Bleak House character list below for the supposed inspiration of individual characters). Although not a character, the "Jarndyce and Jarndyce" case is a vital part of the novel. It is believed to have been inspired by a number of real-life Chancery cases involving wills, including those of Charles Day and William Jennens, and of Charlotte Smith's father-in-law Richard Smith. Much criticism of "Bleak House" focuses on its unique narrative structure: it is told both by a third-person omniscient narrator and a first-person narrator (Esther Summerson). The omniscient narrator speaks in the present tense and is a dispassionate observer. Esther Summerson tells her
Bleak House: The Death of Rudolph van Richten House" campaign "is a strong blend of the old and the new. Haunted houses and deserted islands are hardly original "Ravenloft" concepts, but they're delivered in a confident and coherent style." He noted a few problems with "Bleak House": "Van Richten, for instance, seems to have forgotten what he learned from Dr. Illhousen in the "Nightmare Lands" expansion. The impact of the shipwreck scenario is marred if you've played "Neither Man Nor Beast" and the manuals suffer from clumsy artwork. But those are points for pedants." Webb concluded the review by saying, ""Bleak House" is a campaign that will destroy