This short literature course is an opportunity to read and discuss Bleak House (1853), Charles Dickens’s famously sprawling and multi-faceted novel: a scathing satire of the law courts, a commentary on Victorian England’s social injustices, and a detective story of dark secrets.
We’ll study its themes, plots and characters, and we’ll also explore the historical and publication contexts of this unique novel.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
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This in-college course considers Bleak House (1853), a novel of vast scope, which Dickens himself considered to be among his best. We’ll read closely to examine its themes, plots, characters and narrative techniques. We’ll also explore the novel’s historical and social contexts, engaging with critical materials too, and consider how this understanding can enhance our reading.
What will we cover?
We’ll cover a range of topics as we explore the novel’s structure, its themes and its huge cast of characters, drawn from all levels of Victorian society.
We’ll discuss plots, sub-plots and the role of coincidences; characters and Dickens’s narrative techniques for making them memorable; and the novel’s use of two narrators. We’ll think about how the novel develops its themes – including the workings of the law courts, injustice, identity and poverty – and set these in the social context of 1850s London, in which pollution, sanitation and housing conditions were pressing concerns. As we read we’ll think too about the context of Victorian print culture, the original publication of Bleak House in serial form over 18 months and its contemporary reception.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Develop your understanding and appreciation of the plots, themes and narrative techniques in Bleak House.
Develop your understanding and appreciation of the historical and publication contexts of Bleak House.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is open to everyone who is interested to read and discuss BleakHouse in a friendly group. You don’t need to have read Charles Dickens’s work or studied literature before.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Work outside the class involves doing the reading for each week, and thinking in advance about questions provided for you by the tutor. It would be helpful to come to the first class having read at least the first 16 chapters of Bleak House, to get the most out of the first session.
Teaching on the course includes: short presentations from the tutor, group discussion, small group activities and close reading and analysis. The tutor will encourage participation and interaction, providing opportunities for sharing responses and ideas.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You’ll need to buy or borrow your own copy of Bleak House – it can be any edition. The tutor will provide links to and/or copies of all other reading and class materials.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Look for other Fiction courses in our Literature Programme under History, Culture and Humanities/Literature/Fiction at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Kate is a teacher and researcher in English literature. She holds a PhD in English from Queen Mary, University of London, where she has also taught on a range of literature courses. Kate’s specialist interest is twenty-first-century fiction, and she’s delighted to be teaching new City Lit courses about contemporary writing. Kate is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Authority, and a member of the British Association for Contemporary Literary Studies. She has published articles in academic journals and is now working on a book about contemporary novels and letters. Kate is fascinated by new writing, and only gradually coming to terms with the fact that there will never be enough time to read everything she’d like to.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/great-works-charles-dickens-s-bleak-house2744891Great Works: Charles Dickens's Bleak Househttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/autobiography-into-poetry-hw640-1024.jpg129129GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Fiction22851177118711881228511771187<p>This short literature course is an opportunity to read and discuss <em>Bleak House</em> (1853), Charles Dickens’s famously sprawling and multi-faceted novel: a scathing satire of the law courts, a commentary on Victorian England’s social injustices, and a detective story of dark secrets. </p><p>We’ll study its themes, plots and characters, and we’ll also explore the historical and publication contexts of this unique novel. </p>002744795Great Works: Charles Dickens's Bleak House129129https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/autobiography-into-poetry-hw640-1024.jpgInStockDaytimeThuKeeley StreetNo longer available1 to 4 weeksWeekday2026-04-30T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allApr 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHLT289129129Great Works: Charles Dickens's Bleak House10384129Kate Wilkinsongreat-works-charles-dickens-s-bleak-house/hlt289-2526<p>This short literature course is an opportunity to read and discuss <em>Bleak House</em> (1853), Charles Dickens’s famously sprawling and multi-faceted novel: a scathing satire of the law courts, a commentary on Victorian England’s social injustices, and a detective story of dark secrets. </p><p>We’ll study its themes, plots and characters, and we’ll also explore the historical and publication contexts of this unique novel. </p>0015-FullStillOpen|2026-04-30 00:00:00<p>This in-college course considers <em>Bleak House</em> (1853), a novel of vast scope, which Dickens himself considered to be among his best. We’ll read closely to examine its themes, plots, characters and narrative techniques. We’ll also explore the novel’s historical and social contexts, engaging with critical materials too, and consider how this understanding can enhance our reading. </p><p>This short literature course is an opportunity to read and discuss <em>Bleak House</em> (1853), Charles Dickens’s famously sprawling and multi-faceted novel: a scathing satire of the law courts, a commentary on Victorian England’s social injustices, and a detective story of dark secrets. </p><p>We’ll study its themes, plots and characters, and we’ll also explore the historical and publication contexts of this unique novel. </p><p>We’ll cover a range of topics as we explore the novel’s structure, its themes and its huge cast of characters, drawn from all levels of Victorian society. </p><p>We’ll discuss plots, sub-plots and the role of coincidences; characters and Dickens’s narrative techniques for making them memorable; and the novel’s use of two narrators. We’ll think about how the novel develops its themes – including the workings of the law courts, injustice, identity and poverty – and set these in the social context of 1850s London, in which pollution, sanitation and housing conditions were pressing concerns. As we read we’ll think too about the context of Victorian print culture, the original publication of <em>Bleak House </em>in serial form over 18 months and its contemporary reception.