This was a wonderful way to read Dickens...a masterpiece broken into two separate books, with each volume its own saga. In Volume II, we get to the true action, having been introduced to the characters in Volume I. And what action! So many characters with so many paths to follow, and all the paths leading to one bim-bam resolution. I love Dickens.

Boffin-osity! The Boffins keep us centered throughout this long journey, as they remind us of that frail chain of goodness that still emanates in human hearts. While I didn't immediately buy the Golden Dustman's improvised act, the conclusion made me feel good anyway. And those characters! Wegg, with the extra "g" to compensate for his missing leg. Mr. Venus, whose very name symbolizes science and dissection; Mortimer Lightwood, his first name displaying his class and his second showing his seemingly casual stance toward finding clients. Ah, they all became friends, waiting for me as I hurried home from work each evening.

Some will argue that this is Dickens' greatest work. It's always difficult for me to choose, as everytime I finish one of his masterworks, I decide that book was his best. For now, I have no Boffins to come home to, as they now sit on the completed shelf, waiting for me, or some other lucky denizen, to walk by in the future and scoop them up again.

Book Season = Winter (Dickens just seems to be made for that time of year) ( )