Abstract
Perhaps more so than any other writer of his era, Charles Dickens knew how to tell a story that would draw readers in and keep them wanting more. This was especially important in a novel like Bleak House, which was originally published in nineteen monthly installments between March 1852 and September 1853. This essay examines the endings of the serial numbers in Bleak House and evaluates the extent to which Dickens used these endings to propel story, heighten physical or emotional drama, and keep readers engaged. By conducting a distant reading of the text and building on existing research, I will show that when the number endings are not suspenseful, they function in other ways—most notably to promote sympathy.