Mystery of Edwin Drood

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed) Charles Dickens's final, unfinished novel is in many ways his most intriguing. A highly atmospheric tale of murder,The Mystery of Edwin Droodforeshadows both the detective stories of Conan Doyle and the nightmarish novels of Kafka. As in many of Dickens's greatest novels, the gulf between appearance and reality drives the action. Set in the seemingly innocuous cathedral town of Cloisterham, the story rapidly darkens with a sense of impending evil. Central to the plot is John Jasper: in public he is a man of integrity and benevolence; in private he is an opium addict. And while seeming to smile on the engagement of his nephew, Edwin Drood, he is, in fact, consumed by jealousy, driven to terrify the boy's fiancee and to plot the murder of Edwin himself. ThoughThe Mystery of Edwin Droodis one of its author's darkest books, it also bustles with a vast roster of memorableand delightfully namedminor characters: Mrs. Billikins, the landlady; the foolish Mr. Sapsea; the domineering philanthropist, Mr. Honeythunder; and the mysterious Datchery. Several attempts have been made over the years to complete the novel and solve the mystery, but even in its unfinished state it is a gripping and haunting masterpiece.Dickens, Charles is the author of 'Mystery of Edwin Drood', published 2004 under ISBN 9781400043286 and ISBN 140004328X.