Rating: 
Summary: A must-read, but a tough read.
Review: Ananchronistic terminology, a foreign society & culture, and intervening years conspire to ensure that Bleak House requires a determined reader. That reader will be rewarded, however, with a novel of tremendous depth and fascinating events, not to mention Dickens' insightful treatment of the people and society of his day.
Rating:
Summary: one of dickens' best
Review: biting satire, moving melodrama, a suspenseful mystery, and above all, dickens' wonderful imgagery: this is one of dickens' finest books. only weakness is in the mystery theme. tulkinghorn's stalking of lady dedlock is meant to personalize the chancery theme, yet it's never clear why he does it - ie, how he benefits by destroying the marriage of his client, leicester dedlock. the motivation of the barrister's killer is also somewhat forced. otherwise, a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Read. Enjoy. Think.
Review: Bleak House delves into morals and mores of a society that is, in many ways, unimaginably different from our own. Or is it? We still have throw-away children (like Jo). We still have illegitimacy; in fact, we've nearly perfected it. We still have people who can't cope with reality (Richard and his inheritance, Skimpole's perpetual childishness). In Bleak House you'll find much to ponder and some good laughs.
Rating:
Summary: Dickens gets Stuck into Lawyers
Review: Bleak House is Dickens's excoriation of the legal system and his contempt for lawyers and the law's delay permeates every page like the fog that seeps into every cranny of England in the book's brilliant opening. Dickens's narrative alternates between third-person present tense and first-person past tense, the former infused with a deep irony, the latter being the earnest narrative of Esther Summerson, the book's heroine. Esther has been criticized by many commentators as one of the worst examples of Dickens' pallid goody-goody heroines and while she maintains a demeanor of almost total ingenuousness she is not completely unworldly or colourless, unlike her "darling", the insipid Ada who, like Oliver Twist and Dora in Copperfied barely exists as a character. The plot revolves around a disputed will that has become legendary in the law courts for its protraction. In his introduction to Bleak House Dickens pointed out that the fictional case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce is not a gross exaggeration: "At the present moment (August, 1853) there is a suit before the court which was commenced nearly twenty years ago, in which from thirty to forty counsel have been known to appear at one time, in which costs have been incurred to the amount of seventy thousand pounds, which is A FRIENDLY SUIT, and which is (I am assured) no nearer to its termination now than when it was begun. There is another well-known suit in Chancery, not yet decided, which was commenced before the close of the last century and in which more than double the amount of seventy thousand pounds has been swallowed up in costs." The fate of a number of the book's protagonists hinges on some resolution to the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case and of course, the results are both tragic and comical. There are few outright villains in Bleak House - there is no-one as hideous as Bill Sikes or Murdstone - but there is a paralegal named Vholes who is Uriah Heep-like in his unctuousness and a panoply of benign scoundrels like the freeloaders Mr. Skimpole and Mr. Turveydrop. Dickens's ability to make the reader convulse with laughter is fully displayed in characters such as Reverend Chadband, with his incessant impromptu sermons laced with rhetorical questions: "My friends - peace be on this house! On the master thereof, on the mistress thereof, on the young maidens, and on the young men! My friends, why do I wish for peace? What is peace? Is it war? No. Is it strife? No. Is it lovely, and gentle, and beautiful, and pleasant, and serene, and joyful? Oh, yes! Therefore, my friends, I wish for peace, upon you and upon yours." and Mrs. Badger, the voluble lady whose husband insists on telling everyone that she was previously married to Captain Swosser and then Professor Dingo ("of European reputation"), makes a brief but memorable appearance: "You must excuse me if I occasionally introduce a nautical expression; I was quite a sailor once. Captain Swosser loved that craft for my sake. When she was no longer in commission, he frequently said that if he were rich enough to buy her old hulk, he would have an inscription let into the timbers of the quarterdeck where we stood as partners in the dance to mark the spot where he fell - raked fore and aft (Captain Swosser used to say) by the fire from my tops. It was his naval way of mentioning my eyes." Dickens loathes the law and reserves his greatest scorn for its practitioners but he also pokes fun at philanthropists, the upper classes (Sir Leicester Dedlock is an oblivious fool) and anyone with aspirations to be upper class. While his characters are often stereotypes (especially the comic characters because stereotypes are often funny - when Mrs. Jellyby appears we know she is going to prattle on about the natives of Boriobla-gha and ignore her family's more pressing needs; we know that Rev. Chadband is going to sermonise at the drop of a hat; we know that Mr. Skimpole will wax lyrical about his total disdain for pecuniary matters - we'd be disappointed if they didn't) the main characters have enough depth to satisfy the needs of great literature, which Bleak House surely is. Dickens's prodigious energy is on full display here - his stunning ability to describe people and places and to put his own spin onto everything he observes. Bleak House has it all - the tragedy of Lady Dedlock and Jo; the farce of Snagsby, Smallweed, Skimpole, Badger, Jellyby, Guster, Krook and Guppy; a happy ending for most and the killing off of a minor character through the unusual device of spontaneous combustion! There is even a murder and a detective story in here, with Inspector Bucket acting as a putative Sherlock Holmes (this, years before Wilkie Collins's "The Moonstone"). The book's title most likely puts the potential reader off because it sounds like the worst Victorian tome, and the fog and the labyrinthine suits at Chancery are certainly grim and bleak. And the novel is, like most of Dickens's works, very long, partly because of the author's energetic verbosity and partly because it was written, like all his novels, in installments for a magazine. Dickens probably sketched out the plot beforehand but added twists and turns as the work was in progress - a testament to his creative and energetic genius and an antidote to our age's demands for quick, digestive literature.
