A complex plot of love and inheritance is set against the English legal system of the mid-nineteenth century, with all it's tortuous avenues and disguised resolutions. Here is the firm, Jarndyce & Jarndyce, the young orphan and ward of court Ester Summerson (who tells much of the story). As always, it is the skilled pen of Dickens himself that creates the momentum with his acute eye for both individual characters and their traits, and the backdrop of Victorian London.
1 Mr Turveydrop Underwent a Severe Internal Struggle
2 I Thought of the One Family So Near Us
3 I Was So Unprepared for the Perfect Coolness 0
4 As I Rode Quietly Home at Night After the Days Bustle
5 Chapter 24: An Appeal Case: As Soon As Richard
6 So Much the Easier What I Have to Say,
7 It Was Strange to Me That Richard Should Not
8 His Once More Reddening Through His Brown
9 To See Everything Going on So Smoothly
10 Turning As He Spoke and Making An Easy Way
11 Ladies and Gentlemen, Said Mr Bucket
12 He Drew the Hand Miss Flite Held
13 Chapter 25: Mrs Snagsby Sees It All: There Is Disquiet
14 He Has No Respect for Mr Chadband
15 It Happens That Mr Chadband Has a Pulpit Habit
- Disc 12 -
1 The Present Effect of This Flight of Oratory
2 Mrs Snagsby Replies By Delivering Herself
3 Chapter 26: Sharpshooters: Wintry Morning
4 Governor and Commander Are Interchangeable 05:01
5 Resigning Himself to Which Condition
6 Grandfather Smallweed Refers to Phil
7 When Judy Has By These Means Set Him Up Again
8 My Dear Friend, He Is a Lawyer, and a Famous One
9 Chapter 27: More Old Soldiers Than One: Mr George
10 Mr George Sits Squared in Exactly the Same Attitude
11 MR Smallweed, Hearing That This Authority
12 The Trooper, Without Remarking on This Welcome
13 Both Father and Son Salute the Trooper Heartily
14 This Mr George Does with Great Discretion
15 Chapter 28: The Ironmaster: Sir Leicester Dedlock
- Disc 13 -
1 Such the Guests in the Long Drawing-Room
2 Miss Volumnia with a Third Little Scream Takes Flight
3 Sir Leicester Snorts a Little to Hear the Law Laid Down
4 The Visitor Pauses a Moment to Give My Lady
5 Chapter 29: The Young Man: Chesney Wold Is Shut
6 The Mans Mind Is Not So Well Balanced
7 My Lady Turns a Little Round and Says
8 A Kind of Angry Smile Just Dawns Upon My Ladys Face
9 There Are Diamonds Glittering on the Hand
10 Chapter 30: Esthers Narrative: Richard Had Been Gone
11 I Said I Should Have Thought It Hardly Possible
12 As Soon As Her Papa Had Tranquillized His Mind
13 Over and Above This Caddy Was Very Anxious
14 The Next Question Was How Mrs Jellyby
15 Mr Jellyby Groaned and Laid His Head Against the Wall 05:15
- Disc 14 -
1 We Duly Came Back to Breakfast
2 And Then Prince Took Her Arm in His and Turned
3 Chapter 31: Nurse and Patient: I Had Not Been at Home
4 I Had No Thought That Night ? None, I Am Quite Sure
5 The Other Woman Came Hurriedly in As She Spoke
6 My Guardian Stopped and Looked at Him
7 Ada Being in Our Room with a Cold
8 I Heard Adas Voice Outside, and I Hurried to the Door
9 And Charley Did Not Die
10 Chapter 32: The Appointed Time It Is Night in Lincolns Inn
11 It Is No Phenomenon That Mr Snagsby Should Be
12 If Mr Snagsby Hastens Home to Save
13 Tony Again Entreats That the Subject May Be
14 The Light Vivacious Tone of Fashionable Life
15 How Did He First Come By That Idea, Though?
- Disc 15 -
1 Chapter 33: Interlopers: Now Do Those Two Gentlemen
