Our Mutual Friend

Our Mutual Friend is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published in installments between 1864 and 1865.

The story begins with the discovery of a body in the River Thames and the disappearance of John Harmon, a young heir expected to inherit a large fortune. His supposed death transfers the money to the Boffins, a kind working-class couple who suddenly enter the corrupt and competitive world of wealth.

As hidden identities, romantic relationships, and financial ambitions become entangled, the novel follows several characters whose lives are transformed by money and social expectations. Their choices reveal the dangers of greed, deception, and judging people by their status.

Combining mystery, satire, and romance, Our Mutual Friend offers a sharp criticism of Victorian society while exploring love, loyalty, personal redemption, and the true meaning of prosperity.

"In these times of ours, though concerning the exact year there is no need to be precise, a boat of dirty and disreputable appearance, with two figures in it, floated on the Thames, between Southwark bridge which is of iron, and London Bridge which is of stone, as an autumn evening was closing in."