Charles Dickens' Our Mutual Friend is his final completed novel, following multiple interconnected plots centered on a mysterious inheritance and the Thames River's dark undercurrents. Through stories of social climbers, misers, the working poor, and lovers tested by money, Dickens explores wealth's corrupting influence and what truly matters in life. The novel becomes both social satire and redemption story, proving that Dickens' final work is among his darkest and most complex and that some inheritances bring only misery.

WHY WE PICKED IT: Because Dickens' last complete novel is his most mature exploration of money's power to corrupt and redeem. This classic reminds us that the "dust heaps" are both literal garbage and metaphor for wealth, that Bella Wilfer's transformation is touching, and that the Thames itself is a character representing London's depths.

DETAILS: • Author: Charles Dickens • Publisher: Penguin Classics • Format: Paperback • Publication Date: February 1, 1998 • ISBN: 9780140434976 • Edition: Revised • Ships direct from distributor in 3–7 business days