I hadn't heard of the story before but since I've enjoyed Dickens other fictional works I delved into the story.
Before I address the question in the post's title, I must first point out Dickens' amazing choice in character's names and how well suited they are to their character. Look at just a few:
You may need to say these names out loud to understand:
Tulkinghorn (talks a lot and is loud),
Snagsby (hen-pecked timid fellow), at first I heard Snacksby, he was a portly fellow too.
Dedlock,
Boythorn,
Skimpole,
Guppy,
Bucket,
Jellyby,
Smallweed,
Nemo (“which means no one in Latin but he must be someone”)
AND more. Kudos Dickens!
Back to the question in the title of my post...
Dickens initial thought to write this story came from noticing a legal case first read in the courts in 1797 and finally decided in 1859. Really! 62 years! Bothered by this and many other cases taking a ridiculously long time for a judicial decision, Dickens wrote this satire.
Needless to say, those in the legal profession didn't appreciate Dickens humor. Nonetheless, the story led to the necessary legal reform in the1870's.
Tidbit: The story Bleak House, a tangled legal mystery/drama was first printed as a series of twenty stories printed over a period of one-and-a-half years, as a result the cast list is looooooong. But, not at all difficult to follow.
I've heard many classical stories were originally written as short stories. Have you ever waited for a TV series to end then binge watched the entire series? Yes, well, we get to binge read the classics. The poor readers of yesteryear had to wait for the each next installment!
As with other Dickens stories, the characters are vivid, and many are downright humorous. Exaggeration has a voice in this story. A funny voice.
I highly recommend Bleak House, definitely a 5 out of 5, for your next venture into classical reading.
By the way, the BBC made a movie of Bleak House. I haven't seen it yet but plan to later this week.
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