Bleak House Lecture: The Curse of Jarndyce & Jarndyce (Vol. I, Ch. I-XXII)
'London. Michaelmas term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln’s Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth...'
Today we're discussing the captivating beginning of Bleak House by Charles Dickens.
We're talking about bureaucratic nightmares, gothic family curses, mysteries, detective drama, orphan literature, mankind’s curse of consciousness, our common mortality, social commentary, real life inspiration, serial literature, the life of Dickens, and much more.
We will conduct a deep analysis of one of the most iconic beginnings in all of literature, appreciate some heartbreakingly poetic passages, think about the life, times, and influence of Charles Dickens, and meet some unforgettable characters throughout the first twenty-two chapters of this incredible novel.
Please feel free to listen before, during, or after your reading and enjoy the work at the pace that best suits you. You do not need to have read all of these chapters to enjoy the discussion as I'm staying away from plot details revealed later in the work.
Timestamps:
0:00 appreciating the opening of Bleak House
2:00 performance & pre-cinematic storytelling
4:00 serial publication & author as friend
6:00 the Victorianism of Charles Dickens
8:00 how Dickens influenced everyone
10:00 how to become like the first readers
12:00 ‘London. Michaelmas term lately over…’
14:00 narrative experimentalism in this novel
16:00 cursed case of Jarndyce & Jarndyce
18:00 symbolism of fog in Bleak House
20:00 what was the Court of Chancery?
22:00 key events in the life of Dickens
24:00 why did the novels become so dark?
26:00 the tragic history of Tom Jarndyce
27:00 bureaucracy incentives inefficiency
28:00 metaphor for existential absurdity
29:00 sins of the fathers & gothic formula
30:00 antinatalism & philosophical pessimism
32:00 the anxiety of Shakespeare’s Hamlet
34:00 ‘to be, or not to be: that is the question’
36:00 writing as evidence of meaning in life
38:00 philosophies to help one bear the dark
40:00 Lord Chancellor & Mr Tangle’s dialogue
42:00 meeting the character of Lady Dedlock
44:00 Jane Austen vs Charles Dickens
46:00 aristocratic anxiety of revolution
48:00 enjoying Dickensian pathetic fallacy
50:00 the character of Mr Tulkinghorn
51:00 the narrative of Esther Summerson
54:00 human condition in orphan literature
56:00 high mortality rate in Victorian era
58:00 heartbreaking scene with Esther’s doll
1:00:00 the mystery of Esther’s mother
1:02:00 how this story affects me as a father
1:04:00 burdensome concept of original sin
1:06:00 death of childhood & heroine’s journey
1:08:00 Ada Clare & Richard Carstone
1:10:00 Judgement Day in Revelation
1:12:00 Mrs Jellyby’s telescopic philanthropy
1:14:00 world change starts within your home
1:16:00 entering Krook’s rag-and-bone shop
1:18:00 ‘inheritance of protracted misery’
1:20:00 symbolism of birds in this novel
1:22:00 the allegorical nature of this work
1:24:00 we finally arrive at Bleak House
1:26:00 John Jarndyce & Mr Skimpole
1:28:00 who was Mr Skimpole based on?
1:30:00 Mr Skimpole’s life philosophy
1:32:00 Charles Dickens vs Victor Hugo
1:34:00 Esther & Rick bail out Mr Skimpole
1:36:00 legal obligation vs moral duty
1:38:00 Ghost’s Walk in Chesney Wold
1:40:00 trapped in a bureaucratic nightmare
1:42:00 the human disease of overthinking
1:44:00 what does wiglomeration mean?
1:46:00 the brick maker’s brutal speech
1:48:00 how did Dickens help society?
1:51:00 tragedy becomes too much to bear
1:53:00 who was Mr Boythorn based on?
1:55:00 Mr Guppy proposes to Esther
1:58:00 what do crows symbolise?
