The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Written by Charles Dickens

Narrated by David Timson

Left unfinished after Dickens died in 1870, The Mystery of Edwin Drood centers on Edwin Drood’s uncle, John Jasper, and his love for Rosa Bud, Edwin’s fiancée. Set in the dark, fictional cathedral city of Cloisterham, the novel is awash with guilt, disguise and mystery. It contains some fine writing, and just before his death, Dickens left an indication of where the plot was going, which is included.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: May 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781843795995

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was one of England's greatest writers. Best known for his classic serialized novels, such as Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations, Dickens wrote about the London he lived in, the conditions of the poor, and the growing tensions between the classes. He achieved critical and popular international success in his lifetime and was honored with burial in Westminster Abbey.

Reviews for The Mystery of Edwin Drood

[slmr4242 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Liked it, but would have been able to give a better review had it been finished. I loved the BBC film interpretation. I think they made some excellent guesses as to the direction of Dickens's thoughts.

[juva_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In a quiet English town, something very mysterious is about to occur. Mr. Edwin Drood, a young man blessed by fate and circumstances is going to vanish without trace. Only his watch and shirt pin are found. The most likely suspect is his rival, another young man, less fortunate and possessed of a passionate disposition. It seems the two loved the same young girl and many suppose that the one did away with the other. However, as the reader knows, the young Drood and his lady Rosa have recently broken off their engagement. It had been decided upon by their deceased parents and the two feel unsuited. Moreover, Drood's uncle was also powerfully obsessed with young Rosa. After the disappearance, he makes violent love to Rosa in the garden and threatens her with some dreadful consequence if she does not give herself to him.This story has become quite famous as an unsolved and unsolvable mystery. It was began by the author shortly before his death and it's conclusion is unknown. The plot is dark and haunting and full of much promise.

[lirmac-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Mystery of Edwin Drood shows Dickens at the height of his powers as a writer. The plot and mood echo the grand guignol leanings of Our Mutual Friend, with sinister figures conspiring in an opium den, a graveyard and mouldering Cathedral lodgings with winding staircases. The characters have all of the comedy and pathos that we would expect from the author of Bleak House, and there is very little of Dickens' sentimental or 'improving' mode in the half of the novel that was completed. Although the book's final resolution will forever remain open, there is more than enough in what remains of Edwin Drood to make a highly satisfactory read.

[sixteendays · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I love Dickens more than perhaps any other author that has ever existed. The first Dickens I ever read was David Copperfield. I know from that experience, that it is in my nature to struggle with Dickens love of slow-building plots. It wasn't until almost page 400 of Copperfield that something had clicked with me, and by the end it was my favorite book of all-time.So the downside of Edwin Drood is that it is unfinished. Not that the blame can really be laid on Dickens himself, it's not as if he just up and decided to push off this mortal coil before finishing his story. Unfortunately, he left behind the slow-build. The endless character introductions and the beginning of plot-weaving. Due to it being a mystery novel, many, MANY characters are introduced and at one time I considered drawing a chart just to keep it straight. The afterword of my edition reflects upon other writers that have written about - or even tried to finish - Edwin Drood. The question you would ask is who was the murderer. The consensus seems to be it is John Jasper, which to me is highly unfortunate as the entire set up of Mr. Jasper is basically "this guy is a creep and he probably did it". In my dream ending, Rosa would have been the murderer - content to not be married to Edwin but not willing to let him marry anyone else either.Overall, I had a very difficult time reading the build-up knowing there would be no payoff. I considered not finishing the book a number of times. This work is for hard-core Dickens lovers only.

[Shawn Holmes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The mystery of The Mystery of Edwin Drood!! I have always wanted to read this. This is by far one of my favorite Dickens novels. I do wish he could’ve finished it.

[Jenny Cooke · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's such a shame this wasn't finished but I appreciate that they talk at the end about Dickens' ideas and how it might have ended. It reminded me of Bleak House quite a lot, there are some wonderful characters.

[girlblossom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredible, maybe the best of Charles Dickens. Impeccably read. Recommended.

[getrus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I honestly still do not know what to say about The Mystery of Edwin Drood. It is possibly one of the only mysteries which caught me off guard about how it ends. I did not expect it. But I need to say that the book is not finished. Dickens died before he was able to finish it and I don’t even think he knew how it was going to end.Anyway, Edwin Drood is a young man under the care of John Jasper. He is engaged to Rosebud. Well, not exactly engaged, there is an understanding (from when they were both young) that they would marry. Friends with Jasper is Mr. Crisparkle a parson who lives with his mother. Also included in this party is Mr. Grewgious, of when Rosebud is a ward.Mr. Crisparkle, soon after the novel begins is charged with the education of Neville and Helena Landless. Neville is known for having a temper and falls in love with the beautiful Rosa and he thinks Edwin does not deserve her. Helena becomes Rosa’s good friend and confidant to which she tells Helena about Jasper’s love (obsession I call it) for her. (I should mention that Jasper happens to be her music teacher.)To end this rather quickly, we skip forward about fifty pages, and Edwin and Rosa have ended their arrangement having love for one another only that of brother and sister with no romantic inclination at all. Shortly after this agreement is made, Edwin goes missing and is presumed dead. Most everyone thinks poor Neville did it (He threatened Edwin a couple of times.) They were never able to prove one way or another, but Neville still was shunned by most of the town.The book skips forward six months and Jasper is still adamant it was Neville, Crisparkle defends his charge, Neville lives in seclusion seeing only Crisparkle and Helena, and Rosa finds a way to run off from Jasper’s unwanted attentions.And yet we are without any explanation as to what happened to Edwin Drood.Dickens is amazing. This being his last book he has writing an interesting and engaging story down pat. I extremely enjoy his use of nicknames for most of the characters (which at times were confusing); he calls Crisparkles mother the China Shepardess, and Rosa is given the nickname of Pussy by Edwin, and the opium dealer is given the name of Her Royal Highness the Princess Puffer. (I didn’t mention that Jasper has an addiction to opium.)

