ve read, very satirical about the upper classes and politicians. Dickens has a political point to make about the Poor Law here too, always aware of and illustrating those injustices ⬇️

Centique But as always his female characters are almost all bland and two dimensional. The ending he creates for Bella infuriated me. I was so hoping she‘d achieve her own agency since she had a bit of spirit to begin with. Still it was a good read with lots of memorable characters, one of his best I think. (edited) 5y
merelybookish Impressive! I haven't tackled Dickens in a long time! 5y
Centique @merelybookish thank you 😘 I studied 19th century literature at uni and then post uni didn‘t read any for a LONG time. Now Ive regained my interest and try to read a couple (19th c novels) a year. (edited) 5y
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mabell This one is my favorite Dickens! 5y
erzascarletbookgasm Well worth celebrating indeed! I haven‘t touched Dickens since I left school, except for A Christmas Carol! 5y
Centique @mabell I‘ll give it a few months to let it settle in my brain and then I might very well think the same! My favourite up to now was Bleak House. 5y
Ruthiella Bleak House is probably still my favorite but I agree with you that Our Mutual Friend is very funny- especially Mrs. Wilfer. I am also unhappy with the trick played on Bella but there are other strong female characters in the book-particularly Jenny Wren.😀 (edited) 5y
Centique @Ruthiella yes I looooooved Jenny Wren! 😍 5y
Rissreads So which was better? This or Bleak house? I‘m tossing up which of these to read next. I loved Great expectations x (edited) 7mo
Centique @Rissreads aaarrrgggh. Thats a hard question! Its been a long time since i read Bleak House. My recollection though is that i was more emotionally invested in Bleak House - more like Great Expectations in that way - whereas Mutual Friend has more fascinating side characters. 7mo
Rissreads That‘s interesting. Thanks x 7mo
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Centique
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Charles Dickens does a good rendition of “not all men” circa 1863. Love it!

(Dickens doesn‘t have a good record for writing realistic female characters but I love that he is completely on Jenny‘s side in this instance.)

Bradley “But I was not aware it was the way with all of us ... won‘t you say, some of us?”
Jenny “Meaning... everyone of you, but you. Hah!”

Aimeesue Seems to me like Dickens only gave power to women who were somehow outside society - old, disabled, incredibly poor without resources or some combination of those. His "civilised" women tend toward the passive and submissive. (edited) 5y
Centique @Aimeesue that‘s a very good insight! And yes, there are precious few of those special outsiders as well 😬 5y
65 likes2 comments
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Centique
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Dickens reaches Peak Snark in this novel. He‘s ripping into all manners of bourgeoisie behaviour in nineteenth century London. The chapters about the Veneerings are pretty damn funny! 😂 Here he has Lady Tippins who comes to weddings specifically to sum them up in her caustic manner.

Ruthiella Totally! He‘s ruthless toward those society fakes and hangers-on!😀 5y
Texreader This is hilarious!! 🤣 5y
batsy 😆😆 5y
Reggie Lol 5y
71 likes4 comments
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alysonimagines
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Pickpick

As the last novel Charles Dickens completed before his death, Our Mutual Friend displays the author at the height of his sharp wit and observation of human nature. No shortage of evocative descriptions, colorful dialogue, and magnetic characters here. So overall I give this a thumbs up, although it‘s not my favorite of his. Like most Dickens novels, the gist is: characters scheme and suffer, and a lucky few make it to a (relatively) happy ending.

alysonimagines This was my August classics pick for #litsyatxreaderssociety. 5y
11 likes1 comment
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alysonimagines
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Hoorah!! Finally I have finished this doorstop of a book! I think my next read will be something much shorter. 😅

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alysonimagines
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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This just might be ⭐️THE QUOTE⭐️ of the book for me. ❤️❤️❤️

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alysonimagines
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Woo-hoo! Made it to the 25% mark. 🙌 I am really enjoying the experience of reading this in manageable daily issues via the Serial Reader app. Tackling Dickens 15 minutes at a time! (And not completely unlike the way his original readers would have experienced the book in serial print issues.)

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alysonimagines
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Truth! I‘m so grateful I can read. ❤️📚

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jy0tiar0ra
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Pickpick

Out of all the Charles Dickens‘ novels that I‘ve read, Our Mutual Friend has the most satisfying end. Its beginning is a bit baffling due to the crowd of characters, but the tightly paced, intricate plot in the middle leads swiftly to a happy and very satisfying end. When the book finishes, there is no shade of lingering sorrow or loss. Everyone the reader wants to see happy, is made happy.
I loved it.

