Our Mutual Friend is a bit of a hard-hitting novel, which was published in episodes from May 1864 to November 1865. It may never had been finished at all if Charles Dickens hadn't survived a rail crash, going back into his carriage afterwards to rescue his manuscript. The central theme of the novel for me is the corrupting power of money ... both for those who have too much, and those who have too little. The main action takes place around John Harmon, who is returning to Britain following the death of his father, to claim his inheritance. However, in order to do so, his father's will has stipulated that he must marry the lowly Bella Wilfer, who just might be nothing more than a gold digger. When a body washed up in the Thames is identified as John Harmon, it means that Mr and Mrs Boffin, Mr Harmon's servants, come into the money instead. They initially try to do good with this unexpected wealth, taking Bella under their wing, and accepting the help of John Rokesmith, who acts as their secretary. But sure enough, the money starts to affect Mr Boffin, who thinks people are out to cheat him ... and indeed some are, including the gloriously slimy Silas Wegg. Bella and Rokesmith become close, but when Mr Boffin finds out about this, he turfs out Rokesmith and Bella leaves, disgusted with the change in Mr Boffin. At the same time, a lawyer falls for a poverty stricken girl, only to be confronted by a dangerous suitor who he is in competition with for her affection. Full of social comment on those who think that social status is the be all and end all of things, and including shocking details of how the poor were treated and kept "in their place" as well as a good smattering of anti-semitism, this is a truly epic novel. Despite the grim scenes, it is also a book about love and hope and that there can be rewards for those who keep their moral compass on the right path. There is much to admire in this book, and whilst there are some overly long and indulgent passages that rammed the point home a little too often, it is a book that is worth perservering with. I especially enjoyed the narration in the audio edition I read, which was delivered for over 30 hours by the glorious Simon Vance.
My STAR rating: FOUR.
Length: 832 print pages.
Price I paid: £0.99.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.
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