Hard Times

Charles Dickens offers Simon Prebble every opportunity to show off his talent. Prebble brings life to the complex characters, describing them with all the color of the author's words and giving them personalities beyond their fitting voices. He assumes the dialects spoken in Victorian England--the educated and the uneducated--maximizing the alliterations and complexities to comedic effect. The nimble Prebble mimics a character's lisp, while keeping the words understandable. He describes the soot and sweat of industry to champion the working poor. Knowing Dickens was paid by the word helps explain why he uses so many when economy would do. Also, the fact that his stories were serialized explains why they go on and on, rather than taking the formulaic structure of modern novels. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine


Once in a while a great reader captures a classic work with such perfection that the listener can't put the headphones down. British actor Martin Jarvis, who lately achieved attention in the movie Titanic, attempts a full character portrayal, and succeeds--he glides effortlessly from one character to another. A sprightly old woman, for example, he enunciates in a high-pitched near-falsetto--it could be the woman herself. Professor Gradgrind's flat words sound like the prim schoolmaster he is. Mr. Bounderby, who throws his weight around throughout the book, is loud and blustery and insufferable. Jarvis carries the narrative portions nicely, too: His voice is precise, deliberate and yet smooth and expressive. Dickens was in the full flower of his talent when he wrote Hard Times, and this performance is a tribute to him. D.W. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine