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Bleak House (version 4)

Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870)

Bleak house is one of Dickens finest achievements. It was written for serialisation in 1853 when Dickens was at the peak of his career. Monthly sales substantially exceeded his previous bestseller David Copperfield.

Dickens' mastery of the English language comes to the fore in this book. It is an energetic book: a complex mystery story revolving around the heroine Esther Summerson and her path from childhood to marriage. During the course of Esther’s narration Dickens introduces some wonderful and unforgettable characters, and at the same time provides a searing indictment of the laws’ corruption and self-serving interests which prevailed during that time. He pokes fun at the languid and landed aristocracy and questions the societal indifference to the poor. Detection, black comedy, farce, and tragic ruin run through the story. Critics at the time were unenthusiastic but the public were enthralled by it! - Summary by Peter John Keeble

Genre(s): Literary Fiction

Language: English

Section	Chapter	Reader	Time
Play 00	Preface	Peter John Keeble	00:05:47
Play 01	In Chancery	Peter John Keeble	00:16:55
Play 02	In Fashion	Peter John Keeble	00:18:09
Play 03	A Progress	Peter John Keeble	00:44:33
Play 04	Telescopic Philanthropy	Peter John Keeble	00:28:00
Play 05	A Morning Adventure	Peter John Keeble	00:32:19
Play 06	Quite at Home	Peter John Keeble	00:49:56
Play 07	The Ghost's Walk	Peter John Keeble	00:24:59
Play 08	Covering a Multitude of Sins	Peter John Keeble	00:46:48
Play 09	Signs and Tokens	Peter John Keeble	00:34:25
Play 10	The Law-Writer	Peter John Keeble	00:26:22
Play 11	Our Dear Brother	Peter John Keeble	00:34:14
Play 12	On the Watch	Peter John Keeble	00:34:15
Play 13	Esther's Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:34:29
Play 14	Deportment	Peter John Keeble	00:47:51
Play 15	Bell Yard	Peter John Keeble	00:33:47
Play 16	Tom-all-Alone's	Peter John Keeble	00:21:10
Play 17	Esthers Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:32:02
Play 18	Lady Dedlock	Peter John Keeble	00:39:06
Play 19	Moving On	Peter John Keeble	00:32:16
Play 20	A New Lodger	Peter John Keeble	00:33:31
Play 21	The Smallweed Family	Peter John Keeble	00:40:19
Play 22	Mr Bucket	Peter John Keeble	00:30:06
Play 23	Esther's Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:42:10
Play 24	An Appeal Case	Peter John Keeble	00:40:34
Play 25	Mrs Snagsby Sees It All	Peter John Keeble	00:21:46
Play 26	Sharpshooters	Peter John Keeble	00:29:40
Play 27	More Old Soldiers Than One	Peter John Keeble	00:29:26
Play 28	The Ironmaster	Peter John Keeble	00:27:36
Play 29	The Young Man	Peter John Keeble	00:22:36
Play 30	Esther's Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:37:16
Play 31	Nurse and Patient	Peter John Keeble	00:35:28
Play 32	The Appointed Time	Peter John Keeble	00:31:12
Play 33	Interlopers	Peter John Keeble	00:34:55
Play 34	A Turn of the Screw	Peter John Keeble	00:35:48
Play 35	Esther's Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:35:12
Play 36	Chesney Wold	Peter John Keeble	00:37:48
Play 37	Jarndyce and Jarndyce	Peter John Keeble	00:43:14
Play 38	A Struggle	Peter John Keeble	00:23:56
Play 39	Attorney and Client	Peter John Keeble	00:39:58
Play 40	National and Domestic	Peter John Keeble	00:28:59
Play 41	In Mr. Tulkinghorn's Room	Peter John Keeble	00:20:47
Play 42	In Mr. Tulkinghorn's Chambers	Peter John Keeble	00:17:26
Play 43	Esther's Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:36:16
Play 44	The Letter and the Answer	Peter John Keeble	00:15:41
Play 45	In Trust	Peter John Keeble	00:30:03
Play 46	Stop Him!	Peter John Keeble	00:19:31
Play 47	Jo's Will	Peter John Keeble	00:32:23
Play 48	Closing In	Peter John Keeble	00:38:00
Play 49	Dutiful Friendship	Peter John Keeble	00:31:55
Play 50	Esther's Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:22:44
Play 51	Enlightened	Peter John Keeble	00:25:57
Play 52	Obstinacy	Peter John Keeble	00:24:16
Play 53	The Track	Peter John Keeble	00:27:03
Play 54	Springing a Mine	Peter John Keeble	00:48:28
Play 55	Flight	Peter John Keeble	00:36:41
Play 56	Pursuit	Peter John Keeble	00:19:35
Play 57	Esther's Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:40:31
Play 58	A Wintry Day and Night	Peter John Keeble	00:33:46
Play 59	Esther's Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:29:56
Play 60	Perspective	Peter John Keeble	00:29:21
Play 61	A Discovery	Peter John Keeble	00:24:35
Play 62	Another Discovery	Peter John Keeble	00:20:17
Play 63	Steel and Iron	Peter John Keeble	00:17:47
Play 64	Esther's Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:25:29
Play 65	Beginning the World LXVI.	Peter John Keeble	00:16:08
Play 66	Down in Lincolnshire LXVII.	Peter John Keeble	00:11:13
Play 67	The Close of Esther's Narrative	Peter John Keeble	00:09:53

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Bleak House (version 4)