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Adam Leverton
Adam Leverton is the author of Our Mutual Friend. He writes literary fiction.
Our Mutual Friend
Synopsis
Presumed drowned in the Thames, John Harmon returns to London under an assumed name rather than immediately claim the fortune his father's will made contingent on a marriage of convenience. As the inheritance passes instead to the devoted Boffins, a wide cast of Londoners — a waterman's daughter, a social-climbing young woman, a spurned schoolmaster — become entangled in the same web of money, identity, and appearances. Dickens's last completed novel.
Genres
Characters
John Harmon (as Rokesmith/Handford)Protagonist
A man presumed dead after a boating accident who survives and returns under the alias John Rokesmith, then Julius Handford; he is an heir to a fortune tied up in legal conditions.
Bella WilferProtagonist
A young woman initially drawn to wealth who comes to value love over money.
Noddy BoffinSupporting
The Harmon family's loyal former employee, unexpectedly heir to their fortune.
Mr. VeneeringSupporting
Lizzie HexamSupporting
A courageous, illiterate young woman pursued by two very different suitors.
Frequently asked questions
Does Our Mutual Friend have a TV adaptation?
There is a notable BBC television adaptation of Our Mutual Friend from 1998, which is generally well-regarded for its faithfulness to the novel's intricate plot and character development.
How does Our Mutual Friend compare to Dickens's earlier works?
Our Mutual Friend is often considered one of Dickens's more mature and darker novels, showcasing a heightened satirical edge and a more complex, less overtly sentimental view of society compared to some of his earlier, more optimistic narratives.
What inspired the plot of Our Mutual Friend?
The novel was partly inspired by Dickens's fascination with the River Thames and the social issues surrounding it, particularly the practice of 'mudlarking' and the grim realities of poverty and class distinctions in Victorian London.