Dombey & Son

It took me 1 week to read this novel, rather a short time for almost 1000 pages of novel, I think. It helps that I'm extremely familiar with the story, and not being the first time I've read Dombey and Son made it faster. The fabulous thing about Charles Dickens' style of writing: his stories don't get any less interesting with multiple readings, in fact you always catch more the second (or third... or fourth...) time around.

Dombey and Son abounds in antagonists, and the troubles that arise within the novel make for a truly dramatic yet thoroughly Dickensian story. One word especially seems to appear more often in Dombey and Son than most of Dickens other novels: Proud. Yes, it's an excellent illustrator of what happens to people, their families and lives when they only consider their pride. Of course, in Dombey and Son, you'll find one of the most satisfying literary endings, considering all the troubles and woes that plague the central characters Florence, Mr. Dombey and Walter.

In a slightly unrelated event, I've only once seen this book in hardback, and I didn't buy it. I saw it at my local used book store for about $15 and was one of the most splendid old copies I've ever seen... printed in the late 1800s, leather bound and rat chewed. If only I could have gotten that creepy feeling to go away when I thought about rats actually eating the book, I probably would have bought it. But alas, I still make do with my paperback copy.