[danielstj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An incomplete, and final, book by Dickens. The fact that it was incomplete is a shame, really, because it had just started to pick up for me when the story abruptly ended and there was a lot of setting up, I thought, to make the plot able to flow. Nevertheless, this is not his strongest work and I felt that there was much that would have benefited from editing. Yet, as this is an incomplete work and never shown to publishers before death, I figure that you have to take the book as is.2.5 stars- worth checking out for Dickens fans.

[philsyphe · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Before reading any works by Charles Dickens, I really wanted to like everything he’d penned. I expected to like everything, in fact, because of his reputation. Alas! “Edwin Drood” is yet another of this highly-acclaimed and super-successful author’s novels that failed to engage me.Too many characters, too many adverbs, and too much rambling on with no purpose equals a slow and unengaging narrative.I see most others reviewers have high praise for both book and author, but sadly I can’t concur.

[rickyhaas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This has been my least favorite Dickens Novel out of the five I've read. I thought the pacing was a little slow and the characters were more bland. I felt that the first half of the book was introducing characters and their relationships with one another. Then the murder finally happens and the pacing picks up, but then within a few chapters the pacing slows back down. This book took me about three months to read, I was able to finish Great Expectations, which is twice the size, within three weeks. I would only recommend this book to people who like early mystery novels or are avid fans of Charles Dickens.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Maybe a five star book if Dickens would've completed it. No fault of his. But still has his typical great writing, at times dark and foreboding at others funny and whimsical, and filled with amusing characters. Takes place in Cloisterum a gothic fictional town where Edwin disappears. I should also mention the reader does and excellent job with the different voices and accents. Deserves accolades on his own.

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Somewhat hard to rate this one, as it ends, of course, about halfway through. It sure would be great to know how Dickens planned to bring this book to a close - is Drood really dead? Who is Dick Datchery? But, even left undone, there are some great characters and good set pieces here, and even with some of the silly bits, it's quite a fun read.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This would have been a tremendous book had Dickens lived to finish it. Definitely Dickens characters and mysterious plots at his very best. I will now read The D. Case which purports to solve the mystery and I think there is also a book in which several authors try their hand at writing the rest of the book. I think that would be fun as well.

[shirleybell · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This one only has 3 stars from me because it is unfinished. Otherwise, I would have given it 4 stars. This is the second of Dickens' books I have read, and I enjoyed the intrigue and the wonderfully descriptive style he has, and his characters are so unique! I wish I had not read this on my kindle, though, as I think Dickens is far better read in a paper book, where you can more easily flick back and forth to remind yourself of who all the characters are!

I would love to know how he would have ended it, but I like to think that Neville was innocent and Nadler guilty and he got his come-uppence in the end!

[clair.dlune · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The ending would have been GREAT!

[janwillemnoldus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

French translation with an original (apocryphal) conclusion. The solution of the mystery makes of this version an original creation based upon the unfinished novel by Dickens.

[samfsmith_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is Dickens’ last unfinished novel. My cunning plan is to read this, then read some of the many novels that attempt to finish the novel for Dickens, or deal with the end of Dickens life. Any excuse to read more books!Actually, even though the novel is unfinished, it’s a satisfying read. Edwin Drood disappears. He is a young, happy-go-lucky, man who was engaged in an arranged marriage. Just as Edwin and his fiance break off their engagement, he disappears. Public suspicion falls on a friend of his, another young man. But all clues tend to point to his uncle Jasper, who seems obsessed with Edwin’s fiance. Jasper is also a secret opium addict, smoking it in the opening scene in a den in London.No one knows where Dickens intended to take the novel. Is Edwin really dead? Or has he just disappeared because of the termination of his engagement? We’ll never know, but that hasn’t stopped other writers from speculating.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not much of a mystery, but a fine story! Lots of tension and suspense and some great characters, just like a good Dickens tale. I was quite drawn in and even a bit surprised by some of the characters reactions and actions. Pleasantly surprised I should say. I did think it unraveled a bit towards the end, but Mr. Dickens probably would have fixed that if he had lived a bit longer.

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dickens's last, half finished novel. This is reasonably fast paced compared to some of the author's works. It is a great shame he died before this could be completed as the elements of a good mystery are there and it leaves off at what feels like the threshold of a fairly significant revelation. As ever, some colourful characters and great language. But why is it written in the present tense?Other stories in this collection not yet read.

[whatthedickens_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A pity that Dickens didn't this one before his death. Many dark themes are explored by Dickens, and an interesting snapshot of the underbelly of life in London in the late 1800s. Might have been Dickens greatest work . . . but we will never know.