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Description edit
A satiric masterpiece about the allure and peril of money, Our Mutual Friend revolves 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... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Mr. Boffin: The Golden Dustman or inheritor of the Harmon fortune after John Harmon is murdered on his way to claim his inheritance.
- Bella Wilfer: A young woman willed by old man Harmon to his son John Harmon. She is to be married to him when he returns to claim his inheritance, but before he reaches England he is beset by thieves and murdered leaving Bella the willing companion to the new inheritor's, Mr. and Mrs. Boffin.
- Mr. Silas Wegg: A ballad seller when first we meet him but soon hired by Mr. Boffin to read to him in the evenings. Mr. Wegg soon feels put upon by this arrangement and seeks reparation through means both foul and unecessary.
- Mr. Venus: A taxidermist known by Mr. Wegg and pulled into his plot to bring Mr. Boffin to the grindstone. Unbeknownst to Wegg he becomes an ally of Mr. Boffin after realizing that Mr. Wegg's intentions are far more devious than they ought to be.
- Mrs. Lammle: A woman who marries for fortune only to find that the husband she married chose her for her fortune believing her to be the wealthy one in the match. She and her husband then set about to gain a fortune in any manner they can.
- John Harmon: A young man on his way back to England to claim the fortune, and the bride, as set forth to him in his father's will. He is attacked and believed to be drowned before he truly reaches England.
- Mrs. Wilfer: The mother of Bella Wilfer and a woman of uncommon virtue. To her detriment.
- Eugene Wrayburn: A young man who becomes entangled in the Harmon murder by virtue of his friendship with Mr. Lightwood. He meets, and becomes enamored with, a young woman of much lower standing than he on the night of the inquest into the murder of John Harmon and begins to pursue her company though he is unsure of where he would like his attentions to take him.
- Mortimer Lightwood: A lawyer hired by Mr. Harmon to draft his will. He then becomes involved in bringing young John Harmon home to claim his will and his bride. Furthering his involvement is the attack and murder of John Harmon just as he reaches the shores of England.
- Lizzie Hexam: Daughter of Gaffer Hexam, a waterman, and raised on the coast working with her father in his gruesome business of trolling the waters of the Thames for the bodies of unfortunates.
- John Rokesmith: The young secretary of Mr. Boffin and lodger of the Wilfer's who's past is a little more than shady.
- Mr. Twemlow: A member of society and character of some depth as we find he is in great debt due a pledge made for a friend. A "great friend" of the Veneering's.
- Bradley Headstone: The schoolmaster who takes Lizzie Hexam's brother Charlie under his tutelage in the expectation of raising him from river man's son to a young man of some standing. Mr. Headstone meets, and becomes obsessed with, Lizzie Hexam, much to his detriment and that of many others.
- Miss Podsnap: The daughter of Mr. Podsnap, a member of parliament, but, more importantly, a member of society. And, as such, much is expected of her in her marriage and social life. Mrs. Lammle becomes somewhat entangled with her for a brief time.
- Miss Jenny Wren: The Doll's dressmaker and friend of Lizzie Hexam and Bella Wilfer. She is lame in both legs and walks with a cane but is quite proud of her stature as the doll's dressmaker and, her one glory, long flowing golden hair. She has a "bad child" with whom she struggles throughout the story.
- Mrs. Veneering: A woman of society and mother of "baby" who is the dearest and best of friends with, seemingly, all of London.
- Mr. Roger "Rogue" Riderhood: A competitor in the river trawling trade and no friend to Gaffer Hexam. A fellow loathed and despised by nearly all who know him and quite likely to keep things that way and use it to his own advantage.
- Mr. Inspector: Leader of the inquest in the murder of John Harmon.
- Alfred Lammle: A newly wed man involved in society to his eyeteeth. He married Sophronia for her wealth only to discover, shortly after the marriage has taken place, that she has none. She in turn discovers that the man she married for his wealth has none. They are left to work together, despite their hatred of one another, to the best of their abilities to gain wealth, whether justly or by more nefarious means.
- R. Wilfer: Father of Miss Bella Wilfer. A lovely cherub of a man who delights his daughter and tries, mostly without success, to stay far away from his wife.
- Miss Peecher: A young schoolmistress much in love with Mr. Bradley Headstone. He barely acknowledges her existence.
