Bleak House
/ˌbliːk ˈhaʊs/
/ˌbliːk ˈhaʊs/
- a novel (1853) by Charles Dickens in which he attacks the ridiculous procedures of English law at the time. One of the many characters in the book is Mrs Jellyby, an old woman who is concerned for the welfare of poor people in foreign countries and offers them help, but ignores the needs of the people around her, including her own children.