Most of Dickens' books tell basically the same story, but always with an eye for characters, and always with plenty of sympathy and humanity.

Here he is a little treacherous, first showing certain persons as contemptuous or disgusting, then only gradually unfolding their place in the great story. Disappointingly, the ending is a little rushed (especially given that he takes his usual 450 pages to get there), and leaves much to be desired. However, most of the threads get tied up, and it's refreshing that he doesn't see the need for a perfect happy-end this time.