I just finished reading Bleak House by Charles Dickens, an 874 page tome originally published over 150 years ago.  It surprises me that I enjoy Dickens as much as I do, considering how reticent I was toward his novels in high school.  However, as I mature I find I become more and more fascinated with the past and a Dickens novel is great way to experience the past through the people who lived it.  I say mature, because I prefer to think of myself as developing and improving instead of just aging, but that’s a debate for another time.

I stumbled upon Bleak House while browsing through classic literature at a local Barnes and Noble store.  I really enjoyed Great Expectations and had most recently read A Tale of Two Cities, so I decided to look for some other Dickens novels.  At first I was a little intimidated by the size of Bleak House, but I eventually accepted the challenge, purchased a copy, and began.  Although I felt it meandered a bit and could have done without a few characters and side plots, such as Mr. Guppy and Mr. Weevle, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and feel better for having completed it. I won’t go any further critiquing this classic which has already been written about by better judges than me.

After completing such a heavy (both in weight and substance) book, I decided to read something a little easier next and settled on Cell by Stephen King.  I started it this morning and was hooked immediately, I think I’ll finish it pretty quickly.