The Mystery of Charles Dickens... um, I mean, Edwin Drood: A Review

Every summer I start reading my yearly Dickens novel and I wonder "will this novel be better than the others?" Sometimes, as was the case with Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby, the answer was that there are Dickens novels worthier of the reader's time. More often than not, my conclusion is that Dickens is a genius and deserves all the praise that he gets. In my mind, none of Dickens' novels could ever compare with Bleak House and Little Dorrit, and frankly they will always be the Dickens standard for me.

Upon beginning The Mystery of Edwin Drood about a month ago, I struggled with Dickens the same way that I always do. It normally takes me the first hundred pages or so to get into the style and language, and gradually enjoy the novel more as the pages pass. The problem with Edwin Drood is that there isn't much beyond the first hundred pages; Charles Dickens never had the luxury of finishing this novel. He died in June of 1870, halfway through writing Edwin Drood.

The main plot can be boiled down to a single sentence. Edwin Drood disappears, presumably murdered, but the clues surrounding his disappearance are scarce. It is unusual that a Dickens novel can be so concisely summarized, but all the clues that Dickens gives us, before and after Edwin's disappearance, all points toward the culprit. Of course, there is much more to the story than just the murder -- it wouldn't be a Dickens novel without characters' fate being interwoven.

But here's the most amazing thing about this novel: even though Dickens never finished it, I can speak with absolute certainty on who murdered Edwin. That's the fantastic thing about Dickens. Not a single paragraph is unnecessary in a Dickens novel; every character and every minute, over-detailed description has a unique, crucial purpose. (All of this is even more amazing when you realize that Dickens submitted his novels for publication in installments before he even finished them. He couldn't go back and add a little detail here and there to make everything connect.) Almost before Edwin even disappeared, I could have told you who was going to kill him and where his dead body could be found. The murder scene was never described, but all the clues are clearly visible for the reader to piece the puzzle together. But what is even more amazing is that you don't realize that you're being handed pieces to the puzzle until you really sit and think about it and everything falls into place. Suddenly, the chapters about the opium house, the odd old woman, and the cathedral crypt are not as seemingly random as they seem. And when the last pieces of the puzzle are put into place, the picture on top is nothing less than astonishing.

Upon finishing Edwin Drood, I sent my best friend a text something to the effect of "Charlie died at a really inopportune time." This novel had the potential of being his best novel, in my opinion, but nobody knows word-for-word how it would have ended. But upon considering the "seemingly random" details, I realized that he finished enough of the novel that it isn't as "inopportune" as one might think. There are minor details which are up for speculation, like whom marries whom, but for the most part he answers all the important questions. Had he died a chapter sooner, a major detail would have been left unaddressed. Of course, it would have been nice to read more but death can only be controlled on the pages of fiction.

This is why Dickens is a literary genius. How many authors can weave such a masterful tale, let alone leave it unfinished but gift the audience with all the clues that they need? He says nothing definitely, and yet he doesn't need to. His manner of laying out a novel and stating the facts allows the reader put two and two together on his own. That, I believe, is a remarkable achievement. Dickens uses the reader's intelligence to his advantage, and solves the mystery without even finishing the book.

The moral to this story is don't judge a book by it's cover. Or in this case, don't ignore The Mystery of Edwin Drood because Dickens died before finishing it. This is, without a doubt, one of Dickens' greatest accomplishments as an author. Despite the fact that we only have half the story, it deserves to be on the list of great Dickens novels because it was left unfinished and it is still perfection. He didn't need 800 pages to create a masterpiece like he did in Bleak House. He only needed 250 pages to simultaneously produce a masterpiece and the greatest cliffhanger of all time. Only Dickens could have made a mystery out of a mystery novel.

One more stop in Reading Europe 2016. Back to the Continent!

A Very Slow Start to the New Year

January 2016 has been one of the slowest months for me, ever. I blame the busyness of the fall months and my need to recharge for the first month of 2016. It's difficult for me to believe that a new year has started, and yet I'm supposed to get started on my goals for this new year? So it's the last day of January and I'm finally getting myself (mildly) organized for the new year. I might be a month late in my planning but better late than never. So here's what 2016 has in store for me here in Oklahoma.

I suppose I should recap on 2015 before I delve into 2016. My best friend and I (along with my mother, who didn't make as much progress, which can be blamed fully on their move) set out to read three different books from different regions in England, and we finished those books in December. I am waiting until I can acquire a copy of the BBC miniseries of Cranford. I haven't forgotten about it, it's just delayed.

Reading England 2015 was such a success for us that we've decided to do the same thing again, with a slight twist. We decided that we need to expand our horizons outside of *just* England a little, so we will be doing Reading Europe 2016. We have chosen three countries: Russia, England, and France. Our first journey will be to Russia, to read Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. Next we will travel back to England to read another Dickens novel to fulfill my yearly Dickens' requirement. And finally we will end in France with an Alexandre Dumas novel. We haven't decided which Dickens and Dumas we will read yet, mainly because my books are scattered between two states, and three different places at present and I haven't had the opportunity to find the books I need.

Outside of reading, I have a few sewing projects I hope to do, including quilting more, curtains for the master bedroom, and a few skirts, if I can find the fabric for them. I might try to paint some of our new home if I can find someone to help me. I also hope to start gardening some this spring. My sweet husband made me raised beds in the fall, and I'm ready to fill them with some veggies. I also hope to plant some more flowers in the front flower beds a little closer to spring. We will see how this goal turns out; in the past I've had a brown thumb, mainly because of my forgetfulness. Otherwise I plan to bask in housewifery and try to keep up with my husband's schedule.

I am very excited for this year. I have a few trips and other small projects planned, and I might even get around to posting a few blog posts about my adventures. But I am mostly excited for reading outside of my comfort zone. It's something I haven't done since college and am eager to do again. What are you planning to read this year? I encourage everyone to read something, even if it's not a classic. And if you don't listen to me, at least listen to Jane Austen: "The person, be it a gentleman or a lady, who has not the pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid."