Charles Dickens's masterful assault on the injustices of the British legal system As the
interminable case of 'Jarndyce and Jarndyce' grinds its way through the Court of Chancery it
draws together a disparate group of people: Ada and Richard Clare whose inheritance is
gradually being devoured by legal costs Esther Summerson a ward of court whose parentage is
a source of deepening mystery the menacing lawyer Tulkinghorn the determined sleuth Inspector
Bucket and even Jo the destitute little crossing-sweeper. A savage but often comic
indictment of a society that is rotten to the core Bleak House is one of Dickens's most
ambitious novels with a range that extends from the drawing rooms of the aristocracy to the
poorest of London slums. This edition follows the first book edition of 1853 and includes all
the original illustrations by 'Phiz' as well as appendices on the Chancery and spontaneous
combustion. In his preface Terry Eagleton examines characterisation and considers Bleak House
as an early work of detective fiction. For more than seventy years Penguin has been the
leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1 700
titles Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and
across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced
by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
