The time has come to tackle another door stop. On this blog, a 'door stop' is essentially any book that is 500 pages or more, and this week, it is Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. In this tale, Dickens tackles poverty, debtors' prisons, and bureaucracy and red tape in 19th century England.
The Situation: Life inside of the Marshalsea debtors' prison is the only life Amy Dorrit, or Little Dorrit, has ever known. She was born in the prison, and after her mother died when she was very young, she has spent her life being of service to her father, older brother and sister, and their uncle. William Dorrit entered the prison over 30 years before, and has become known as the "Father of the Marshalsea," while trying to hold onto the class and status in which he was raised. Though it would anger her father if he knew, Little Dorrit works as a seamstress for various individuals, one of which is the stern and harsh mother of Arthur Clennam. Arthur suspects that his family may have something to do with William Dorrit being in the debtors' prison, and resolves to find out and right any potential wrong.
The Problem: It is clear that Arthur's mother is holding back on some vital piece of information regarding Arthur's deceased father, so he must make his own investigation, while also entering into a business partnership with a local inventor. Meanwhile, the kind and good-natured Mr. and Mrs. Meagles worry over their spoiled daughter's potential attachment to a young artist who does not make much money, and who is also friends with a mysterious and potentially dangerous man known only as Blandois. Throughout the story, Little Dorrit remains sweet, and good, and hard-working, and while it is clear some take advantage of her goodness, including her own father, she would never hear of going against any of them, and remains a true and faithful servant.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a story of fiction written by Dickens and was published in 19 monthly installments, beginning in December of 1855. Little Dorrit may be the title character, but there are large chunks of the novel when the character disappears completely, while the story focuses not only on Arthur, but also the Meagles, Blandois, and a few other key characters. One major theme is that of imprisonment, as several characters end up bound to their locations for various reasons. Another heavily explored subject is that of government bureaucracy, as the narrator talks at length about the Circumlocution Office and their specialty of not getting anything done. And then there are several characters who experience sudden and severe turns of fortune.
My Verdict: This book is long...like Bleak House long. If there was ever a reason to be thankful for jury duty (and in my mind, there are few), it is because of the long stretches of time in which it allowed me to make headway with this book. The character of Little Dorrit is indeed incredibly good, and sweet, and pitiable, but she is also frustratingly naive, and good to the point of not wanting to cause anyone trouble, including those who do her wrong. Those familiar with Dickens will recognize the style of writing, the fun character names, and the dialogue that often feels to be going in circles (and sometimes it is). If I had to give it a ranking among the other Dickens books I have read, I would have to put it somewhere between Bleak House and David Copperfield, with A Tale of Two Cities still being my favorite.
Favorite Moment: Little Dorrit's older sister Fanny takes advantage of her younger sister's good nature, much like her brother and father. But even with all of her bluster and boasting, there is a moment when even she seems to admit that her situation is not ideal, though she does not do so with words.
Favorite Character: Mr. Pancks is a rent collector who, naturally, is viewed as a villain by those he has to collect rent from, but also enjoys a sort of side hustle as someone who restores people's lost inheritances, therefore helping to reverse the fortunes of a few characters.
Recommended Reading: Middlemarch by George Eliot is even longer, but also follows a variety of characters in 19th century England.