Rating:
Summary: A Misnomer.....
Review: Bleak House, Charles Dickens' scathing look at the Victorian Legal system, is a wonderful portrait of people, ideas, and the power of fame and fortune to seduce even the most innocent. A house was never less bleak than the one that Dickens has portrayed in this book.The central thread of the novel, the suit being handled by Jarndyce and Jarndyce...involves a large inheritance. But the proceeds of such have been tangled up in legal jargon and shuffled papers for years, to the point where no one really knows what the basis of the suit is any longer. But year after year, lawyer after lawyer, the case progresses. Enter Esther Summerson, a young girl, orphaned at an early age, and raised in the care of an eccentric woman, who upon her death, leaves Esther in the charge of one of the aforementioned Jarndyce men, to ensure her well-being. She meets a myriad of other characters, some rich, some poor, all who influence her life in one way or another. There are far too many to name without slighting any others, but suffice to say that Dickens had an amazing ability to characterize anyone, from the simple street sweeper to the height of London's elite social scene...and does so with a deep, probing eye, and a proclivity for realism. Each character comes with unique traits and characteristics, and a wonderful story to tell. Although Dickens is often criticized for his loquacious writing style...the strength of his ability to bring characters to life is argument enough for the length of most of his works. Dickens ability to satirize almost any element of Victorian society is a must-read for anyone with an interest in history, and I am continually fascinated by aspects of many of these settings that still hold true in the present day world. The effect that the promise of wealth has upon people, the attraction of fame for those who do not possess it, and the truth that lies in the notion that money cannot always buy happiness. While Esther's life, and the lawsuit, are the main focal points of the novel, the rest of the various plots and subplots will engage and entertain. Dickens was truly a master novelist, and proof that classic literature endures for a reason.
Rating:
Summary: Many bleak houses and a few cheerful firesides.
Review: Generally regarded as one of Dickens' best novels, "Bleak House" comprises many special features.
Firstly there are several social evils of Dickens' time, evils which he either helped to expose or whose exposure by others he thought it prudent to incorporate. The aim of lawyers to make business for themselves he dramatized in the case Jarndyce v Jarndyce. The misguided missionary zeal of self-appointed philanthropists who set their vision on far away places, peoples, and cultures while ignoring the needs of the family and the situation at home is personified especially in Mrs Jellyby and Mr Chadband.
Secondly, there is the narrative format: the narrative is shared between one of the principal characters, Esther Summerson, writing in the past tense, and an anonymous narrator who writes in the present tense. The latter narrative contains some of the best imagery and most powerful prose to be found in Dickens' works. The novel's famous opening, depicting a London fog, is an example of this.
Thirdly, there is the presence of a detective, Mr Detective Bucket. Detective fiction, so large a section in book shops nowadays, was unknown in Dickens' time. He foreshadowed most of its elements in "Bleak House", although his incurable reliance on coincidence and rudimentary grasp of psychology militates against the creation of genuine suspense.
Finally, I identify the novel's structure as one of its special features. "It is the best constructed of all his books," wrote G K Chesterton.
On every page there is the stamp of genius, I believe, but I also believe that the novel has many flaws. Once the main plot lines are established, the pace slows down excessively, part way through, and a parade of tiresome characters like Harold Skimpole are allowed to occupy whole chapters at a time. There are mawkish deathbed scenes. Character drawing is not always successful. The best-drawn are the eccentrics or those who have some physical attribute or mannerism that Dickens can exaggerate.
"Bleak House" is the Dickens novel I have re-read most often. At all ages I have found it absorbing. In recent times it has received great advocacy by the issue of a complete reading of it - all 39 hours - by Hugh Dickson. The possessor of a pleasant natural voice, suggesting a tenor if he were to sing, Hugh Dickson contrives to adopt and project the voices of the more than 60 characters that people this novel. A masterly achievement.
Rating: 
Summary: It's Dickens, therefore it must be ...