MrBook Wonderful to know, thank you! 6y
jy0tiar0ra @MrBook My pleasure :) 6y
Ms_T Lovely review! 6y
jy0tiar0ra @Ms_T thanks. 6y
75 likes4 comments
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wordslinger42
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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@Morr_Books Thank you so much for the book and your note 😄 I'm so excited to read it & I will send out a reply soon! #jb

wordslinger42 @Morr_Books I forgot to also mention thank you for the lovely bookmark! 😊 6y
Morr_Books Glad you received it!!! 💕 6y
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toofondofbooks
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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mabell
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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This one wasn't required. Our required reading was, in general, books from the 20th century. However, in one course we made our own selections to read and analyze. I enjoyed Our Mutual Friend so much I read it 2 or 3 times! I would like to reread it, but I am nervous it may not live up to my memories.

#requiredreadingredo

Erinsuereads Oh I hate that feeling!!! What made you choose this one for your analyzing? 6y
mabell @ErinSueG I have no idea 😂 I liked the classics, so it was probably just one I hadn't read yet. 6y
night_shift I feel that way about a lot of beloved books. It's scary 😥 6y
mabell @UnidragonFrag True, though now that I think about it, it sounds like I would be blaming the book. The book wouldn't have changed - I would have. I'm certainly not the same girl who read this so many years ago. Time for a reread! 😅 6y
night_shift That's very true! I'm still scared to ruin childhood memories lol 6y
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Bknrdadventures
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Over 1,000 for Litfluence! May not seem like a lot, but I‘m pretty proud!! 😊 I love the book suggestions I get from Litsy! Thanks for being a positive bookish community!

Slajaunie Congratulations!!!🎉🎈 6y
Kaylamburson 💜💜💜 6y
Dragon 👍😀🎉 6y
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SilversReviews Congrats!!🎉 6y
Jas16 🎉📚👏 6y
Redwritinghood 🎉🎉 6y
hes7 Yay! 🎉 6y
DivineDiana 👏🏻📚👏🏻 6y
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Moray_Reads
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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One of the key plot points of my favourite Dickens is the possibility of a secret #hoard of riches that may or may not be hidden in the dust heaps of the late miser John Harmon. #quotsymay18 @TK-421

Sarah83 Had to smile, when I read 'Holmes'. 😂 6y
Moray_Reads @Sarah83 it only means one thing to me too 😉 Did you know that the biggest police investigation database in the UK is called HOLMES2? 6y
Sarah83 Really? No I didn't know that. 😂😂 6y
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Moray_Reads @Sarah83 it stands for Home Office Large Major Enquiry System. I get the feeling they forced it a bit to make the acronym fit! 6y
Sarah83 It really seems like that. ❣️ So the consulting detective has his own database. 😂 Really nice. Sherlock would be overwhelmed by his ego. 😉 6y
Moray_Reads @Sarah83 he'd make scornful fun of it but be secretly pleased, I think 6y
Sarah83 The classic Holmes yes, but the newest BBC Holmes would write a SMS to everyone he knows. I am thinking about this scene in the TV adaption with the lady in pink. 😉 6y
Moray_Reads @Sarah83 that would be great, they should have put it in the series. Imagine poor Lestrade having to deal with that 6y
Sarah83 I think he couldn't deal with Holmes' arrogance because of that very long. 😂 6y
47 likes9 comments
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jdenslow
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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@MatchlessMarie is celebrating 1000 followers with a #1Kgiveaway! My (very specific) literary sin: when I was supposed to read Dickens's novel "Our Mutual Friend" for a grad class in Victorian Lit, I read only the chapters about characters I liked & justified it by reasoning that contemporaries of Dickens might have missed picking up certain chapters as they were released, so my experience was more authentic. #giveaway #LiesReadersTellThemselves

MatchlessMarie 😂😂😂 6y
11 likes1 comment
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KVanRead
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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#WordNerd Word of the Day. I love using the dictionary function in #SerialReader. Wouldn‘t “Sublunaris” make a great title for something? Or band name? 🤓 #vocabulary

LitLogophile Oh I love this new word 7y
KVanRead @LitLogophile Oh yay! Me too👏 7y
53 likes2 comments
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KVanRead
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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#friyayintro @jesshowbooks

1. It‘s my daughter‘s 17th bday! How‘s this possible?! Where‘d the time go?! 😲
2. 5‘7”
3. Left 🇨🇦 for Cali (the Bay Area) ~12 years ago, but just moved into San Francisco last October.
4. The tagged book plus Brideshead Revisted on audio. Trying to decide which paper book to bring down from Mount TBR next...
5. I don‘t take a lot of selfies but here‘s one my husband took on the ski lift over the holidays.

