An interesting novel, part polemical, pointing out the abuses of the Chancery Court, part first person narrative of a young woman whose life is caught up in a famous suit before the court. Sections from the omniscient viewpoint alternate with first person.
Dickens is a master at painting the culture and times, from the lowest classes to the highest. His characters are excellent and memorable. The fog of the Chancery Court does not really detract from the enjoyment of the novel.
And there are a couple of mysteries hidden in the massive text. Who is Esther's mother and who committed the murder? Both serve to move the novel forward.
My only complaint with Dickens, and it is pretty obvious in this novel, is that his female characters are sometimes difficult to believe - their actions seem so unnatural. Perhaps it is a difference of the times, but the author seems to have less insight into the motivations of his female characters like Esther.
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