Bleak House is the ninth novel by Charles Dickens, published in 20 monthly parts between March, 1852 and September, 1853.

"Casa desolata" è il nono romanzo scritto da Charles Dickens, pubblicato in 20 dispense mensili tra il marzo del 1852 e il settembre del 1853.

The plot concerns a long-running legal dispute (Jarndyce and Jarndyce) which has far-reaching consequences for all involved.

La trama ha a che fare con una lunga disputa legale (Jarndyce e Jarndyce) che avrà delle conseguenze di vasta portata per tutte le parti in causa.

Dickens's assault on the flaws of the British judiciary system is based in part on his own experiences as a law clerk.

L'attacco di Dickens ai difetti del sistema giudiziario britannico è basato in parte sulle sue personali esperienze in qualità di impiegato in uno studio legale.

His harsh characterization of the slow, arcane Chancery law process gave voice to widespread frustration with the system, helping to set the stage for its eventual reform in the 1870s.

La sua aspra rappresentazione delle lente e arcane procedure del tribunale che decideva in materia di eredità diede voce all'enorme frustrazione contro il sistema e aiutò a costruire le basi per la successiva riforma negli anni 1870 e seguenti.*
*In realtà, gli anni dal 1870 al 1879

In Bleak House Dickens experimented with the device of dual narrators:

In "Casa desolata" Dickens ha sperimentato la struttura del duplice narratore:

an unnamed third-person narrator and the orphan Esther take turns to tell the story.

un narratore anonimo alla terza persona, e l'orfana Esther si alternano per raccontare la storia.

The scope is probably the broadest Dickens ever attempted, ranging from the filthy slums to the landed aristocracy, in a narrative that is in equal parts satire and comedy.

Il raggio d'azione è probabilmente il più ampio che Dickens avesse mai tentato: una panoramica dai sudici bassifondi all'aristocrazia fondiaria, in una narrazione che è in parti uguali satira e commedia.

The novel is also remarkable for the character of Mr. Bucket, one of the first detectives to appear in English fiction.

Il romanzo è anche notevole per il personaggio di Mr. Bucket, uno dei primi detective ad apparire nella narrativa inglese.

The character Mrs. Jellyby, always involved in good causes but with a chaotic family, is based upon Caroline Chisholm.

Il personaggio della Signora Jellyby, sempre impegnata a perorare buone cause ma con una famiglia davvero caotica, è basato sulla figura di Caroline Chisholm.

Many people saw the character of Harold Skimpole as a portrait of Leigh Hunt but this was always denied by Dickens.

Molti ritennero che il personaggio di Harold Skimpole ritraesse Leigh Hunt, ma ciò fu sempre negato da Dickens.

One character, Krook, dies of spontaneous human combustion.

Inoltre un personaggio, Krook, muore di combustione spontanea.

Some critics, including George Gissing and G. K. Chesterton, take this to be Dickens's best novel.

Alcuni critici, tra i quali George Gissing e G. K. Chesterton, ritengono che Casa desolata sia il miglior romanzo di Dickens.

The novel has been adapted for television twice by the BBC, once in eight parts in 1985, and again in fifteen parts in 2005.

Il romanzo è stato adattato per la televisione due volte dalla BBC, la prima volta in otto puntate nel 1985, e la seconda volta in 15 puntate nel 2005.

Publication

Pubblicazione

Like most Dickens novels, Bleak House was published in 19 monthly installments, each containing 32 pages of text and two illustrations by Phiz.

Come la maggior parte dei romanzi di Dickens, Casa Desolata venne pubblicato in 19 dispense mensili, contenenti ognuna 32 pagine di testo e due illustrazioni del disegnatore Phiz.

Each cost one shilling, except for the last, which was a double issue and cost two.

Ogni dispensa costava 1 scellino, eccetto l'ultima che fu una doppia uscita e costò 2 scellini.

