100 books you MUST read - BLEAK HOUSE by Charles Dickens

Why read Bleak House by Charles Dickens? This video is part of the 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die series.
There are many classic books but some stand out even among their illustrious cousins. Bleak House, by Charles Dickens, is one of them. In this NO SPOILER video, we take a look at why Bleak House is a classic book that is worth reading. Bleak House was influential in helping to reform some of the troubled and archaic practices of Victorian England. Yet its message is far from finished. The ideas Dickens addresses in this work of classic literature are still some of the most prevalent problems facing us today.
IF YOU WANT TO BEGIN TEACHING YOURSELF MORE ABOUT CLASSIC LITERATURE, be sure to check out my Patreon.
Patreon link patreon.com/user?u=84761803
Follow me for little extras
/ tristanandtheclassics
This video is a good primer if you want to start reading the book.
0:00 - Intro
3:37 - Synopsis
7:41 - Why read Bleak House?

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Have you read Bleak House by Charles Dickens or is it a book that you keep meaning to get around too? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this masterpiece by the "Shakespeare of the English Novel."

[@charliewest1221]

Yes, Dickens is to prose what Shakespeare is to verse. It's remarkable to note that both Dickens and Shakespeare (Albert Einstein and Michael Faraday, as well)) never enjoyed a university education.

[@jennamakesbugs]

I have recently discovered booktube... and your channel... and this video. Bleak House is my favorite Dickens and definitely in my top 5 favorite books. I have read it 5? 6? times so far. Anyway... slowly making my way through your back catalog and enjoying it all. :)

[@lalaj5831]

First read Bleak House over 20 years ago to write an essay. Loved it. I have read it many times since and still love it. Everything about Jo broke my heart, and breaks it still. My husband even read it because I love it so much.

[@edajungck]

Excellent.

[@edajungck]

I love him as a author, this and 'Our Mutual Friend'.

[@charliewest1221]

One of the finest novels I've read. It's multi-layered and richly layered, densely populated with a myriad of unforgettable charcters from all walks of life. Dickens's double streamed narrative technique affords reader a special bi-focal lens through which the unfolding of the action unfolds. There is suspense, mystery, intrigue, despair and heartbreak spiced, as always, by a liberal sprinkling of classic Dickensian wit and humour. Then, of course, there is the eternal beauty of Dickens's prose. Each time I pick up "Bleak House", I discover something new. It's right up there, together with "Little Dorrit", "A Tale of Two Cities", and "Great Expectations" among the immortals in the Dickensian canon.

[@Tams1978]

I've decided to read all the novels Charles Dickens wrote, and I’m almost done with The Pickwick Papers. I’ve only read A Christmas Carol and Hard Times, so I’m excited to read the rest of his books!

[@kristinmarra7005]

You have his very best to look forward to. I envy you

[@Tams1978]

@@kristinmarra7005 I’m reading Dombey and Son now and it’s good! I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve read so far!

[@mikesnyder1788]

By now you have finished The Pickwick Papers and I'm hoping you absolutely LOVED it. I know that many consider Pickwick one of Dickens' more frivolous novels and perhaps it is but I return to this book time and time again. And I am please that you are excited with your quest to read all his books. You are going to meet so many interesting characters and be taken through so many funky neighborhoods and peaceful villages. Enjoy your long journey and savor every wonderful Dickensian moment.

[@Tams1978]

@@mikesnyder1788 I did enjoy it a lot! I’ve gotten up to David Copperfield which I’ve just started. 😊

[@mikesnyder1788]

@@Tams1978 Yay!!! You gotta love Pickwick and his crazy adventures! Enjoy David Copperfield. Definitely a true masterpiece!

[@annetteholman2999]

Yes! This is my favorite of all the Dickens' novels-- fascinating convoluted plot, myriad colorful characters intricately connected through generations. It also has the most beautiful opening passages of any novel I can remember, setting the atmosphere of what's to come. Everything is in this tome--love and mystery, hope and cruelty, beauty and squalor. I'm so glad to know others read and love Dickens too!

[@livingfullyinchrist1168]

Your enthusiasm for literature is infectious! I have always loved Dickens!

[@traciebecker6669]

I am here very late to the watching of your video and to finally reading Bleak House at age 66. I love your discussion here, youve done a marvelous job. I should point out that the character, narrator is named Esther Summerson not Emma Summerton. I see sometimes you say Emma and later Esther. I will be watching more of you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.

[@mj2495]

I read this when I was pretty young and the story had receded into fading memory. I will read it again, hopefully before I fade as well...