2 Thus Night Pursues It's Leaden Course
3 MR Snagsby Casts His Eye Forlornly Round the Bar
4 While They Are So Conversing, a Hackney-Coach
5 Mrs Smallweed Instantly Begins to Shake Her Head
6 At Last Come the Coroner and His Inquiry
7 Chapter 34: A Turn of the Screw: Now, What, Says Mr George
8 The Old Girl Never Appears in Walking Trim
9 MRS Bagnet Ceasing, Mr Bagnet Removes His Hand
10 The Trooper Returns That This Is Kindly Said
11 Grandfather Smallweed Smiles in a Very Ugly Way
12 He Vociferates This So Loudly That Mr Bagnet
13 The Lawyer Sits Down in His Easy-Chair and Stirs the Fire
14 Boiled Beef and Greens Constitute the Days Variety
- Disc 16 -
1 Chapter 35: Esthers Narrative: I Lay Ill Through Several Weeks
2 How Well I Remember the Pleasant Afternoon
3 Is It Possible, Guardian, I Asked, Amazed
4 And My Guardian Put a Letter in My Hand
5 If You Please, Miss, Said Charley
6 I Tried to Assure Her That This Was Not So
7 I Was Obliged to Confess That I Did Not Quite Know
8 Chapter 36: Chesney Wold: Charley and I Did Not
9 I Took Care to Be Up Early in the Morning
10 The Air Blew As Freshly and Revivingly Upon Me
11 I Raised My Mother Up, Praying and Beseeching Her
12 My Mother, Who Until This Time Had Made No Change
13 These Are the Real Feelings That I Had
14 For I Saw Very Well That I Could Not Have
- Disc 17 -
1 Chapter 37: Jarndyce and Jarndyce: If the Secret
2 I Put My Veil Up, But Not Quite
3 I Began Seriously to Think That Richard Could
4 I Could Almost Have Believed in the Attraction
5 Indeed? Replied Richard, Softening
6 Richard, Said I, You Place Great Confidence in Me 04:53
7 As They Were to Remain with Us That Day
8 His Further Consideration of the Point Was Prevented
9 Chapter 38: A Struggle: When Our Time Came
10 All This Presented the Art to Me in a Singular Light
11 There Was Something in the Picture of Mr Turveydrop
12 I Gave Him a Little Time to Recover
13 I Must Say for Mr Guppy That the Snuffling Manner
14 Chapter 39; Attorney and Client: The Name of Mr Vholes
15 The Respectability of Mr Vholes Has Even Been Cited
- Disc 18 -
1 Again Nothing Done! Says Richard
2 MR Vholes Gives It a Rap, and It Sounds
3 Vholes Finally Adds, By Way of Rider
4 Is Richard a Monster in All This?
5 Never Since It Has Been a Court Has It Had
6 MR Guppy, Slightly Nudging His Friend
7 Chapter 40: National and Domestic: England Has Been
8 But the Fire of the Sun Is Dying
9 Daily the Cousins Trot Through Dust
10 Volumnia Had Thought He Might Have Been Employed
11 A Proposal Which, As You Correctly Informed Me
12 Her Head Concedes It, and Volumnia Is Enchanted
13 Chapter 41: In Mr Tulkinghorns Room: Mr Tulkinghorn Arrives
14 Sir, She Says, for the Moment Obliged to Set Her Lips
15 He Promptly Says Again, Have the Goodness
- Disc 19 -
1 She Stands Looking Out at the Same Stars Without a Word
2 Chapter 42: In Mr Tulkinghorns Chambers: From the Verdant
3 Mr Tulkinghorn Had Listened Gravely to This
4 Having Said This, Have You Anything Else ?
5 Chapter 43: Esthers Narrative: It Matters Little Now
6 Ada, Glancing at Me, Said She Thought It Was a Pity
7 My Guardian Looked at Us with a Smile
8 Hearing That His Examination (As He Called It)
9 Ada and I Conversed with These Young Ladies
10 The Visitor Was in the Room While It Was Yet
11 Sir Leicester Dedlock Coughed
12 Chapter 44: The Letter and the Answer: My Guardian Called Me