- Mr. George Sampson: The young man courting Miss Bella Wilfer, but upon her leaving the family home to become the ward of Mr. Boffin, changes over his affections and attention to Bella's sister.
- Lavvy Wilfer: Sister of Bella Wilfer and nearly as antagonistic as her mother.
- Johnny: A young baby Mrs. Boffin hopes to adopt.
- Betty Higdon: Grandmother of young Johnny, two other small children caretaker of a man called Sloppy. A very kindhearted old soul who cares more with her heart than with her means.
Setting & Locations edit
First Sentence edit
In these times of ours, though concerning the exact year there is no need to be precise, a boat of dirty and disreputable appearance, with two figures in it, floated on the Thames, between Southwark bridge which is of iron, and London Bridge which is of stone, as an autumn evening was closing in.
Table of Contents edit
Book The First - The Cup And The Lip
1. On The Lookout
2. The Man From Somewhere
3. Another Man
4. The R. Wilfer Family
5. Boffin's Bower
6. Cut Adrift
7. Mr. Webb Looks After Himself
8. Mr. Boffin In Consultation
9. Mr. And Mrs. Boffin In Consultation
10. A Marriage Contract
11. Podsnappery
12. The Sweat Of An Honest Man's Brow
13. Tracking The Bird Of Prey
14. The Bird Of Prey Brought Down
15. Two New Servants
16. Minders And Reminders
17. A Dismal Swamp
Book The Second - Birds Of A Feather
1. Of An Educational Character
2. Still Educational
3. A Piece of Work
4. Cupid Prompted
5. Mercury Prompting
6. A Riddle Without An Answer
7. In Which A Friendly Move Is Originated
8. In Which An Innocent Elopement Occurs
9. In Which The Orphan Makes His Will
10. A Successor
11. Some Affairs Of The Heart
12. More Birds Of Prey
13. A Solo And A Duett
14. Strong Of Purpose
15. The Whole Case So Far
16. An Anniversary Occasion
Book The Third - A Long Lane
1. Lodgers In Queer Street
2. A Respected Friend In A New Aspect
3. The Same Respected Friend In More Aspects Than One
4. A Happy Return Of The Day
5. The Golden Dustman Falls Into Bad Company
6. The Golden Dustman Falls Into Worse Company
7. The Friendly Move Take Up A Strong Position
8. The End Of A Long Journey
9. Somebody Becomes The Subject Of A Prediction
10. Scouts Out
11. In The Dark
12. Meaning Mischief
13. Give A Dog A Bad Name, And Hang Him
14. Mr. Webb Prepares A Grindstone For Mr. Boffin's Nose
15. The Golden Dustman At His Worst
16. The Feast Of The Three Hobgoblins
17. A Social Chorus
Book The Fourth - A Turning
1. Setting Traps
2. The Golden Dustman Rises A Little
3. The Golden Dustman Sinks Again
4. A Runaway Match
5. Concerning The Medicant's Bride
6. A Cry For Help
7. Better To Be Abel Than Cain
8. A Few Grains Of Pepper
9. Two Places Vacated
10. The Dolls' Dressmaker Discovers A Word
11. Effect Is Given To The Dolls' Dressmaker's Discovery
12. The Passing Shadow
13. Showing How The Golden Dustman Helped To Scatter Dust
14. Checkmate To The Friendly Move
15. What Was Caught In The Traps That Were Set
16. Persons And Things In General
Chapter The Last - The Voice of Society
Series & Lists edit
This is book 869 of 1272 in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (authoritative list)
Preceded by Alice in Wonderland, and followed by Uncle Silas.
This book is in Modern Library Classics. (edition-based publisher list)
This book is in Penguin Classics. (edition-based publisher list)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Chapman & Hall
Country: London, England
Publication Date: 1865
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 683
Publisher: Chapman & Hall
Country: London, England
Publication Date: 1865
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 683
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 823.8
Subjects edit
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Links to Supplemental Material edit
- Internet Archive: Scanned Image of 1865 Chapman & Hall Edition
- Wikipedia: Our Mutual Friend (novel) description
- Project Gutemberg: Our Mutual Friend full text
- Librivox: Our Mutual Friend audio book read by Mil Nicholson
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