a man and his family go into debtors prison. 20 years later, through the efforts of a 40 yearold man recently returned from China, they come into money.

Dickens has so many different threads all running at once that it is hard to define just what the exact story is. There is the story of Little Dorrit[youngest daughter, born in prison], of her family, of Mr Clennam [the middleaged man from china who it appears Little Dorrit is in love with], of some italian who has a tie to an english murderer, to Mr Clennam's business partner[who is in perpetual warfare with the Circumlocution Office of government].

It is SO fascinating though. Dickens descriptions of his character is perfect. From comparing them to inanimate objects in mannerisms to how they simply talk, you KNOW what Character X is like. I am just in awe. ( )