[@bradchristy5002]

Nicely done - an exceptional presentation on a classic. It is, in & of itself, a great motivator to read and digest this literary gift to the English speaking world!

[@thesisypheanjournal1271]

It wasn't the signature of a lawyer that caught Lady Deadlock's attention; it was the lawhand of a copyist. That, of course, gave her a much larger sample of handwriting to be struck by but a much trickier task in finding out who copied the document. (In the days before carbon paper, court documents were copied out by hand.)

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Yes, you are quite right. Thank you for the correction. 😀

[@heathermiller9707]

This was WONDERFUL. Thank you, Tristan. You are brilliant.

[@ayushamahajan8375]

I just discovered your channel after coming across this video. You’ve definitely convinced me to read Bleak House! My mind was kind of blown away when you mentioned how Jarndyce sounds like jaundice 🤯 that adds such an amazing layer to the court case

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you so much Ayusha for taking the time to comment and being so encouraging. As for the Jardyce/jaundice word play, it goes to show how inventive Dickens was in using sounds to subtly colour our imaginations as we read.

[@charmainesaliba5546]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about Bleak House. I haven't read it yet. It is on my list of classics I want to read. Hopefully I will read it soon and definitely I will rewatch this video for more depths about this novel. Thanks so much for your hard work.

[@leonardwalls870]

Enjoyed the conversation, read the book years ago and could again!I tell folks that Dickens is an acquired taste but well worth the effort. All of his books (how many?)at least 8 or maybe 10 and loved them all!Thanks again.

[@elinafernande4587]

The setting is perfect and also your videos 🥰

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you 😀

[@pattidunkin870]

What delightful insights! Thank you!

[@Scott619B]

Back in ancient times, when I was a Pre-Law student, Bleak House was highly recommended as an examination of how the legal system works-- or doesn't.

[@beautifullibrarynarrations3371]

Really enjoyed your discussion of Bleak House. Great job. I will definitely read it. Thanks

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you so much. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.😀👍

[@AlphaGeekgirl]

Thank you so much for this. I am partway through the book and found it hard going, but have persevered, perhaps because I couldn’t tell where it was heading. But you’ve clarified several things that somehow I managed to miss. So now I can go back to reading it, and hopefully understand and appreciate the book the way you have. Thanks.

[@neilmiller3220]

me too very slow no plot

[@eusaypdx]

Currently reading this book and enjoying it. Your video helps me to interpret some backgrounds and appreciate better. Thank you 😊 💓

[@patriciadeane7250]

Next to Barnaby Rudge Bleak House is my favorite Dickens book. I enjoy watching your video’s and I thank you from Ontario, Canada.

[@christbianchi]

😊 I do like the background with the blue gives it a pop! Also, I haven't read Bleak House, and from what you said, it sounds like a great read! Thanks for the wonderful analysis! It's amazing when you read a book written a long time ago, and can see how there is similar cycle and how some things never change.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thanks. It's not very easy getting that aesthetic wossname. As for books maintaining their relevance over centuries, it's fascinating isn't it? It makes one think that we are constantly looking in the wrong direction, focusing on the fripperies and not the substance. ... Ooooo that's a little serious for this time on the morning!😳😂

[@audreydimbleby8774]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I love that expression 'looking in the wrong direction'. You're absolutely right!!!

[@estherrobin1049]

I need to speak about my favourite books and it's too difficult to choose one in the sea of world literature that I have read, but when I close my eyes I can see only 'bleak house! And lady deadlock will never die from all over the words history.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

It is a brilliant book. I know what you mean about trying to pick a best book though.😃👍❤

[@Rayna429]

'Bleak House' was a tepid foray into understanding 'the classics'. Never read a Dickens book not even in high school English honors (?!!). I saw it on a street-side vendors table in NYC, gosh like 20yrs ago for like $2 maybe $3 and I tackled it in a year. It was one of the most memorable reads of my life hands down. I know it's not one of the most popular books of CD but it has always been my favortie 'find'. So glad to see your enthusiasm for it as well!!

[@almaseed1413]

I have just started Bleak House and this video will help me a lot. I am reading the chapters as they appeared, like 1-4, in German, than read them again one after the other in German again and than tackle the English… so I am able to understand. But your video helps so much and makes me look forward to enjoying the whole book. Thank you so much, Tristan. Your effort is very much appreciated !

[@robertfrancois6064]

It is a very fun book

[@barbarajohnson1442]

Well I stumbled upon a brilliant review! Thank you!!!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you Barbara!! 😊 pleased you enjoyed it. 😉

[@barbarajohnson1442]

Well I'm diving into Bleak House now, thanks to your assessment. Will report back.