13 He Took It in His, Holding Me Lightly
14 But He Did Not Hint to Me That When I Had Been 06:38
- Disc 20 -
1 Chapter 45: In Trust: One Morning When I Had Done
2 It Appeared to Us That Mr Vholes Said
3 But When We Got Into a Warm Room
4 He Was in That Mood in Which I Thought It Best
5 I Will Not Repeat What I Said to Richard
6 I Felt As If He Had Greater Commiseration for Me
7 Chapter 46: Stop Him!: Darkness Rests Upon Tom-All-Alones
8 A Habit in Him of Speaking to the Poor
9 Allan Woodcourt Pauses to Look After Him
10 Jo Looks All Round the Court Again
11 Aye! Says Allan. Why, What Had You Been Doing?
12 Chapter 47: Jos Will: As Allan Woodcourt and Jo
13 Miss Flite, Mighty Proud of the Compliment
14 As He Puts the Question, He Becomes Aware
15 Phil Squod and Jo Are Sent Out Immediately
- Disc 21 -
1 Mr Snagsby Is Behind His Counter in His Grey Coat
2 The Softened Stationer Deposits Another Half-Crown
3 After Watching Him Closely a Little While
4 Chapter 48: Closing in: The Place in Lincolnshire
5 The Pretty Face Is Checked in It's Flush of Pleasure
6 Therefore There Is Not Much That Lady Dedlock
7 I Beg Your Pardon, Interposes Mr Rouncewells
8 Sir Leicester Considers Himself Evoked
9 If, Sir, She Begins, in My Knowledge of My Secret ?
10 She Removes Her Hand, Turns Her Pale Face Towards Him
11 A Fine Night, and a Bright Large Moon
12 Has Mr Tulkinghorn Been Disturbed?
13 Chapter 49; Dutiful Friendship: A Great Annual Occasion
14 Quebec and Malta Here Exclaim, with Clapping of Hands
15 MR George Produces His Present, Which Is Greeted with
- Disc 22 -
1 These Blandishments Have Entirely Won the Family Heart
2 Nothing Could Be More Acceptable to the Little Circle
3 Now, George, Says Mr Bucket
4 Chapter 50: Esthers Narrative: It Happened That
5 I Felt in This Short Conversation
6 Then There Was Old Mr Turveydrop
7 I Have Not Counted Mr Woodcourt Among Our Visitors
8 As There Was a Little Pause Here
9 Chapter 51: Enlightened: When Mr Woodcourt Arrived
10 Mr Woodcourt Rather Sternly Rejoined
11 Afterwards, When Mr Woodcourt Came to Reflect
12 His Hopefulness Had Long Been More Painful to Me
13 Thus the Time Went on Until It Became Necessary
14 Chapter 52: Obstinacy: But One Other Day
15 He Scarcely Seemed to Be the Prisoner
- Disc 23 -
1 Pray Think, Once More, Mr George, Said I
2 The Door Had Been Opened to Admit
3 For An Instant I Felt Such a Shudder As I Never Felt Before
4 Chapter 53: The Track: Mr Bucket and His Fat Forefinger
5 Not Another Word Does Mr Bucket Say
6 With That He Returns to Finish His Dinner
7 Volumnia Gives Mr Bucket to Understand
8 The Cousin, Who Has Been Casting Sofa-Pillows
9 The Doors Are Thrown Open
10 Chapter 54: Springing a Mine: Refreshed By Sleep
11 Sir Leicester, Leaning Back in His Chair
12 Sir Leicester Sits Like a Statue
13 You Don't Happen to Know Why They Killed the Pig?
14 Mr Smallweed Is Quite Clear That He Had Better Not
15 While This Exordium Is in Hand
- Disc 24 -
1 Mr Bucket Follows Them to the Door
2 Mademoiselle Complies, Saying in a Concentrated Voice
3 I Went Home, Sir Leicester Dedlock, Baronet
4 Two Things Are Especially Observable 05:17
5 Mademoiselle Hortense, Casting An Indignant Eye
6 Chapter 55: Flight: Inspector Bucket of the Detective
7 All This Mrs Bagnet Now Relates for the Twentieth Time
8 She Can Ask, and He Can Answer
9 MRS Rouncewell, Drawing Up Her Stately Form
