Our Mutual Friend

by Dickens, Charles; Cotsell, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780192835239
• ISBN10: 0192835238
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-08-20
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

A satiric masterpiece about the allure and peril of money,Our Mutual Friendrevolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap's expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights "Noddy" Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes "the Golden Dustman." Charles Dickens's last complete novel,Our Mutual Friendencompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots,Our Mutual Friendis one of Dickens's most complexand satisfyingnovels.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION	ix	(13)
NOTE ON THE TEXT	xxii	(1)
A CHRONOLOGY OF CHARLES DICKENS	xxiii	(2)
CHARACTERS	xxv
OUR MUTUAL FRIEND
BOOK THE FIRST. THE CUP AND THE LIP	1	(213)
I. On the Look-out	1	(5)
II. The Man from Somewhere	6	(12)
III. Another Man	18	(14)
IV. The R. Wilfer Family	32	(12)
V. Boffin's Bower	44	(17)
VI. Cut Adrift	61	(16)
VII. Mr. Wegg looks after Himself	77	(9)
VIII. Mr. Boffin in Consultation	86	(13)
IX. Mr. and Mrs. Boffin in Consultation	99	(15)
X. A Marriage Contract	114	(14)
XI. Podsnappery	128	(16)
XII. The Sweat of an Honest Man's Brow	144	(16)
XIII. Tracking the Bird of Prey	160	(10)
XIV. The Bird of Prey brought down	170	(8)
XV. Two New Servants	178	(15)
XVI. Minders and Reminders	193	(16)
XVII. A Dismal Swamp	209	(5)
BOOK THE SECOND. BIRDS OF A FEATHER	214	(206)
I. Of an Educational Character	214	(19)
II. Still Educational	233	(11)
III. A Piece of Work	244	(11)
IV. Cupid Prompted	255	(13)
V. Mercury Prompting	268	(15)
VI. A Riddle without an Answer	283	(13)
VII. In which a Friendly Move is originated	296	(11)
VIII. In which an Innocent Elopement Occurs	307	(16)
IX. In which the Orphan Makes his Will	323	(8)
X. A Successor	331	(7)
XI. Some Affairs of the Heart	338	(12)
XII. More Birds of Prey	350	(15)
XIII. A Solo and a Duett	365	(14)
XIV. Strong of Purpose	379	(13)
XV. The Whole Case so Far	392	(16)
XVI. An Anniversary Occasion	408	(12)
BOOK THE THIRD. A LONG LANE	420	(209)
I. Lodgers in Queer Street	420	(13)
II. A Respected Friend in a New Aspect	433	(10)
III. The Same Respected Friend in More Aspects than One	443	(6)
IV. A Happy Return of the Day	449	(12)
V. The Golden Dustman Falls into Bad Company	461	(15)
VI. The Golden Dustman Falls into Worse Company	476	(15)
VII. The Friendly Move takes up a Strong Position	491	(12)
VIII. The End of a Long Journey	503	(12)
IX. Somebody Becomes the Subject of a Prediction	515	(17)
X. Scouts Out	532	(14)
XI. In the Dark	546	(10)
XII. Meaning Mischief	556	(9)
XIII. Give a Dog a Bad Name, and Hang Him	565	(10)
XIV. Mr. Wegg Prepares a Grindstone for Mr. Boffin's Nose	575	(13)
XV. The Golden Dustman at his Worst	588	(15)
XVI. The Feast of the Three Hobgoblins	603	(15)
XVII. A Social Chorus	618	(11)
BOOK THE FOURTH. A TURNING	629	(192)
I. Setting Traps	629	(12)
II. The Golden Dustman Rises a Little	641	(10)
III. The Golden Dustman Sinks Again	651	(11)
IV. A Runaway Match	662	(10)
V. Concerning the Mendicant's Bride	672	(17)
VI. A Cry for Help	689	(14)
VII. Better to be Abel than Cain	703	(11)
VIII. A Few Grains of Pepper	714	(11)
IX. Two Places Vacated	725	(11)
X. The Dolls' Dressmaker Discovers a Word	736	(7)
XI. Effect is given to the Dolls' Dressmaker's Discovery	743	(12)
XII. The Passing Shadow	755	(14)
XIII. Showing how the Golden Dustman Helped to Scatter Dust	769	(10)
XIV. Checkmate to the Friendly Move	779	(12)
XV. What was Caught in the Traps that were Set	791	(12)
XVI. Persons and Things in General	803	(12)
Chapter the Last. The Voice of Society	815	(6)
Postscript, in lieu of Preface	821	(2)
EXPLANATORY NOTES	823	(28)
FURTHER READING	851