The Pickwick Papers (Classic Drama)

This full-cast dramatization of Charles Dickens's first novel is by turns delightful, sober, uproarious, and, once in a while, over the top. The music and background noises are appropriate, but it's the actors who carry the show, and they throw themselves into the task with great enthusiasm. To the American ear, it's sometimes hard to follow the rapid-paced accents, particularly when listening in a car. But it's most enjoyable to experience the surprises and occasional evils of British society of Dickens's day. D.R.W. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

Starred review from June 25, 2012
With true artistry, narrator David Timson brings to life the misadventures of the Pickwick Club. In Dickens’s first novel, Samuel Pickwick (founder and president of the eponymous club) and three “Pickwickians” travel outside the comforts of London to document life in the English countryside. What follows is a succession of incidents filled with eccentric characters and social commentary. Clocking in around 32 hours, this audio edition would be an arduous task for any narrator, but Timson embraces this intimidating assignment with admirable aplomb. Whatever the scenario presented in prose, he matches the tone and keeps the story moving at a steady clip. He perfectly captures the author’s many characters, providing spot-on vocal characterization for each one. This is an outstanding listen for both fans of Dickens and those new to his work.