Review: good? Dickens may be a venerated classical writer, but unless one is fascinated by books of this period, or by Dickens' writings, there is little to be satisfied in reading this book. I'm sorry, but Dickens' "Bleak House" is like a poorly done soap opera - it goes on and on, in interminable detail and description, and one comes to believe it will never end! There are whole chpaters where nothing happens yet, if you skip ahead, you may miss one important detail. It is, quite frankly, boring! The reader practically falls asleep reading and often even misses the interesting segments because their minds have been numbed by previous pages of undirected rambling. For this book to appeal to the average reader, it needs to be revised or abridged, so that the reader does not get bogged down in so much trivial detail. Yes, I know,this is Dickens,the great Dickens, but a reader cannot love a book based on the author's name. Yes, Dickens is important in an historical sense and the details are important to 1)understanding the society of the time, 2)seeing the metaphors created by well described scenes, 3)illuminating the pretensions that are satarized, etc. and there are parts that do have an important meaning for the book - the long description in the opening chapter of the London fog (as representative of the "fog" in the legal system of the day, is valuable and well-written and even keeps the reader interested), but others are superfluous and tedious - detailed descriptions of the horses in the stables on a rainy day at Chesney Wold. If one thinks to read this book to better understand the historical times, one would be more informed and entertained with a history text. You have to be patient if you want to read this book, and you have to have a large block of time set aside to read it. I do not wish to disparage Dickens, but I cannot agree that it is a fascinating book for the average reader (and I do not refer to the "average" reader as a primitive, thrill seeker looking only for sex and violence, I refer to readers as intelligent persons who enjoy reading and appreciate good literature). "Bleak House" has great litrary value but as an enjoyable read, it just does not make the grade.
Rating:
Summary: It's Dickens, therefore it must be ...
Review: good? Dickens may be a venerated classical writer, but unless one is fascinated by books of this period, or by Dickens' writings, there is little to be satisfied in reading this book. I'm sorry, but Dickens' "Bleak House" is like a poorly done soap opera - it goes on and on, in interminable detail and description, and one comes to believe it will never end! There are whole chpaters where nothing happens yet, if you skip ahead, you may miss one important detail. It is, quite frankly, boring! The reader practically falls asleep reading and often even misses the interesting segments because their minds have been numbed by previous pages of undirected rambling. For this book to appeal to the average reader, it needs to be revised or abridged, so that the reader does not get bogged down in so much trivial detail. Yes, I know,this is Dickens,the great Dickens, but a reader cannot love a book based on the author's name. Yes, Dickens is important in an historical sense and the details are important to 1)understanding the society of the time, 2)seeing the metaphors created by well described scenes, 3)illuminating the pretensions that are satarized, etc. and there are parts that do have an important meaning for the book - the long description in the opening chapter of the London fog (as representative of the "fog" in the legal system of the day, is valuable and well-written and even keeps the reader interested), but others are superfluous and tedious - detailed descriptions of the horses in the stables on a rainy day at Chesney Wold. If one thinks to read this book to better understand the historical times, one would be more informed and entertained with a history text. You have to be patient if you want to read this book, and you have to have a large block of time set aside to read it. I do not wish to disparage Dickens, but I cannot agree that it is a fascinating book for the average reader (and I do not refer to the "average" reader as a primitive, thrill seeker looking only for sex and violence, I refer to readers as intelligent persons who enjoy reading and appreciate good literature). "Bleak House" has great litrary value but as an enjoyable read, it just does not make the grade.
Rating: 
Summary: Be warned, you have to pay attention
Review: I loved this book, for the following reasons. First, in Dicken's usual fashion, he makes his characters memorable. There is no character that Dickens does not take the time to make an intricate work of art. The criticism that these characters are "stock" seems ridiculous to me, since very few authors could create "stock" characters as memorable and lively as what Dickens does.
Secondly, this book has an amazingly intricate plot that Dickens somehow manages to keep under control. In some of Dickens' novels he loses control of the narrative and has to introduce last-minute characters and wildly hilarious coincidences in order to resolve the plot. Not the case here. Dickens does not have to resort to any desperate last-minute tricks to tie his plot strands together. However, there is so many plot strands to track, that if you read this book lazily, you will surely be lost already in the first 200 pages. So pay attention!
Thirdly, Dickens' satire of the court of Chancery and human foibles in general remains timeless, as it is in most of his novels I have read. Even though this novel is firmly set in the 19th century, I found myself recognizing today's situations in it. Not so much has changed, after all.
So why only four stars? Ultimately, I think Dickens could have served his purpose better with a less complex novel. Some of the stories which are told serve only as filler, and are a little tiring to work through. Also, sometimes Dickens' characters' behaviour is a little unbelievable, thinking especially of some characters' insane affection for one another.
However, I highly recommend this book. Dickens' style takes some getting used to, but it's well worth the effort.
Rating:
Summary: one of dickens' best
Review: I must confess that "David Copperfield" is still my favorite Dickens novel. However, I must also add that "Bleak House" comes close. Here we see Dickens the moralist at the height of his powers. Although the courts and the law as it then exist are his targets, he also takes on professional reformers and the tradition bound aristocracy (whose day was drawing to a close when "Bleak House" was composed). Society is what Dickens is showing us, with all its failings. This is supposedly one of the "dark" novels, but I do not agree with that characterization. While there is pathos (during the death of one particular character), this appears to be justified. Of all the novels that Dickens has written, this has the most unusual structure. He jumps back between third person narrative and first person (that person being Esther Summerson). As usual it is not Dickens main characters that are the most memorable, but Dickens great comic creations. Here I must confess to a certain anticipation whenever Mrs. Jelleby, always mindful of Africa, came on the scene. If you like Dickens, I would suggest reading this after "David Copperfield" and "Great Expectations."
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