Graham Storey explores Dickens"s vital engagement with some of the most intractable social and political issues of his day, and shows how these are reflected in the plot and characterization of Bleak House. In his detailed analysis of the novel"s principal themes and unique structure, he shows why it occupies a pivotal position in Dickens"s career. He also assesses the surprisingly varied reception this great novel has had, and places it in the context of European literature as a whole.