I - March 1852 (chapters 1-4);

I - marzo 1852 (capitoli 1-4);

II - April 1852 (chapters 5-7);

II - aprile 1852 (capitoli 5-7);

III - May 1852 (chapters 8-10);

III - maggio 1852 (capitoli 8-10);

IV - June 1852 (chapters 11-13);

IV - giugno 1852 (capitoli 11-13);

V - July 1852 (chapters 14-16);

V - luglio 1852 (capitoli 14-16);

VI - August 1852 (chapters 17-19);

VI - agosto 1852 (capitoli 17-19);

VII - September 1852 (chapters 20-22);

VII - settembre 1852 (capitoli 20-22);

VIII - October 1852 (chapters 23-25);

VIII - ottobre 1852 (capitoli 23-25);

IX - November 1852 (chapters 26-29);

IX - novembre 1852 (capitoli 26-29);

X - December 1852 (chapters 30-32);

X - dicembre 1852 (capitoli 30-32);

XI - January 1853 (chapters 33-35);

XI - gennaio 1853 (capitoli 33-35);

XII - February 1853 (chapters 36-38);

XII - febbraio 1853 (capitoli 36-38);

XIII - March 1853 (chapters 39-42);

XIII - marzo 1853 (capitoli 39-42);

XIV - April 1853 (chapters 43-46);

XIV - aprile 1853 (capitoli 43-46);

XV - May 1853 (chapters 47-49);

XV - maggio 1853 (capitoli 47-49);

XVI - June 1853 (chapters 50-53);

XVI - giugno 1853 (capitoli 50-53);

XVII - July 1853 (chapters 54-56);

XVII - luglio 1853 (capitoli 54-56);

XVIII - August 1853 (chapters 57-59);

XVIII - agosto 1853 (capitoli 57-59);

XIX-XX - September 1853 (chapters 60-67).

XIX-XX - settembre 1853 (capitoli 60-67).

Characters

Personaggi

Esther, orphan

Esther, orfana

Harold Skimpole, a character, according to Nuttall, in the habit of sponging his friends.

Harold Skimpole, un personaggio - secondo Nuttall - solito a vivere alle spalle degli amici

Mr. Bucket, detective

Signor Bucket, detective

Mrs. Jellyby

Sig.ra Jellyby

Krook, villain

Krook, il cattivo

Bleak House is the ninth novel by Charles Dickens, published in 20 monthly parts between March, 1852 and September, 1853.

The plot concerns a long-running legal dispute (Jarndyce and Jarndyce) which has far-reaching consequences for all involved.

Dickens's assault on the flaws of the British judiciary system is based in part on his own experiences as a law clerk.

His harsh characterization of the slow, arcane Chancery law process gave voice to widespread frustration with the system, helping to set the stage for its eventual reform in the 1870s.

In Bleak House Dickens experimented with the device of dual narrators:

an unnamed third-person narrator and the orphan Esther take turns to tell the story.

The scope is probably the broadest Dickens ever attempted, ranging from the filthy slums to the landed aristocracy, in a narrative that is in equal parts satire and comedy.

The novel is also remarkable for the character of Mr. Bucket, one of the first detectives to appear in English fiction.

The character Mrs. Jellyby, always involved in good causes but with a chaotic family, is based upon Caroline Chisholm.

Many people saw the character of Harold Skimpole as a portrait of Leigh Hunt but this was always denied by Dickens.

One character, Krook, dies of spontaneous human combustion.

Some critics, including George Gissing and G. K. Chesterton, take this to be Dickens's best novel.

The novel has been adapted for television twice by the BBC, once in eight parts in 1985, and again in fifteen parts in 2005.

Publication

Like most Dickens novels, Bleak House was published in 19 monthly installments, each containing 32 pages of text and two illustrations by Phiz.

Each cost one shilling, except for the last, which was a double issue and cost two.

I - March 1852 (chapters 1-4);

II - April 1852 (chapters 5-7);

III - May 1852 (chapters 8-10);

IV - June 1852 (chapters 11-13);

V - July 1852 (chapters 14-16);

VI - August 1852 (chapters 17-19);

VII - September 1852 (chapters 20-22);

VIII - October 1852 (chapters 23-25);

IX - November 1852 (chapters 26-29);

X - December 1852 (chapters 30-32);

XI - January 1853 (chapters 33-35);

XII - February 1853 (chapters 36-38);

XIII - March 1853 (chapters 39-42);

XIV - April 1853 (chapters 43-46);

XV - May 1853 (chapters 47-49);

XVI - June 1853 (chapters 50-53);

XVII - July 1853 (chapters 54-56);

XVIII - August 1853 (chapters 57-59);

XIX-XX - September 1853 (chapters 60-67).

Characters

Esther, orphan

Harold Skimpole, a character, according to Nuttall, in the habit of sponging his friends.

Mr. Bucket, detective

Mrs. Jellyby

Krook, villain