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irene_chesnokova's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jowmy4's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
amyschmelzer's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
The fourth of Dickens’ Christmas Books is far from Christmasy. It is a love story. There are no supernatural elements like in the three that come before it.
kristykay22's review against another edition
3.0
The fourth of Dickens' Christmas novellas, The Battle of Life is really not Christmasy at all, but it is generally enjoyable. Beginning with a truly gruesome description of a bloody battlefield, the story quickly moves far forward in time to an idyllic apple orchard on that same field where we will witness "The Battle of Life" in a rather complicated love quadrangle involving two very lovely and sweet (too sweet!) sisters and two men, along with a philosopher father who thinks all of life is just a ridiculous joke, a pair of lawyers, and a couple of servants that provide us with our comic relief. The servants, Clemency and Britain, are truly the highlight of the novella and inject it with some humor and action that is entirely absent in the idealized and sentimental love story. The twist is pretty unbelievable, but nice enough. Read this one for the battlefield description at the start, and keep at it to see what happens to Clemency and Britain. Not bad, but there is more substantial Dickens out there.
geerfear's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
voodooheart's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh!! Even for Dickens this story was long, dreary and drug out.
And at the end I still find a single reason for the story or the title.
Complete garbage.
And at the end I still find a single reason for the story or the title.
Complete garbage.
beautifulshell's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not buying that ending, Chuck, but you being you, I enjoyed myself, as usual.
kaceymarie_24's review against another edition
3.0
This was much drier that previous works by Dickens that I've read. It lacked the attention grabbing details, and thus I was bored most of the way through. So far my least favorite by this author.
larade's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
teresatumminello's review against another edition
3.0
2.75
This will not go down as one of my favorite Dickens. While I liked the theme of the ‘battle of life’ being fought silently, some of the battle metaphors seemed overdone. There's nothing especially memorable about the characters, except for the servant Clemency, and the two sisters are annoying in their perfection. The debunking of the life-philosophies of the three older male characters was okay, except that much of the action happened 'off-stage'. The dialogue shines: I was happy –and relieved -- to be reading those exchanges, even that of the sisters.
This will not go down as one of my favorite Dickens. While I liked the theme of the ‘battle of life’ being fought silently, some of the battle metaphors seemed overdone. There's nothing especially memorable about the characters, except for the servant Clemency, and the two sisters are annoying in their perfection. The debunking of the life-philosophies of the three older male characters was okay, except that much of the action happened 'off-stage'. The dialogue shines: I was happy –and relieved -- to be reading those exchanges, even that of the sisters.