Rating: 
Summary: Dickens' Final Completed Novel
Review: I can not call this a superb masterpiece like "David Copperfield" (1850). Nor does it quite match (in my opinion) "The Pickwick Papers" (1837) or "Oliver Twist" (1838). Nevertheless, it is an appropriate conclusion to Dickens' writing. The images are outstanding. The humour is subtle, but very effective. Irony and surprise events are well placed. Characters such as Bradley Headstone are captivating. The scene where Eugene and Lizzie marry is a very moving and memorable scene. Bella is memorable as the girl who loves her parents, takes a stand for what she feels is right, and then realizes that she was only being tested. Riderhood is a dark but at the same time likeable. The Lammels offer a very realistic picture of human nature. Despite their dirty underhanded tricks, they are a real captivating couple. They can easily get you on their side even though we know they are villainous. I do not feel the Jewish character Riah is as memorable or captivating as Fagin from "Oliver Twist." But Lizzie is well drawn as a literary reincarnation of Amy Dorrit. The final scene with Headstone and Riderhood is frightening and dramatic. The happy ending is also well drawn. While I can't say this is Dickens' best or the closest runnerup, it is still an excellent piece of literature. It was also the last novel that Dickens managed to complete. And for that reason alone, it deserves a special place in the museum of literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Romantic and Dark
Review: I had never been a fan of Dickens until I read this extraordinary novel which combines one truly breathtaking romance with absolute horrific trickery woven in and around the couple. The secondary romances are less exciting, as they are meant to be, for they represent love in its lowest forms. Even the primary romance is based on an unthinkably cruel deceit, however, the couple recovers from it gracefully as though treachery is so commonplace in Dickens' world, that anyone who will survive must accept it and move on. A constant play with tones of darkness and light, this romantic tale is accessible even to those who don't usually adore this author.
Rating: 
Summary: An Unhelpful Introduction
Review: I hadn't read Dickens in quite a while. Ten years had passed since I closed the cover of Bleak House and put it back on my bookshelf. But then I happened upon a recent biography of Dickens written by Jane Smiley (of all people). Being a huge fan of both author and subject, I picked it up. I won't review Ms. Smiley's book here (it's excellent, read it), but I was surprised to hear her heap such praise and adoration on this book. I'd heard of it and I knew it was one of Dickens' last works. But that was about all I knew, having limited my exposure to his "better known" works. Did "Our Mutual Friend" belong in the hallowed ranks of Dickens' best? I figured, a Pulitzer Prize winning author must know what she's talking about, right?Well, she does. "Our Mutual Friend" is like a great meal at a fine restaurant. Chew slowly. Savor each bite. The beauty of this book is in its extraodinary and wonderful style of writing, delightful similes, vivid and uncanny character development (Dickens is the master, but he outdoes even himself in this work) and that odd sense you get when you close a masterpiece that you just had a once in a lifetime experience. The man can write! Make no mistake, this is a tougher read than the earlier, more "Dickens-y" novels. But the characters are more rich, complex and interesting than in any other of his work. If you don't feel a sincere sense of mourning for Mr. Boffin's decline into miserism, and joy for...(well, I won't spoil the plot for you), then I can't help you. The caustically satiric language may be a shock to those used to the milder styles of Copperfield and Pickwick, but it is brilliant and I believe it is his best work. The grim story line is far from the lilting plot of a Nickleby, but it is gripping. I don't think I could name my "favorite" Dickens book. "Bleak House" and "Great Expectations" are up there. But "Our Mutual Friend" would certainly be a prime candidate.
Rating:
Summary: Jane Smiley Had it Right
Review: I hadn't read Dickens in quite a while. Ten years had passed since I closed the cover of Bleak House and put it back on my bookshelf. But then I happened upon a recent biography of Dickens written by Jane Smiley (of all people). Being a huge fan of both author and subject, I picked it up. I won't review Ms. Smiley's book here (it's excellent, read it), but I was surprised to hear her heap such praise and adoration on this book. I'd heard of it and I knew it was one of Dickens' last works. But that was about all I knew, having limited my exposure to his "better known" works. Did "Our Mutual Friend" belong in the hallowed ranks of Dickens' best? I figured, a Pulitzer Prize winning author must know what she's talking about, right? Well, she does. "Our Mutual Friend" is like a great meal at a fine restaurant. Chew slowly. Savor each bite. The beauty of this book is in its extraodinary and wonderful style of writing, delightful similes, vivid and uncanny character development (Dickens is the master, but he outdoes even himself in this work) and that odd sense you get when you close a masterpiece that you just had a once in a lifetime experience. The man can write! Make no mistake, this is a tougher read than the earlier, more "Dickens-y" novels. But the characters are more rich, complex and interesting than in any other of his work. If you don't feel a sincere sense of mourning for Mr. Boffin's decline into miserism, and joy for...(well, I won't spoil the plot for you), then I can't help you. The caustically satiric language may be a shock to those used to the milder styles of Copperfield and Pickwick, but it is brilliant and I believe it is his best work. The grim story line is far from the lilting plot of a Nickleby, but it is gripping. I don't think I could name my "favorite" Dickens book. "Bleak House" and "Great Expectations" are up there. But "Our Mutual Friend" would certainly be a prime candidate.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Realistic of Dickens' works!
Review: I have always loved Dickens since I first entered the world of Pip in a 9th grade English class. I have read many of his works in the twenty years since, and I just finished this novel last week. Although "David Copperfield" remains my favorite, "Our Mutual Friend" amazed me with its intricate plot and how Dickens pulled off such jarring tonal shifts without alienating the reader. I disagree with other readers who still found Bella Wilfer one-dimensional and unsympathetic...I was very caught up in her transformation. I also think that Bradley Headstone is one of the scariest of Dickens' villains, even surpassing Mr. Murdstone. I wish that I had not seen last year's TV production before reading the novel. Although the production was quality, I would have liked to approach the work with a fresher perspective.
Rating:
Summary: AP English Student
Review: I loved this book! At first I was very afraid of this book at first, it is 900 pages. I started to read it though, and began to love it!! I became very attached to the characters in the book. I love Dicken's descriptions and the very intersting names of his characters. I love this book and would suggest it, if you are looking for a good read. This book isn't necessarially a quick read though, but it is worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Stick through the sub plots
Review: I read this about half a year ago, and my lasting impression is mainly the teo main plots and i loved those. I wasn't really reading it for the wit or sarcasm or anything, so I could have done without all the evening dinners where the people sit around the table and make comments on other people and Dickens makes his comments on them and tells us their stories. And we just want to read the main stories. Fair play to him though, for weaving all these subplots in fairly neatly, when anyone else would make them seem very obviously out of place. i still loved the book anyway, and I'd love to see the BBC series
Rating:
Summary: Worth every effort to read.
Review: I think that it may be hard for the modern reader to find the time to read _Our Mutual Friend_. It's length makes it undeniably difficult to fit easily into the daily allotment of reading time. Weighing in at over 900 pages, it was originally published as a twenty-part monthly serial. There are also a number of situations and details that while very familiar to the Victorians, will be almost wholly incomprehensible to the reader of today (for instance the role of dust and dustmen and the mounds in the yard of the old house). It's also clearly not Dickens' sunniest work. At the time of its release already, people spoke nostalgically about the more gentle nature of _David Copperfield_ or _Oliver Twist_ . While the farce that constitutes such an important element in Dickens' works is present, it's tainted with a note of bitterness that conveys a feeling of pervasive sadness throughout this great novel. Dickens was working on this book when he was caught in the Staplehurst rail disaster and narrowly escaped death when his car was the only one of the first-class cars not to plunge from a bridge into a river bed. He was one of the people who climbed down the side to do what he could for the dead and dying. Dickens himself mentions the accident in his afterword, and at the risk of reading too much into the incident, it's hard not to read this book from the perspective of an aging man who narrowly avoids death himself. The nature of death, and the idea of escaping it by a hand's length, is one of the themes that comes back over and over again in _Our Mutual Friend_ The plot hinges around a disputed inheritance and mistaken identity, with a meditation about love as societal coin. The characterizations and situations in this novel are among his best-- particularly worth mentioning are Rogue Riderhood and his resurrection, the insane love of Bradley Headstone, the crippled doll-maker Jenny Wren, and the loyal Mr. Sloppy. I'm not sure that I can call this my favorite Dickens, _Little Dorrit_ still has a strong claim on that position, but it's certainly one of the strongest reading experiences that I've had in a while.
Rating:
Summary: Dickens' Novel Shows Humor of Human Nature.
Review: I was first drawn to this book when I watched the mini-series on PBS and thought it facinating. So many reviews said it was "dark and dreary", but I found it to show the humor in so many outragous situations. The book presented a good handful of characters who were extremely selfish and greedy, yet through Dickens' amazing skills they became good once more. He shows that people are not one sided, nor can they ever be. They have a well of emotions and usually don't know why they do what they do. Yes, the book may have a dark and complicated twist to it, but everyday life is not a walk through the park. It is full of tough decisions that we must face head on. Dickens' showed this brilliantly.
Rating:
Summary: Murder, Blackmail, Theft, and a cup of English Tea.
Review: In the works of Charles Dickens, a reader can find many valuable life lessons threaded into the myraid plots, subplots, and character diversions. In Our Mutual Friend, those life lessons are no less abundant than in other works that I have read. Perhaps the darkest Dickens novel, in terms of plot-driving devices; murders, theft, blackmail, beatings and the lot, the reader is left to derive the lesson each is there to offer. The story, lacking in a real hero or heroine as a focal point, is a far bleaker portrait of English society than in his past works. However, woven into these dim themes, Dickens has interjected his typical wit and joviality to lighten even the blackest of plot twists. Of course the usual roster of colorful, lively Dickens characters grace the pages of this book, although the novel is seemingly bereft of a hero and heroine, at least in the traditional sense. However; the denizens of Dickens' world in this novel will entertain and enchant every bit as much as in his other works. Dickens imparts many words of wisdom in the pages of this book, his last completed novel: Money cannot buy happiness; be careful what you wish for; keep your friends close and your enemies closer; and many other time-honored cliches that stand true today. For a good time, call Charles Dickens. His novels never fail to deliver.
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