This is one of those classic works of literature that I somehow missed, so I decided to get caught up to the rest of the world. 
 It's amazing how our contemporary thought process has changed from not long ago. We've become a 30-second sound-bite society, more interested in the quick information than in the whole story. I realized while reading this book that I tend to read quickly. I just want the story. Dickens made me slow down. He took me back to the days when reading was for savor and pleasure, not merely to finish the story. His descriptions are lengthy and vivid, and he breaks nearly every current-day writing rule, but you won't be able to say you couldn't see precisely what he was relating. It's like an old movie where the human relationship and the dialog are prominent, instead of one where things are blowing up in a flaming ball of excitement. 
 If you have the time to savor a classic work and have not yet read this, I highly recommend it.