"Little Dorrit" by Charles Dickens

Review by Madeline Salmon
In Little Dorrit,  Charles Dickens introduces us to a wealth of characters, some of whom we despise, some we laugh at, and some we fall in love with. With a story so full of people, you might think we wouldn't get a chance to know any of them well, but the 850 pages give us plenty of time. The story is so complex, however, that on many occasions I had to turn back to an earlier chapter to remind myself what happened, or reread a passage a few times to make sure I understood it clearly. In fact, if I hadn't already been familiar with the story before reading the book I'm not at all convinced I would have gotten it completely.

I'm afraid that by writing this review you're going to think I'm an advocate for not reading classic literature (see my post on Moby Dick). Please believe that is not the case. I read more old books than new ones and Dickens is one of my favorite authors. But I'm not sure I would recommend reading Little Dorrit.

Here's why: In 2009 the BBC and Masterpiece Classic produced a miniseries adaptation of Little Dorrit for the screen. Marvelously written, acted, and directed, I loved it so much that I wanted to read the book. Having just accomplished this harrowing feat, I can now say that the miniseries is remarkably true to the book, both in letter and in spirit.

One of the reasons to read Dickens is for his beautiful language, and that doesn't shine in Little Dorrit as it does in, say, Great Expectations. Dickens is at his most satirical in Little Dorrit. In it he writes eerily timeless commentary on the ineffectiveness of government and the danger of financial hubris.  But his bitterness in this book interferes with his pen doing what it does best. The other reason to read Dickens is for the characters. They aren't the most realistic or three-dimensional people, but that doesn't make it any less fun getting to know them, and they do manage to squirm their way into our hearts. Happily, the miniseries captures each of them splendidly and I think even the author himself would have approved.

Getting through Little Dorrit requires an immense amount of patience and hard work. I don't regret the effort, but I'm not sure it's necessary with such a masterpiece of film making within easy reach. I'm not telling you not to read Little Dorrit, I'm just telling you to consider the time and energy you'll spend on it when you don't have to. And whether you read it or not, you absolutely must watch the show. The only effort that requires is microwaving a bag of popcorn--or several, actually, as it's eight hours long. I told you it was true to the book.