Bleak House is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode serial between March 1852 and September 1853. The novel has many characters and several sub-plots, and is told partly by the novel’s heroine, Esther Summers on, and partly by an omniscient narrator. At the Centre of Bleak House is a long-running legal case in the Court of Chancery, Jarndyce and Jarndyce, which comes about because a testator has written several conflicting wills. In a preface to the 1853 first edition, Dickens claimed there were many actual precedents for his fictional case. One such was probably the Thellusson v Woodford case in which a will read in 1797 was contested and not determined until 1859. Though many in the legal profession criticized Dickens’s satire as exaggerated, this novel helped support a judicial reform movement which culminated in the enactment of legal reform in the 1870s.
01 – In Chancery02 – In Fashion03 – A Progress04 – Telescopic Philanthropy05 – A Morning Adventure06 – Quite at Home07 – The Ghost’s Walk08 – Covering a Multitude of Sins09 – Signs and Tokens10 – The Law-Writer11 – Our Dear Brother12 – On the Watch13 – Esther’s Narrative14 – Deportment15 – Bell Yard16 – Tom-all-Alone’s17 – Esther’s Narrative18 – Lady Deadlock19 – Moving on20 – A New Lodger21 – The Small weed Family22 – Mr. Bucket23 – Esther’s Narrative24 – An Appeal Case25 – Mrs. Snags by Sees it All26 – Sharpshooters27 – More Old Soldiers than One28 – The Ironmaster29 – The Young Man30 – Esther’s Narrative31 – Nurse and Patient32 – The Appointed Time33 – Interlopers34 – A Turn of the Screw35 – Esther’s Narrative36 – Chesney World37 – Jarndyce and Jarndyce38 – A Struggle39 – Attorney and Client40 – National and Domestic41 – In Mr. Tulking horn’s Room42 – In Mr. Tulkinghorn’s Chambers43 – Esther’s Narrative44 – The Letter and the Answer45 – In Trust46 – Stop him!47 – Jo’s Will48 – Closing In49 – Dutiful Friendship50 – Esther’s Narrative51 – Enlightened52 – Obstinacy53 – The Track54 – Springing a Mine55 – Flight56 – Pursuit57 – Esther’s Narrative58 – A Wintry Day and Night59 – Esther’s Narrative60 – Perspective61 – A Discovery62 – Another Discovery63 – Steel and Iron64 – Esther’s Narrative65 – Beginning the World66 – Down in Lincolnshire67 – The Close of Esther’s Narrative
