Our Mutual Friend

Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870)

Dickens' last complete novel was published serially 1864-5. It begins with an intriguing fortune offered to John Harmon by his late father, a rich dust contractor, in his will.

To receive the money, John must marry a certain Bella Wilfer who he does not know from Eve. He is returning from the exile enforced by his father and confides in a ship's mate who attempts to murder him. The mate gets killed instead, leaving one inconvenient corpse. Because John is considered dead (the body is found with his papers), the money passes to Mr Boffin, old Harmon's foreman. Harmon adopts Bella and John comes into his employ disguised as John Rokesmith. Bella does not fall for John but through kindly Boffin's contrivances learns to hate money and fall for her suitor under his false name. Eventually she learns of his true identity as the Boffins had previously, and the villainous one-legged Silas Wegg's plot to blackmail Mr Boffin is brought to light.

There is also a story running behind the main plot about a certain Eugene Wrayburn and his love for Lizzie Hexam, and his rival's attempt to murder him. The two plots are only really connected through the waterside murders but it allows Dickens to indulge in an extremely socially diverse cast of characters. (Summary written by Alan Chant).

Genre(s): General Fiction

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 bk1_01 - Book the First - Chapter 01 ON THE LOOK OUT Ophelia Darcy
00:10:29
Play 02 bk1_02 - Book the First - Chapter 02 THE MAN FROM SOMEWHERE Kirsten Ferreri
00:28:04
Play 03 bk1_03 - Book the First - Chapter 03 ANOTHER MAN junk science
00:30:06
Play 04 bk1_04 - Book the First - Chapter 04 THE R. WILFER FAMILY Ophelia Darcy
00:27:13
Play 05 bk1_05 - Book the First - Chapter 05 BOFFIN'S BOWER audiotoshokan
00:45:22
Play 06 bk1_06 - Book the First - Chapter 06 CUT ADRIFT Andy Minter (1934-2017)
00:39:13
Play 07 bk1_07 - Book the First - Chapter 07 MR WEGG LOOKS AFTER HIMSELF David Barnes
00:28:14
Play 08 bk1_08 - Book the First - Chapter 08 MR BOFFIN IN CONSULTATION Alan Chant
00:39:11
Play 09 bk1_09 - Book the First - Chapter 09 MR AND MRS BOFFIN IN CONSULTATION Alan Chant
00:43:42
Play 10 bk1_10 - Book the First - Chapter 10 A MARRIAGE CONTRACT galaxiant
00:32:55
Play 11 bk1_11 - Book the First - Chapter 11 PODSNAPPERY Ophelia Darcy
00:40:21
Play 12 bk1_12 - Book the First - Chapter 12 THE SWEAT OF AN HONEST MAN'S BROW Andy Minter (1934-2017)
00:39:35
Play 13 bk1_13 - Book the First - Chapter 13 TRACKING THE BIRD OF PREY junk science
00:22:09
Play 14 bk1_14 - Book the First - Chapter 14 THE BIRD OF PREY BROUGHT DOWN mikenkat
00:18:56
Play 15 bk1_15 - Book the First - Chapter 15 TWO NEW SERVANTS mikenkat
00:34:44
Play 16 bk1_16 - Book the First - Chapter 16 MINDERS AND RE-MINDERS JemmaBlythe
00:39:34
Play 17 bk1_17 - Book the First - Chapter 17 A DISMAL SWAMP Andy Minter (1934-2017)
00:12:53
Play 18 bk2_01 - Book the Second - Chapter 01 OF AN EDUCATIONAL CHARACTER Ophelia Darcy
00:42:04
Play 19 bk2_02 - Book the Second - Chapter 02 STILL EDUCATIONAL Kirsten Ferreri
00:25:27
Play 20 bk2_03 - Book the Second - Chapter 03 A PIECE OF WORK roolynninms
00:22:06
Play 21 bk2_04 - Book the Second - Chapter 04 CUPID PROMPTED roolynninms
00:24:40
Play 22 bk2_05 - Book the Second - Chapter 05 MERCURY PROMPTING Kirk Thomas
00:38:30
Play 23 bk2_06 - Book the Second - Chapter 06 A RIDDLE WITHOUT AN ANSWER Alan Chant
00:40:38
Play 24 bk2_07 - Book the Second - Chapter 07 IN WHICH A FRIENDLY MOVE IS ORIGINATED Rick Box
00:23:32
Play 25 bk2_08 - Book the Second - Chapter 08 IN WHICH AN INNOCENT ELOPEMENT OCCURS JemmaBlythe
00:40:27
Play 26 bk2_09 - Book the Second - Chapter 09 IN WHICH THE ORPHAN MAKES HIS WILL Kirk Thomas
00:21:11
Play 27 bk2_10 - Book the Second - Chapter 10 A SUCCESSOR Brooks Jensen
00:18:01
Play 28 bk2_11 - Book the Second - Chapter 11 SOME AFFAIRS OF THE HEART Ophelia Darcy
00:28:39
Play 29 bk2_12 - Book the Second - Chapter 12 MORE BIRDS OF PREY Rick Box
00:32:29