Bourriquet76 I almost posted a ski selfie too! 7y
KVanRead @Bourriquet76 Lol! I usually let my husband take them because he has very long arms 😂 7y
LeahBergen Ski selfie!! 👏🏻👏🏻 7y
Zelma Nice! My most recent photo is very similar. 👍 7y
KVanRead @LeahBergen @Zelma I‘m a little undercover, but you see I‘m in my happy place! 🤣⛷ 7y
58 likes5 comments
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toofondofbooks
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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My #thriftbooks #bookhaul. More beauties for my #modernlibraryclassics collection.

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KVanRead
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Judging from recent news it would seem that alas, this ‘Podsnappery‘ is still alive and well in America today. Although the language used to express the sentiment would certainly violate Podsnap‘s ‘young person‘s blush‘ standard. 🙊🤦🏻‍♀️ #LitsyClassics Letter O @Sarah83 @Moray_Reads

Moray_Reads Plenty of that here too, things haven't changed so much since Dickens' times! The Podsnaps, The Veneerings and the Lammles are just brilliant examples of human vice and venality 7y
KVanRead @Moray_Reads They really are. Shame some things never change but I am continually struck by how relevant Dickens still is. 7y
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KVanRead
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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😂😂😂 The whole passage that follows outlining the many ways humans are not like bees, or camels, had me in stitches. I sometimes think in our day Dickens would be great at stand up comedy 🎤

Moray_Reads Eugene's sarcastic indolence, I love it 😂 7y
KVanRead @Moray_Reads Ya, he really cracks me up😆 7y
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KVanRead
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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I‘m already becoming quite fond of “that ligneous sharper” Silas Wegg. #LitsyClassics

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KVanRead
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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The lovely Bella Wilfer adding her signature, “which was a bold one for a woman‘s” #LitsyClassics

Moray_Reads I love Bella 7y
KVanRead @Moray_Reads I really enjoyed your posts on this one. 7y
Moray_Reads @KVanRead I hope you enjoy it. It seems to get quite a mixed reception but I just love it 7y
KVanRead @Moray_Reads I‘m only about 10 percent in, and there‘s so much going on. I can see how some people would be bothered and with another writer I might be but Dickens does it so well that I‘m just really enjoying the ride! 7y
69 likes4 comments
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KVanRead
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Veneering, another Dickens surname that deserves the #Spankle 😌 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Definitely!! 7y
63 likes1 comment
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KVanRead
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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I‘ve been reading this on #SerialReader for #LitsyClassics because it‘s a little easier on the eyes and more portable but tonight I‘m dipping into my 1910 edition for the introduction and illustrations. I‘m loving this story so far, Dickens last completed novel. @Sarah83

JazzFeathers Oh my goodness! It's gorgeous!!! 😍 7y
KVanRead @JazzFeathers Thx! I really love the illustrations. 7y
batsy Wow! Now that's a copy to treasure ❤️ 7y
See All 13 Comments
LeahBergen So pretty 😍 7y
Moray_Reads Beautiful copy of my favourite Dickens 😍 7y
Sarah83 What a wonderful edition 😍 7y
Lcsmcat Beautiful edition! Thanks for sharing! 7y
Blaire There was a university that did a serial read a few years ago. If you google it they did a little discussion of each section which was fun go read and had the original advertisements that were published with it. 7y
Leftcoastzen Illustration adds so much to the experience.I need to read more Dickens. 7y
KVanRead @batsy @LeahBergen @Sarah83 @Lcsmcat Thanks! I picked up around 6 or 7 volumes of this collection that popped up on EBay last year at a really great price. Hope to complete it eventually. 7y
KVanRead @Moray_Reads I really like it so far! 7y
KVanRead @Blaire That sounds amazing ! I‘ll have to look for it. 7y
KVanRead @Leftcoastzen I really love the illustrations. I wish modern novels were still illustrated. 7y
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KVanRead
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Getting a jump on #LitsyClassics. This is off to a creepy good start. @Sarah83 #OurMutualFriend #DickensianDecember @jenniferw88