[@vincentperratore4395]

I'd read the book years ago before my retirement from business but I've started reading it again as now being older, I expect to learn a new dimension of it, hitherto little remembered or poorly understood, or shall we say, for a greater grasp on calling to mind the often cruel vicissitudes of life, from reading such a deep and judiciously scouring novel as this!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

I hope that you enjoy your rereading of this work. There's so much to be said about it. I haven't mentioned this in the video but perhaps you might be interested. There is a low, bourdon note running beneath the book, I feel, that seems to be hinting at the French Revolution and Dickens fear that the same could happen in Britain if the poor are consistently disregarded. Just watch for the scheming and grasping lawyers, ever in the shadows. ... Robespierre was a lawyer, as were a disproportionate amount of the first leading revolutionaries. Just a thought.

[@charliewest1221]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Yes, I am thinking of Vholes who is one of Dickens slimiest, creepiest characters. The other is Uriah Heep ("David Copperfield").

[@jaywells791]

It wasn't a lawyer's signature that Lady Dedlock noticed. It was the distinctive handwriing of a scrivener who had written up the legal document.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you. You are right.😃👍

[@marichristian]

Read "Bleak House" for my A Levels many moons ago. I read it again recently. What a magnificent novel- multi layered, with fog and circumlocutions to add to the mystery and the endless victims of Jarndyce V Jarndyce. I found the BBC series with Diana Rigg very useful when teaching the novel.

[@sophiesplace5192]

Amazing thank you.

[@Holmnielsen-]

Great setup! Although I picture you in a Victorian study 🤓

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

A Victorian study would be my room of choice.😀

[@TheNutmegStitcher]

Now I have to read it. ❤

[@TV-fu1ec]

I got a number of Charles Dickens books when I visited London that I never saw in the States. Also, years ago I read a giant biography of Dickens. I had already been a Dickens fan, but having read this book solidified my fanship even more. I was fascinated by his own life. I made associations in my mind between a number of 19th century writers who happened to be in very precarious positions in the social hierarchy. Such authors as Thomas Hardy, Dostoevsky and Dickens fit that profile. Also, according to the biography, Dickens was quoted as saying he didn't write until he had pegged the names of his characters. Darn I wish I still had this book. It was full of illustration s from the era as well.

[@donlevy1375]

I love that book. The last 150 pages were so gripping I didn't want to stop reading it.

[@daneddy4685]

Thanks, I'm half way through and struggling. I needed the inspiration. Maybe it's the wordiness, that another reader mentions. I have read many other Dickens' without this problem. Now I will go forward.

[@johnforkner]

That’s how Tale of Two Cities was for me. Once the dominos start falling, you can’t put it down.

[@ugaais]

Another good tip as your reading listen to a reading of it on Libravox at the same time…it keeps you focused and motivates you to get through the chapters

[@anderste4649]

Hi Tristan - great channel! If you loved Bleak House and liked Great Expectations, where would you go next in Dickens’s world?

[@user-no5ee7nn9d]

Right that's it's you've talked me into it, I've been promising to read it for years.😊xx

[@rebeccabsomanybooks3558]

Bleak House is most definitely on my list this year. I love antique books and I especially love the illustrated 1800's copies of Dickens work. I think it adds so much to his novels. BTW completed The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It is a roller coaster ride of a mystery. Agatha Christie on steroids. At times difficult to follow but an interesting ending. Recommend it due to the uniqueness of the plot.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

I really hope that you enjoy Bleak House. And as for the 1800's sketches, I am with you all of the way. I will have to get myself a copy of the 7 1/2 lives of EH, you make it sound exciting. I love a unique plot.😀👍

[@Fell-Purpose]

Great commentary. Would love to hear your thoughts on Tristram Shandy which is my other favourite novel when it's not Bleak House.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Now that would be a good book to do. Thanks for the recommendation. 😃

[@Fell-Purpose]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Can't wait. I'll be sure to post it on my Twitter if you get round to it.

[@us-Bahn]

Gridley was from Shropshire, if memory serves.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Yes, I think you are right. Thank you 😀

[@lalaj5831]

You are correct.

[@michaelgarcia2973]

Watched BBC Bleak House Series on Film and it all came to life of Charles Dickens work and i saw how Jaundice and Jaundice all played out and Lady deadlock ended up dead and the mysterious death of the lawyer Talkinghorn

[@bonald8349]

It was an excellent production, but I found the casting of Esther a poor choice and not at all as I'd envisioned her. Everything else was great though.