2:00:00 Mr Snagsby, Tulkinghorn, Nemo
2:02:00 the death of Nemo at Krook’s
2:05:00 inspiration for the character Jo
2:08:00 innocence bears witness to the truth
2:10:00 Lady Dedlock in search of answers
2:12:00 the slum of Tom-All-Alones
2:15:00 summer comes to this bleak world
2:18:00 who was the real Inspector Bucket?
2:20:00 your thoughts about Bleak House?
Resources:
Edition: I'm personally working from the Penguin paperback edition of this great novel. But there are so many fantastic editions available, and I encourage readers to pick their volumes with a view towards building their own personal Dickens library.
Biography: My personal favourite biography of Charles Dickens is this one. The biographer is Hesketh Pearson, who has also written compellingly about William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. I am also a huge fan of Claire Tomalin's biographies of great writers and you can read her biography for Dickens here. For a more recent appreciation of the works of Dickens, Peter Conrad's Dickens the Enchanter is wonderful.
Television: If you love to run film and television adaptations of the great books alongside your reading, you may wish to check out the excellent 2005 BBC television adaptation for Bleak House. I absolutely adore this adaptation, which boasts a perfect cast: Anna Maxwell Martin as Esther, Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock, Carey Mulligan as Ada, Charles Dance as Mr Tulkinghorn, to name just a few of the great actors involved. If you check it out, I'd love to know what you make of it.
Documentary: Gyles Brandreth has a superb documentary about the life of Charles Dickens here in which he travels to the locations most important to the storyteller. If you enjoy this documentary, the series also has wonderful episodes for Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen, and the Brontë sisters.
Audiobooks: For a superb radio production of this masterpiece, I highly recommend this version, which is produced by Sam Mendes and has stand-out performances from the likes of Thandiwe Newton, Ambika Mod, Mackenzie Crook, and Mark Strong. For a classic narration, you also can't go wrong with this production from Naxos, with the great narrations of Sean Barrett and Teresa Gallagher.
First Edition: You can see what the original publications looked like for some of the works of Charles Dickens here and here. There's also a wonderful video showing a restoration of a first edition here. You can also check out my personal collection, including rare and first editions, here and here.
Short Stories: If you're in the mood for some short literary treats this season, there are some wonderful choices that will complement your reading of Bleak House. The Auguste Dupin short stories of Edgar Allen Poe, 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', 'The Mystery of Marie Rogêt', and 'The Purloined Letter' can be found in this volume. You might also like to go forward from Dickens and enjoy some fine readings of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, like in this audio narration by Stephen Fry. Or, if you're interested in the influence of Dickens upon Kafka, we have discussions for some of his great stories here, here, and here.
Theatre: Along with the biblical allusions running through the work, we can feel the deep influence of Shakespeare. Any of these works from the bard, to name just a few, would make for a great accompaniment to a reading of Bleak House: Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Henry IV, and Measure for Measure.
Exercise: Why not try reading your favourite passage from the book aloud? This is a great way to reconnect with how the original readers appreciated these stories. Slowing down, reading aloud, and sharing with loved ones really unlocks something special from these great works of literature. Also, if you have read some of the other novels of Charles Dickens, how does Bleak House compare with them? And if you're in the mood for another great Dickens story, check out the back catalogue to see our collection so far: David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Reading Assignment:
Our next discussion will cover the events from chapter twenty-three up to and including chapter forty-five. That lecture will be this coming weekend, but, as always, please do go at the pace that best suits you and enjoy our discussions regardless of where you are in the story. If you would like to return to the reveal video where we discussed the significance of Bleak House and our festive reading of Charles Dickens, it is available here.
Questions for You:
1) What did you make of the iconic beginning of Bleak House?
2) Who is your favourite character so far? Do you enjoy Dickensian characterisation?
3) Do you feel the life, opinions, and personal emotions of Charles Dickens coming through in this story?
And please let us know your favourite passages and any insights that have come to you during your reading. If this is a first reading, is Bleak House living up to its reputation? If this is a rereading for you, are you finding new things to appreciate this time around?
Happy reading, folks!