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Title: The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Completed)
Series: ———-
Authors: Charles Dickens & David Madden
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Classic
Pages: 483
Words: 181.5K
| Synopsis: |
This book is divided into two parts, the first being Dicken’s original and unfinished manuscript. The second part is where Madden takes over and finishes up the story.
In his version, the old man, Datchery, is an undercover detective hired by Mr Grewgious, the guardian of Rosa. He figures lots of things out and with the help of Reverend Crisparkle, pins the murder on Jasper, Edwins’s uncle. Helene Landless is at this time secretly engaged to Crisparkle and her brother, Neville, overhears the evidence through that connection. He confronts Jasper, who is in an opium haze and Jasper ends up falling off the steeple in town and impaling himself on an iron fence.
| My Thoughts: |
I finished up the incomplete Drood back in March and the first thing I noticed upon starting this was just how much I enjoy Dickens’ writing. It felt like putting on a pair of broken in slippers that were warm and fit me perfectly.
As I noted in my Currently Reading post a couple of weeks ago, Madden seemed to be trying to stay within the same literary framework. For the most part, I think he succeeded. I never felt jarred out of the story because of something Madden had written nor was the style radically different. Now, to be clear, he is NO Dickens. He had the mechanical aspect of writing like Dickens down, but that’s what it was. His writing was not inspired like Dickens’ could be. It really felt like Dickens writing on a bad day, perhaps with a head cold and cough that kept interrupting his thoughts. But I was satisfied with the job Madden did.
The completion of the story on the other hand, was even more pat than Dickens. It wasn’t bad by any means or super sappy or anything negative, but it was, mmhhmm, bland. If Dickens had ended things that way, I’d probably be ok with it though. So maybe I’m just looking for things to pick on about Madden.
Whatever the case, whenever I do another Dickens re-read, I’ll make sure to ends thing with this volume, not the incomplete one.
Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road 
How does this compare to Drood, Where’s My Car? Judge Drood or other incarnations of this character?
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Far superior in my opinion.
Not as much a rollicking ride as in Drood/Car but since Edwin is still dead in the book and not an alien like in Car, I prefer that.
And while this gets grim, what with Edwin’s uncle impaling himself after falling off the building, it’s no where NEAR as grim as Judge Drood. I still remember that scene from Judge where the criminal is falling in slow motion and we get to see his heart explode from the fear. That is grim…
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One of these days I’ll get to this. I’m a bit of a purist though so I might not read the completed version.
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yeah, read the original and decide if you can live with it. If you can, no need for this 🙂
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Interesting to read your thoughts on this. You seem conflicted yet largely satisfied. Guess it’s never easy when people start playing around with something you like a lot (e.g. Dickens’ writing)! 😛
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You describe my feelings aptly. My Completionist side is warring against my Purity of Dickens side 😀
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Why didn’t Brandon Sanderson finish this book? Booh
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Hahahahhaa!
And suddenly, Drood rises from the dead with arcane powers, assumes the seat of Government just as aliens from the moon invade the earth.
Oh man, I can’t imagine Sanderson writing anything like Dickens. Sanderson is wordy but he’s not weighty, if you can understand that.
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just yesterday I was watching a Dickens film on Prime and his discovery of Christmas. Something shook me inside. yes, Dickens I don’t know why, but he shakes me, he made me catch my breath, I was very down and his Christmas, his economic troubles, made me hope for many colored lights for my life. I have read almost everything by Dickens, both for study (I studied English literature) and for pleasure.
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I too enjoy reading Dickens for pleasure. This book completed my latest Dickens re-read so I figure in about another 10 years I’ll do it all over again 😀
Thanks for the follow and the comment. Much appreciated.
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For me, it just doesn’t feel right to have a book finished by another author. Just no 😛
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I take it you’re never going to read the Wheel of Time series then 😀
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Hahahah did you have any doubts? 😀
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Until this moment, there was always a chance 🙂
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