Book Edition -- Our Mutual Friend

I have been stuck in the winter doldrums lately and was complaining to Jeremy the other day about my general lack of energy and enthusiasm. He said, "I know what you need. You need a different book." My husband knows me so well. I think he was right. But I couldn't just abandon Dickens. That would feel wrong. And since I'd already plowed through about 650 pages, I figured I could handle another 100 or so. Now I can finally say I just finished reading my first book of the year: Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. I have to admit it was a doozy. If I were to rate it, I would have to divide the rating between the quality of the book vs. how I felt about it. Quality: probably 4 out of 5 stars. Feelings: more like a 2.

I will contribute my feelings in great part to the timing of this read. First, I read it over Christmas. This means many distractions and lots of things to get done, which equals not a lot of time to delve into a book. Second, I started my new church calling of gospel doctrine teacher, which also means many distractions and lots of other things to read, again equaling not a lot of time to devote to the book.

Overall, I thought Dickens showed greatness in his descriptions, in his creation of caricatures, and in developing a complex and interwoven plot. On the other hand, I struggled keeping some of the characters straight for about the first half of the substantial book. I could see value in reading this as a serial, which it was originally over a period of 19 months, just to break things up. Knowing this, I felt pretty good about finishing it in 2 1/2.

Needless to say, I can already feel my spirits rising in anticipation of a new book. I'm sure Jeremy will be grateful.