Bleak House, Dickens' boldest experiment in narrating a complex plot, challenges the reader to make connections between the fashionable and the outcasts, the beautiful and the ugly, the powerful and the victims. Nowhere in Dickens' later novels is his attack on an indifferent society more imaginatively embodied, and nowhere is the blend of comedy and furious satire handled more skillfully. Bleak House defies simple description. It is a mystery story in which Esther Summerson uncovers the truth about her birth and the tragic life of her unknown mother. It is a murder tale that reaches its climax in an exciting chase, led by one of the earliest detectives in English fiction, Inspector Bucket. And it is a fable about redemption, in which a dreary house is transformed by the resilience of human love. About the series: For over 100 years, Oxford World's Classics has offered the largest selection of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship and provides the most accurate text along with a wealth of additional valuable features, including expert introductions by leading scholars, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.