Book Club Meeting: Our Mutual Friend (Ch. 1–5) Host’s Welcome:
“Thanks for coming, everyone. Tonight we’re diving into the first five chapters of Our Mutual Friend. Dickens doesn’t ease us in, does he? Corpses on the Thames, dinner parties full of peacocks, and a mysterious inheritance already dangling over the story like bait. Let’s jump right in.” 1. First Impressions Prompt: What struck you most in these opening chapters—was it the river scene, the over-the-top Veneering dinner, or the idea of inheriting a fortune by marrying someone you don’t know?
Possible responses to spark enthusiasm: “I couldn’t believe Dickens started with a dead body—it’s like Victorian noir!” …