Little Dorrit

Charles DickensFeb 2015

4.1

Word count: 395K words
Chapters: 74

Summary

In this novel Dickens launches a ferocious onslaught on England and English society, drawing on the memory of his own father for his depiction of the Marshalsea debtors' prison. Interwoven with this indictment is the story of the love between an older man and a younger woman.

Editor's review

Little Dorrit is one of Dickens's mature novels with the sharpest social critique. It weaves together the debtors' prison, bloated bureaucratic institutions, and a culture of speculation, making "imprisonment" both a concrete predicament and a metaphor for psychology and social relations. Dickens writes with biting satire of the dilatory absurdity of dogmatic institutions, yet with restraint and warmth of the love between Little Dorrit and the older man, creating a tension between cold irony and human tenderness. The novel's observations on money, class, family dependence, and self-respect still resonate today. It suits readers willing to read slowly and attend to social structures and character fates, progressing in sections over a longer period to appreciate Dickens's layered craftsmanship.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classic literature readers who enjoy Dickens's social critique and ensemble narratives
Readers concerned with the relationship between debt, class, bureaucracy, and individual fate
Readers willing to read long novels patiently and appreciate the interplay of satire and tenderness
Literature enthusiasts seeking insight into Victorian English society

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for light short stories or fast-paced love stories
Readers impatient with long ensemble casts, multiple plotlines, and dense satire
Readers who want simple inspirational stories and prefer to avoid society's dark side

Reading tips

First clarify the relationships among the Dorrit family, the Clennam family, and the Marshalsea, then move into details
Treat "imprisonment" as a thread running through the book, noting self-imposed limits in characters' words and actions
Slow down on chapters satirizing bureaucratic institutions and consult background materials if needed
Advance through the long novel volume by volume, reviewing changes in characters' circumstances and money relationships after each part

Copyright information
PREFACE TO THE 1857 EDITION
BOOK THE FIRST: POVERTY
CHAPTER 1. Sun and Shadow
CHAPTER 2 Fellow Travellers
CHAPTER 3. Home
CHAPTER 4. Mrs Flintwinch has a Dream
CHAPTER 5. Family Affairs
CHAPTER 6. The Father of the Marshalsea
CHAPTER 7. The Child of the Marshalsea
CHAPTER 8. The Lock
CHAPTER 9. Little Mother
CHAPTER 10. Containing the whole Science of Government
CHAPTER 11. Let Loose
CHAPTER 12. Bleeding Heart Yard
CHAPTER 13. Patriarchal
CHAPTER 14. Little Dorrit's Party
CHAPTER 15. Mrs Flintwinch has another Dream
CHAPTER 16. Nobody's Weakness
CHAPTER 17. Nobody's Rival
CHAPTER 18. Little Dorrit's Lover
CHAPTER 19. The Father of the Marshalsea in two or three Rel
CHAPTER 20. Moving in Society
CHAPTER 21. Mr Merdle's Complaint
CHAPTER 22. A Puzzle
CHAPTER 23. Machinery in Motion
CHAPTER 24. Fortune-Telling
CHAPTER 25. Conspirators and Others
CHAPTER 26. Nobody's State of Mind
CHAPTER 27. Five-and-Twenty
CHAPTER 28. Nobody's Disappearance
CHAPTER 29. Mrs Flintwinch goes on Dreaming
CHAPTER 30. The Word of a Gentleman
CHAPTER 31. Spirit
CHAPTER 32. More Fortune-Telling
CHAPTER 33. Mrs Merdle's Complaint
CHAPTER 34. A Shoal of Barnacles
CHAPTER 35. What was behind Mr Pancks on Little Dorrit's Han
CHAPTER 36. The Marshalsea becomes an Orphan
BOOK THE SECOND: RICHES
CHAPTER 1. Fellow Travellers
CHAPTER 2. Mrs General
CHAPTER 3. On the Road
CHAPTER 4. A Letter from Little Dorrit
CHAPTER 5. Something Wrong Somewhere
CHAPTER 6. Something Right Somewhere
CHAPTER 7. Mostly, Prunes and Prism
CHAPTER 8. The Dowager Mrs Gowan is reminded that 'It Never
CHAPTER 9. Appearance and Disappearance
CHAPTER 10. The Dreams of Mrs Flintwinch thicken
CHAPTER 11. A Letter from Little Dorrit
CHAPTER 12. In which a Great Patriotic Conference is holden
CHAPTER 13. The Progress of an Epidemic
CHAPTER 14. Taking Advice
CHAPTER 15. No just Cause or Impediment why these Two Person
CHAPTER 16. Getting on
CHAPTER 17. Missing
CHAPTER 18. A Castle in the Air
CHAPTER 19. The Storming of the Castle in the Air
CHAPTER 20. Introduces the next
CHAPTER 21. The History of a Self-Tormentor
CHAPTER 22. Who passes by this Road so late?
CHAPTER 23. Mistress Affery makes a Conditional Promise,
CHAPTER 24. The Evening of a Long Day
CHAPTER 25. The Chief Butler Resigns the Seals of Office
CHAPTER 26. Reaping the Whirlwind
CHAPTER 27. The Pupil of the Marshalsea
CHAPTER 28. An Appearance in the Marshalsea
CHAPTER 29. A Plea in the Marshalsea
CHAPTER 30. Closing in
CHAPTER 31. Closed
CHAPTER 32. Going
CHAPTER 33. Going!
CHAPTER 34. Gone

FAQ

What does the title Little Dorrit refer to?

It refers to the heroine, Amy Dorrit. She is small in stature and lives under the weight of debt and family pressure, so she is often called "Little Dorrit." The title takes her name for the whole book and makes this kind, discerning woman the central lens for observing society.

Can I read it without prior experience with Dickens?

Yes, but it requires some patience. The book has many characters and long plotlines, and its satire targets nineteenth-century British institutions; an annotated edition is recommended. First grasp the relationship between the Dorrit and Clennam families, then expand gradually—there's no need to remember every character at the start.

What does this book mainly criticize?

It mainly criticizes social mechanisms represented by the debtors' prison and bureaucratic institutions, as well as the hypocritical relationships formed around money, inheritance, and speculation. Dickens writes both about institutional pressure on individuals and about how people deceive themselves, become dependent, and lose dignity within them; the critique does not stop at any single institution.

Is it suitable to read in one sitting?

Not really. The work is long and heavily铺垫—continuous hard reading can bog you down in names and subplots. Reading by volume or by major scenes, with brief reviews after each session, actually makes the layers of satire and changes in relationships easier to appreciate.

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About the author

Charles Dickens Author · British · 1812–1870

Charles Dickens was the greatest novelist of the Victorian era in nineteenth-century Britain. Born in Portsmouth in 1812, he was forced to leave school and work as a child laborer because of his family's debts, an experience that profoundly shaped his critical view of society. His major works include Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations, which expose social injustice and are filled with humanitarian concern. With intricate plots, vivid characters, and an infectious style, he portrayed the many facets of Victorian British society and addressed issues such as the gap between rich and poor, justice, and education. His works remain widely read today, and the library holds 128 editions of his works, spanning foreign literature, world classics, and inspirational coming-of-age categories.