</p><ul><li>Develop your understanding and appreciation of the plots, themes and narrative techniques in <em>Bleak House</em>.</li><li>Develop your understanding and appreciation of the historical and publication contexts of <em>Bleak House</em>.</li></ul><p> </p><p>This course is open to everyone who is interested to read and discuss<em> Bleak</em> <em>House</em> in a friendly group. You don’t need to have read Charles Dickens’s work or studied literature before. </p><p>Work outside the class involves doing the reading for each week, and thinking in advance about questions provided for you by the tutor. It would be helpful to come to the first class having read at least the first 16 chapters of<em> Bleak House</em>, to get the most out of the first session.</p><p>Teaching on the course includes: short presentations from the tutor, group discussion, small group activities and close reading and analysis. The tutor will encourage participation and interaction, providing opportunities for sharing responses and ideas.</p><p>You’ll need to buy or borrow your own copy of <em>Bleak House</em> – it can be any edition. The tutor will provide links to and/or copies of all other reading and class materials.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Look for other Fiction courses in our Literature Programme under History, Culture and Humanities/Literature/Fiction at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureFictionvirtual10312984HLT289NONEThu30/04/26 - 21/05/2612:45 - 14:4512:4514:454 sessions (over 4 weeks)41 to 4 weeksDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetKate WilkinsonBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allNo longer available2026-04-30T00:00:00+00:00Apr 2026Culture, history & humanities129129Great Works: Charles Dickens's Bleak Housegreat-works-charles-dickens-s-bleak-house/hlt289-2526<p>This short literature course is an opportunity to read and discuss <em>Bleak House</em> (1853), Charles Dickens’s famously sprawling and multi-faceted novel: a scathing satire of the law courts, a commentary on Victorian England’s social injustices, and a detective story of dark secrets. </p><p>We’ll study its themes, plots and characters, and we’ll also explore the historical and publication contexts of this unique novel. </p>0015-FullStillOpen|2026-04-30 00:00:00<p>This in-college course considers <em>Bleak House</em> (1853), a novel of vast scope, which Dickens himself considered to be among his best. We’ll read closely to examine its themes, plots, characters and narrative techniques. We’ll also explore the novel’s historical and social contexts, engaging with critical materials too, and consider how this understanding can enhance our reading. </p><p>This short literature course is an opportunity to read and discuss <em>Bleak House</em> (1853), Charles Dickens’s famously sprawling and multi-faceted novel: a scathing satire of the law courts, a commentary on Victorian England’s social injustices, and a detective story of dark secrets. </p><p>We’ll study its themes, plots and characters, and we’ll also explore the historical and publication contexts of this unique novel. </p><p>We’ll cover a range of topics as we explore the novel’s structure, its themes and its huge cast of characters, drawn from all levels of Victorian society. </p><p>We’ll discuss plots, sub-plots and the role of coincidences; characters and Dickens’s narrative techniques for making them memorable; and the novel’s use of two narrators. We’ll think about how the novel develops its themes – including the workings of the law courts, injustice, identity and poverty – and set these in the social context of 1850s London, in which pollution, sanitation and housing conditions were pressing concerns. As we read we’ll think too about the context of Victorian print culture, the original publication of <em>Bleak House </em>in serial form over 18 months and its contemporary reception.</p><ul><li>Develop your understanding and appreciation of the plots, themes and narrative techniques in <em>Bleak House</em>.</li><li>Develop your understanding and appreciation of the historical and publication contexts of <em>Bleak House</em>.</li></ul><p> </p><p>This course is open to everyone who is interested to read and discuss<em> Bleak</em> <em>House</em> in a friendly group. You don’t need to have read Charles Dickens’s work or studied literature before. </p><p>Work outside the class involves doing the reading for each week, and thinking in advance about questions provided for you by the tutor. It would be helpful to come to the first class having read at least the first 16 chapters of<em> Bleak House</em>, to get the most out of the first session.</p><p>Teaching on the course includes: short presentations from the tutor, group discussion, small group activities and close reading and analysis. The tutor will encourage participation and interaction, providing opportunities for sharing responses and ideas.</p><p>You’ll need to buy or borrow your own copy of <em>Bleak House</em> – it can be any edition. The tutor will provide links to and/or copies of all other reading and class materials.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Look for other Fiction courses in our Literature Programme under History, Culture and Humanities/Literature/Fiction at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureFictionconfigurable
11881187Fictionhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/literature/fiction1/2/285/1177/1187/11881/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Fiction