[@merccadoosis8847]

Agree 100% with your analysis and commentary. It is a staggering book though a bit wordy. Upon first reading it, I was rather confused as to its theme. On my second reading I stumbled upon a symbolism in the very beginning that illustrates what the book is all about: the fog. The ever present, ever menacing fog. An occlusion that causes profound despair, degeneration, and dissolution. How could I have missed it? Upon my second reading its symbolism became evident all throughout the book. Because of this, *Bleak House* now is in my top 10 greatest books of all time.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Hi Merc! Thanks for this comment. I especially liked the sentence, "An occlusion that causes profound despair, degeneration and dissolution." Very smartly put. It was remarkable that you left your comment just 30 minutes before I uploaded my latest video, which is a much deeper look at Bleak House! I think you might especially like this new one. It explores a potentially very thoughtful, hidden sub text which may have been worrying Dickens during a time of intense upheaval in Britain. It is one of the greatest pieces of insinuation, in writing, that I've ever encountered.

[@merccadoosis8847]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Thank you for your kind remarks. I have bookmarked your update and will watch it very soon ...

[@attention5638]

I have not been the biggest Dickens fan in the past, and usually don't finish his novels, but I have never gave this one a try. Some if the things discussed here sounds very relevant. The reading is very well recognized in today's society. I may have to try this one in a few months.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

I understand not getting on with Dickens. Stylistically he is not everybody's cup of tea. He always has a definite perspective though, which I appreciate. Part of the fun for me, with Dickens, is trying to peel the layers off the story. Not saying that he always gets it right though.😀

[@susprime7018]

Yes, I enjoyed the book very much and kept a late 19th century American copy, far from a first but at least printed in the same century. Stay out of court, it is true that following the law and doing justice are not the same thing. Pettifoggers often prevail, here's another motion.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Wow a 19th Century edition! How scrummy.😀 I have a friend who went through Law school. She said that in the first class they were told by the professor: "If any of you are here because you want to bring Justice, then leave. The Law is not about Justice." ... Now there's a comforting thought.😂

[@kristinmarra7005]

Massive reader here…Bleak House is one of my deeply beloved novels.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

What other books do you most admire?

[@sharonpark5265]

I am reading currently page 129 out of 861 of Bleak house, very early stage.

[@amazonlife2609]

My favourite book tied with the Count of Monte Cristo.

[@us-Bahn]

Karl Marx read Dickens closely and incorporated much of Dickens in his critique of society. Though the notion of class warfare went beyond the social reform Dickens advocated, they did share a cynicism of the ruling class.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

He was often claimed as the champion of reformers and anti-establishment bands, was Dickens. What I appreciate about Dickens himself, is his level approach to life. He never seemed to veer to extremes. He saw the evils of vengeful reform. This colours his writing of A Tale of Two Cities.

[@us-Bahn]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Very good point! Marx devised a war cry and directed us. Dickens reported the facts of society down to the smallest painful detail (generally the misery of children), and permitted us to feel and respond as we would.

[@captainnolan5062]

From the interweb: A phrase adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes; the author complains frequently in the book about the monotony of life. The entire passage reads, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

[@loriannereuser9599]

Love how much you love these books! Read Bleak House years ago for a uni class and it's a book I'm incredibly grateful to have read, but remember finding it more of a struggle to get through (compared to Great Expectations and Our Mutual Friend). But your enthusiasm makes me feel excited about it again, and I'm already sad/happy thinking about Esther and ^_~

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

As for it being a higher on the "Slog Scale" than GE or Our Mutual, I have to agree with you. Those two books would also be in my "books one should read." Bleak House is particularly exciting for me because I feel that Dickens is making more than a commentary. I get the sense that he fears a revolt of some kind in society if matters are not addressed. The spectre of Allegory hangs over the entire piece as it does in Tulkinghorn's offices. I want to do a real in depth video on this topic but am trying to juggle all of these ideas with other videos that need to be made.😀 As for the happy/sad ... there are so many moments 😭😭😭

[@annetteholman2999]

It's much more complicated than David Copperfield but well worth the effort.🤯

[@sibutterworth6542]

This take on kleptocracy is so very relevant today. Fees!! Just think about how much of British wealth is diverted into Fees;!!