Sarah83 Looks good 🤗😍 7y
mabell I read it years ago, but I loved this one! 7y
52 likes2 comments
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CindyMyLifeIsLit
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Pickpick

I loved it! It‘s one of my favorite Dickens‘. It‘s chock-full of humor, memorable characters, and his trademark searing social commentary that reveals the foibles of the human psyche. I even got a new favorite word from the book: podsnappery! You have to read it to find out what it means! 😁. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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Moray_Reads
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Pickpick

Dickens' final completed novel is also one of his least known but it is my favourite. It had all of his trademarks, a living London, convoluted plot, outrageous coincidences, high drama, humour, social courage. It has his flaws too but I can happily ignore them because it's a wonderful tale

saresmoore I find his flaws to be relatively easy to ignore. Great storytelling and timeless substance really help with that. 7y
Moray_Reads @saresmoore most of them are just products of the time too, just Victorian England all over. It's a shame that so much of what he rails against is still true today 😬 7y
LeahBergen I haven‘t read a Dickens in several years. You‘ve inspired me to put one on my list for the new year. 👍🏻 7y
Libby1 This one is excellent. 7y
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TheBookCritic
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
Pickpick

Wow, surprisingly good; I would recommend it to anyone who likes Charles Dickens.

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Moray_Reads
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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He looked at the beautiful brown hair, shading the coquettish face; he looked at the free dash of the signature, which was a #bold one for a woman's; and then they looked at one another. 'Much obliged to you, Miss Wilfer.'
'Obliged?'
'I have given you so much trouble.'
'Signing my name? Yes, certainly. But I am your landlord's daughter, sir.'
My favourite Dickens novel and one of my favourite Dickens heroines, Bella the Bold! #quotsynov17

BarbaraBB Love the picture and the quote! 7y
KVanRead Just read this bit earlier today and highlighted it. Such a striking picture! 7y
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bookloo
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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More #bookmail. My first Dickens. ☺️ #blameitonTARTT

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Jeg
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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After read Christopher Fowlers book which talked about the Thames I was inspired to read this as a book. However I've never been able to actually read Charles Dickens with pleasure. So I was pleased to see it was a TV series. After a little wait its come in at the library. Looking forward to watching it. @MrsMalaprop

Jeg Could not watch this. I am not a Dickens fan!! 7y
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CindyMyLifeIsLit
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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" 'As to the amount of strain upon the intellect now. Was you thinking at all of poetry?' Mr. Wegg inquired, musing.
'Would it come dearer?' Mr. Boffin asked.
'It would come dearer,' Mr. Wegg returned. 'For when a person comes to grind off poetry night after night, it is but right he should expect to be paid for its weakening effect on his mind,'" (50).
My students would certainly agree with Mr. Wegg!

Blaire There was a project online that I followed that showed the original chapters of our mutual friend with the ads and everything - they did a readalong that was great. Through a British uni I think. 7y
13 likes1 comment
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CindyMyLifeIsLit
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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"So boyish was he in his curves and proportions, that his old schoolmaster meeting him in Cheapside, might have been unable to withstand the temptation of caning him on the spot," (31-2).

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CindyMyLifeIsLit
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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"He glanced at the backs of the books, with an awakened curiosity that went below the binding. No one who can read, ever looks at a book, even unopened on a shelf, like one who cannot," (18).

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CindyMyLifeIsLit
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Starting this tonight!

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Jas16
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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When I think of London, I think of Dickens. My bookmark is still holding my place from when I started this and put it aside a few years ago. Whoops. #londoncalling #rockinmay

Cinfhen That's the beautiful thing about a bookmark 🌻🌹🌷 7y
55 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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darby3
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Current status.

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GoneFishing
Our Mutual Friend (Revised) | Charles Dickens

And this is the eternal law. For, Evil often stops short at itself and dies with the doer of it! but Good, never.

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SShiney
Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens
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Used book sale! It has been awhile. I work hard to keep my book hoarding under control. Read 'em and move 'em along...