Customer Reviews

Little Dorrit

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book edition is the companion novel to the BBC miniseries shown on TV in the UK in late 2008. The series companion book for the PBS USA show in April 2009 was published by Penguin books (ISBN: 0143115871). The book is the complete edition of the Little Dorrit novel by Charles Dickens. It does not have supplemental material that is available in other published editions of the novel. It also does not have any illustrations. There is a preface by the author and an introduction by Andrew Davies, who did the screenplay for the TV series.

The novel is a story about the Dorrit family whose father lives in a debtors prison and whose future is changed by a man (Arthur Clennam) whose dying father's words triggers a search for answers from his past. The theme of imprisonment pervades the entire story and nearly everyone is affected by it in one shape or form. The storyline focuses on the youngest Dorrit child, Amy, and Arthur who encounter many different people in London and European society, but remain very simple, good, and practical people throughout the story. The novel provides Dickens with a platform to criticize many of the then current English forms of bureaucracy, class snobbery, and greed. The Dorrit family gains a fortune and then loses it all while the Clennams also sees their financial house collapse as well. But through it all, the hero and heroine of the story end up together.

The BBC series does take some very different plot developments that differ from the novel. It would be too numerous to list them all. Much of those differences are posted in my comment on the DVD listing for the TV series on Amazon. There are strengths and weaknesses between the novel and the TV series. I would suggest watching the TV series first before reading the novel which avoids the common reaction of "hey wait a minute, that wasn't in the book!".

I got this book because I could not figure the relationship between little dorrit and the family from the video. I was surprised to find the story was written in 70 installments which made it very readable. It was also entertaining to discover what the video left out. very entertaining book.

An excellent book. I'm pleased to have. The script is easy to read and it clears up what the PBS program was difficult to understand.