[@ugaais]

We all know his classics that people know…but Bleak House, Little Dorrit and The Old Curiosity Shop are my favorites

[@audreydimbleby8774]

I have just finished a re-read of Bleak House and thoroughly enjoyed it. One of my favourite chapters in the book is 'Springing the Mine' with the lead up to the arrest of the French maid when Mr Bucket slaps on the cuffs. He so reminds me of a character which Wilkie Collins would have created. An aknowledgement from one great writer to another, do you think? They were good friends after all. As far as the narrative style, I do appreciate the different perspectives, but I'm not sure on this occasion it entirely works for me. However, the imagery in Bleak House just fills me. It's positively sublime. On a different note, your analysis is very interesting and I agree with you. 'No change there then!' springs to mind. Thank you again for another enjoyable video.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Hi Audrey! So sorry for my late response. 'Springing the Mine' is a phenomenal chapter. It crescendos the intrigues of the Hortense, Lady Dedlock, Tulkinghorn triangle brilliantly. There is an in this subplot methinks, to do with revolution. I do not think that the fact she is French is an accident or a novelty. There are specific details pertaining to Tulkinghorn and his office which, for me, make me wonder whether Dickens is alluding to Stendhal. As for the inspector Bucket, I hadn't considered a nod to Wilkie Collins. That is a great observation and it wouldn't surprise me one jot. These 19th century authors were always leaving easter eggs throughout their works. Thanks again for such a great comment.😀👍

[@audreydimbleby8774]

Thank you for the feedback. You've given me food for thought. Such a treat! @@tristanandtheclassics6538

[@foursticksbuff9951]

My parents were Canadians and they raised their children to be trusting and generous. While I think this has made me a happy and honest person, life's lessons have forged in me an outlook of cynicism and disappointment with my fellow man. The older and wiser? I become I feel it is of paramount importance to question Authority, be skeptical, and look out for yourself. The phrase: There is nothing new under the Sun, should be tattooed on everyone's forehead. Even today Greed, Lust Envy Power, Prejudice, Vanity control everything we do, see, hear. I tell my 30 year old son this to temper his anger and despair about all the crazy BS going on today. The simple pleaseures of friends family laughter nature food and a future Bills Super Bowl are what get me out of bed every day.......God Bless Us All!!!

[@nuckygulliver9607]

you said all the deadly sins except for pride. It's a weird irony that it's official pride month. It's an interesting example of a movement that transformed into a corporatized goal that is weaponized to take our free speech away. iNstead of tolerating each other, society has become more divisive with pride in political identities. The claim of relevance has sold the book to me. After I finish, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pam, I'll read this one. I even already have it on the shelf.

[@MeileeAnderson]

Reading the book now. Was losing interest in the story. Watched your review. Your enthusiasm is encouraging me to stick with the book.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Well, that is pleasing to hear, Meilee. It is a fine book, and in its day was particularly potent in exposing the law courts.

[@lalaj5831]

Bleak House is definitely worth reading. I know it’s long. The first time I read it, I finished it in two days in order to write an essay. I have read it many times since for the sheer enjoyment of it. There is so much social commentary that still applies to the foibles of society today.

[@thesisypheanjournal1271]

Esther's self-deprecation gets a bit tiresome. It comes across as false humility and I don't like phoniness.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

I completely understand that perspective. I am not particularly enamoured with Esther's character. A few factors do weigh in on her disposition I feel. 1st there is the tastes of the day. 19th Century Britain ideals were different I suppose. 2nd, her past is quite oppressive and abusive which likely explains the propensity toward self efficient. 3rd, and this one occurred to me after pondering the same issue that you raise. Esther is the contrast to Chancery court which the third person narrator reveals to us. Could it be that she is meant to personify the ideals if true and impartial justice, not considering any sense of self importance as the Law industry had begun to have? Just a few thoughts, of which I think that the 3rd point may have been the most deliberate. 😀

[@thesisypheanjournal1271]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Most likely just the tastes of the time. Esther isn't as annoying as Dora from David Copperfield because she's a decent, responsible, helpful person while Dora chooses to be a useless airhead -- again, evidently taste of the time.

[@us-Bahn]

It could be worse. Uriah Heep comes to mind.

[@fredwild2166]

You rave about Dickin's names and don't mention Mr. Guppy!!!

[@Fitness4London]

It's a huge achievement of discipline and mental stamina to read the whole 740 pages of Bleak House. There are some fantastic characters, an ingenious plot, many thought-provoking themes and an atmospheric setting, but it would be a far better novel if it had been edited down to 400 pages.

[@dandelves]

I must have a mental fortitude comparable to Thanos as I have just finished War & Peace, and Bleak house is its replacement.

[@Fitness4London]

@@dandelves Impressed! I recommend Anna Karenina after Bleak House.

[@neilmiller3220]

Oliver Twist very good Bleak House very dull no plot so far as ive read

[@mysticmouse7261]

Why do I need to torture myself? What horrible sin did I commit to deserve such cruel and extraordinary punishment? I tried honestly I tried and could not get through it. 😢 Dickens is horrible.