Bleak House by Charles Dickens Part #3

SPOILERS FOR CHAPTERS 8-10

Mr Jarndyce is so cute. I really can’t think of another term to fit. He has a room that he calls the ‘Growlery’ which is where he goes when he is feeling…well…growly (I wish I had one of them) and if someone has put him in a bad mood, instead of naming the person and placing the blame specifically he talks about the wind being in the ‘east’. See? Cute.

Richard, sadly, is turning out to be a bit of a numpty in his view of things, especially in money matters. I think I am going to get fed up of him very quickly if he continues on in the way he is going.

Esther is settling in well to her position as ward/companion/housekeeper and receives and unexpected visit from Mr Guppy a lawyers clerk. I won’t spoil anything by saying why he is visiting but I will say that it seemed to come out of nowhere for me so I don’t know how poor Esther must have felt.

The harsher side of Victorian living is touched on in this section as Ada and Esther are taken to see a family of brick-makers. Two very real issues of the times, domestic abuse and infant death, are very much to the fore.

Mr Omniscient makes an appearance in chapter 10 and thanks to Mr Tulkinghorn – the Dedlock’s lawyer – some new characters are introduced to the mix. Yay, more people.

And finally there is a cliff-hanger. Until now I haven’t seen any of the endings as ‘on the edge of your seat’ material. But now we have a candle going out, a dark unfamiliar room and a body on a bed. Dun dun duuuuun.

“As he rattled on the door, the candle which had drooped so long, goes out, and leave him in the dark; with the gaunt eyes in the shutters staring down upon the bed.”  

Ooo draamaa!