10 Take Her, My Old Friend, and Take My Gratitude
11 Lady Dedlock Raises Her Without One Word
12 What Have I to Do with That, or What Have You?
13 Chapter 56: Pursuit: Impassive, As Behoves It's High Breeding
14 After Making a Survey of the Room
15 The Velocity and Certainty of Mr Buckets Interpretation
- Disc 25 -
1 He Completes His Observations
2 Chapter 57: Esthers Narrative; I Had Gone to Bed
3 He Gave Me His Arm, and the Two Officers
4 He Had Gone Into Every Late or Early Public-House
5 We Were Now in Front of the House
6 We Set Off Again Immediately
7 After Another Silence, the Husband of the Absent Woman
8 I Could Eat Nothing and Could Not Sleep
9 A Good Endearing Creature She Was
10 Chapter 58: A Wintry Day and Night: Still Impassive
11 And Not the Least Amazing Circumstance
12 The Old Housekeeper and Her Son Remain
13 He Is Lying Thus, Apparently Forgetful
14 I Was About to Add, He Presently Goes on
- Disc 26 -
1 Overpowered By His Exertions, He Lays His Head Back
2 An Effect of These Horrors Is That Volumnia Finds
3 Chapter 59; Esthers Narrative: It Was Three O'Clock
4 Now, Miss Summerson, He Said to Me
5 The Last Police-Officer with Whom He Had Conferred
6 As They Went Out, Mr Bucket Made Me Sit Down
7 It Had Been Written in Portions, at Different Times
8 It Was Necessary for Her Mistress to Comfort Her
9 I Have the Most Confused Impressions of That Walk
10 Chapter 60: Perspective: I Proceed to Other Passages
11 He Checked Himself in Glancing Towards the Window
12 We Said No More About It
13 The Poor Soul Kissed Me with the Most Troubled Look
14 Pardon Me, Returned Mr Vholes
15 They Left My Dear Girl Still Sitting at the Piano
- Disc 27 -
1 Chapter 61: A Discovery: The Days When I Frequented
2 I Was Coming to the Point with Great Difficulty
3 Observe the Case, My Dear Miss Summerson
4 I Was There, As I Have Mentioned, at All Hours
5 Dear Mr Woodcourt, Said I
6 Chapter 62: Another Discovery: I Had Not the Courage
7 A Servant Came to the Door to Announce Mr Bucket
8 Mr Bucket Eyed the Old Man for a Moment
9 He Unbolted the Door, Called in the Bearers
10 Chapter 63: Steel and Iron: Georges Shooting Gallery
11 George, Full of the Idea of Iron
12 My Dear George, Returns His Brother
13 There It Is, Brother, Cries the Trooper
- Disc 28 -
1 Chapter 64: Esthers Narrative: Soon After I Had
2 Because He Was So Dear, So Good, So Admirable
3 I Was Cold, and I Trembled Violently
4 What Happiness Was Ours That Day
5 Mr Jobling Said Certainly and Withdrew a Little
6 Chapter 65: Beginning the World: The Term Had Commenced
7 At This Juncture We Perceived Mr Kenge
8 I Would Not Let Him Take Me to a Coach
9 My Guardian, the Picture of a Good Man, Sat Down
10 Chapter 66: Down in Lincolnshire: There Is a Hush
11 Volumnia, Growing with the Flight of Time Pinker
12 Chapter 67: The Close of Esthers Narrative: Full Seven
13 With the First Money We Saved at Home
A complex plot of love and inheritance is set against the English legal system of the mid-nineteenth century, with all it's tortuous avenues and disguised resolutions. Here is the firm, Jarndyce & Jarndyce, the young orphan and ward of court Ester Summerson (who tells much of the story). As always, it is the skilled pen of Dickens himself that creates the momentum with his acute eye for both individual characters and their traits, and the backdrop of Victorian London.
