Our Mutual Friend

Yes, I know, it's Sunday, and I said I would post on Fridays. That's the way life is. Let's just say I will strive to post every weekend. How 'bout that?

So! Now we know who Our Mutual Friend is. But--do we really?? (Wink, wink) No, I haven't read the book before, or any synopsis of it, but am I the only one suspecting that Mr. Rokesmith might be an alias covering the tracks of another recently-thought-to-be-dead young man of great prospects?

See, I don't know if that's a spoiler. Maybe it is. But I don't know! So it's a guess. 

This set of chapters flew right along for me, as we returned to many of the characters we met in the first six chapters. How adorable are the Boffins? I love them. And while I suspect they're up to absolutely no good, I'm quite intrigued with those charming newlyweds, the Lammles. I just hope that their true targets, the wannabe Veneerings (that name still makes me giggle), are the ones who pay the price, and not the disastrously hapless Miss Georgiana Podsnap, who, for heaven's sake, desperately needs a real friend to snatch her out of the claws of her horrendously misguided parents. 

And what about Mr. Riderhood and his pious desire to tell the truth about Gaffer and get everything documented in an Alfred David? A large part of me is assuming he's lying to get the reward. But on the other hand, his unceremonious dismissal from the Six Jolly Felowships might have made him reluctant to come forward on his own. Is he on the up-and-up, or just a conniver?

Oh, Mr. Dickens, you are so very entertaining. The whole scene where the Veneerings start mentioning all their dear friends, and poor Mr. Twemlow mentally calculates how many there are. ("Oh! There's only two of us, and he's the other.") The whole luscious chapter detailing the marriage--and truth-unveiling--of the Lammles.

I suspect Mr. Dickens is making a considerable amount of commentary on Victorian society and sensibilities, but this early in, I don't want to hazard too many guesses. I'll just merrily continue into the next six chapters. 

Comments

[Miss T]

I agree, delightful chapters, and the characters are great fun.

Actually, I think that Sunday is the perfect day to post. I seem to be getting a good chunk of the reading done on the weekends, so if you post on Friday, I'll probably avoid your blog until Sunday anyway, when I'm ready to move on to the next set of chapters. Maybe other people are faster, though!