Play 30 bk2_13 - Book the Second - Chapter 13 A SOLO AND A DUETT Alan Chant
00:41:54
Play 31 bk2_14 - Book the Second - Chapter 14 STRONG OF PURPOSE Brooks Jensen
00:34:30
Play 32 bk2_15 - Book the Second - Chapter 15 THE WHOLE CASE SO FAR Ophelia Darcy
00:36:56
Play 33 bk2_16 - Book the Second - Chapter 16 AN ANNIVERSARY OCCASION Ophelia Darcy
00:27:22
Play 34 bk3_01 - Book the Third - Chapter 01 LODGERS IN QUEER STREET Brooks Jensen
00:33:09
Play 35 bk3_02 - Book the Third - Chapter 02 A RESPECTED FRIEND IN A NEW ASPECT Kirsten Ferreri
00:22:55
Play 36 bk3_03 - Book the Third - Chapter 03 THE SAME RESPECTED FRIEND IN MORE ASPECTS THAN ONE Alan Chant
00:17:54
Play 37 bk3_04 - Book the Third - Chapter 04 A HAPPY RETURN OF THE DAY JemmaBlythe
00:30:03
Play 38 bk3_05 - Book the Third - Chapter 05 THE GOLDEN DUSTMAN FALLS INTO BAD COMPANY E. Moulton
00:30:39
Play 39 bk3_06 - Book the Third - Chapter 06 THE GOLDEN DUSTMAN FALLS INTO WORSE COMPANY Missie
00:33:17
Play 40 bk3_07 - Book the Third - Chapter 07 THE FRIENDLY MOVE TAKES UP A STRONG POSITION JemmaBlythe
00:29:26
Play 41 bk3_08 - Book the Third - Chapter 08 THE END OF A LONG JOURNEY E. Moulton
00:23:13
Play 42 bk3_09 - Book the Third - Chapter 09 SOMEBODY BECOMES THE SUBJECT OF A PREDICTION Alan Chant
00:49:19
Play 43 bk3_10 - Book the Third - Chapter 10 SCOUTS OUT JemmaBlythe
00:32:03
Play 44 bk3_11 - Book the Third - Chapter 11 IN THE DARK JemmaBlythe
00:25:22
Play 45 bk3_12 - Book the Third - Chapter 12 MEANING MISCHIEF Alan Chant
00:27:10
Play 46 bk3_13 - Book the Third - Chapter 13 GIVE A DOG A BAD NAME, AND HANG HIM Alan Chant
00:28:52
Play 47 bk3_14 - Book the Third - Chapter 14 MR WEGG PREPARES A GRINDSTONE FOR MR BOFFIN'S NOSE Alan Chant
00:39:56
Play 48 bk3_15 - Book the Third - Chapter 15 THE GOLDEN DUSTMAN AT HIS WORST Alan Chant
00:44:33
Play 49 bk3_16 - Book the Third - Chapter 16 THE FEAST OF THE THREE HOBGOBLINS Alan Chant
00:47:04
Play 50 bk3_17 - Book the Third - Chapter 17 A SOCIAL CHORUS JemmaBlythe
00:27:39
Play 51 bk4_01 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 01 SETTING TRAPS Alan Chant
00:35:09
Play 52 bk4_02 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 02 THE GOLDEN DUSTMAN RISES A LITTLE Kirsten Ferreri
00:22:13
Play 53 bk4_03 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 03 THE GOLDEN DUSTMAN SINKS AGAIN Alan Chant
00:30:26
Play 54 bk4_04 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 04 A RUNAWAY MATCH Alan Chant
00:31:09
Play 55 bk4_05 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 05 CONCERNING THE MENDICANT'S BRIDE Alan Chant
00:00:53
Play 56 bk4_06 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 06 A CRY FOR HELP Ophelia Darcy
00:32:06
Play 57 bk4_07 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 07 BETTER TO BE ABEL THAN CAIN Alan Chant
00:34:13
Play 58 bk4_08 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 08 A FEW GRAINS OF PEPPER David Barnes
00:30:22
Play 59 bk4_09 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 09 TWO PLACES VACATED Ophelia Darcy
00:00:26
Play 60 bk4_10 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 10 THE DOLLS' DRESSMAKER DISCOVERS A WORD Ophelia Darcy
00:16:24
Play 61 bk4_11 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 11 EFFECT IS GIVEN TO THE DOLLS' DRESSMAKER'S DISCOVERY Alan Chant
00:35:36
Play 62 bk4_12 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 12 THE PASSING SHADOW Lady Maria
00:29:31
Play 63 bk4_13 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 13 SHOWING HOW THE GOLDEN DUSTMAN HELPED TO SCATTER DUST Alan Chant
00:31:50
Play 64 bk4_14 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 14 CHECKMATE TO THE FRIENDLY MOVE Alan Chant
00:38:24
Play 65 bk4_15 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 15 WHAT WAS CAUGHT IN THE TRAPS THAT WERE SET Alan Chant
00:35:18
Play 66 bk4_16 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 16 PERSONS AND THINGS IN GENERAL Ophelia Darcy
00:27:04
Play 67 bk4_17 - Book the Fourth - Chapter 17 THE VOICE OF SOCIETY Czechchris
00:17:41
Play 68 bk5 - POSTSCRIPT, IN LIEU OF PREFACE Ophelia Darcy
00:05:06