Our Mutual Friend

Known as one of Charles Dickens’ most sophisticated works, “Our Mutual Friend” is a satirical, yet complex novel about the desires and failings that revolve around money. Though praised by literary critics in the 1860s as Dickens’ best novel, it was not until the early 21st century that it was recognized as a true, albeit contemporary, look at the Victorian class society. Dickens is celebrated for his social criticisms, credited as a literary genius of the Victorian era.

John Harmon, an estranged son heir to a London fortune, is found murdered in a river outside the city. The inheritance he was promised now falls into the hands of two naïve servants, Mr. and Mrs. Boffin. The Boffins take in John Harmon’s wife-to-be, Bella Wilfer, treating her as the new heiress of the estate as though she were their daughter. At the same time, they hire a lad named John Rokesmith as Mr. Boffin’s secretary, who is dead set on learning more about the murder of John Harmon. “Our Mutual Friend” is a thriller, a romance, and a mystery all in one novel.

Composed of four different books that Dickens wrote over a year, “Our Mutual Friend” not only captures its readers with its riveting storyline and unsuspecting twists, but with its sharp, savage wit. As Dickens’ last complete novel, “Our Mutual Friend” is a captivating read you don’t want to miss out on.