This is by far my favourite Dickens. In fairness, though, I've only read half a dozen or so of his - I find Oliver Twist a simpering, sickly little bore, and have no interest whatsoever in David Copperfield, even if he is Dickens' favourite character. But Bleak House... sprawling, massive, miserable Bleak House, I find you perfect in every respect.

I don't even mind that you outweigh an elephant. And considering how often I - justifiably! - bitch about too-lengthy books, that's saying something. Many of the SFF books I read could be cut down by half and lose nothing. But this giant wordy volume would lose a great deal if even a little were edited away. It's taken me the better part of a month to work my way through it and I don't even care. It's a masterpiece.