Bleak House FROM THE PUBLISHER
At the centre of the plot of Bleak House is a mystery surrounding the beautiful and haughty Lady Dedlock. The discovery of her guilty secret by the cunning old lawyer Tulkinghorn sets in motion a series of tragic events, investigated by the detective Bucket. But Bleak House is also a novel about the injustices of the out-of-date English legal system, which bring misery and ruin to the characters involved in settling the distribution of the Jarndyce estate. The other great theme of the novel is that of hypocritical philanthropist--portrayed here in the character of Mrs. Jellyby--who bestow charity on distant lands at the expense of family and neighbours.
FROM THE CRITICS
AudioFile
This full-cast dramatization is stunningly good at reproducing the ambience of nineteenth-century London and the emotional texture of Charles Dickens's novel. The musical score enhances the claustrophobic tension of the story. The sound effects are both impressively layered and well chosen to create emotional impact, simulate the passage of time, and, most challenging, give the sense of changing relationships. However, the novel's twisting plot and numerous characters make the production hard to follow at times, so much so that despite its superior quality, this production is recommended primarily to those who already know the novel well. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
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