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Little Dorrit  By  cover art

Little Dorrit

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Anton Lesser
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Publisher's summary

William Dorrit has been a resident of the Marshalsea debtors prison for so many years that he has gained the nickname "The Father of the Marshalsea". However, his suffering is eased by his close bond with youngest daughter Amy, or "Little Dorrit".

The dashing Arthur Clennam, returning to London after many years in China, enters their lives, and the Dorrits' fortunes begin to rise and fall.

A biting satirical work on the shortcomings of 19th century government and society.

Public Domain (P)2008 Naxos Audiobooks

What listeners say about Little Dorrit

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A book for our times

1. This narrator may be the best reader of Dickens ever. Perfect voice for it.
2. This book resonates with our time well when so many middle or even upper class people are struggling with sudden economic reversals. Dickens captures the pain, the flase pride,the class consciousness...And for those readers who believe that government is nothing but an obstacle to the progress of the people, he created the circumlocution office, perhaps the best parody of government inefficiency and graft in all of English literature. Funny, funny, fnny.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

a melody of genius writer & compelling reader

Dickens and Lesser... You couldn't find a more brilliant duet!

I'm glad to see more of dickens great stories showing up with the spirited voice of Anton Lesser,.. i believe this man was born to read Dickens and Milton!

only I would like to see more unabridged, especially david cooperfield

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant and Deeply Moving

I've loved this book for a long time- I first read it the summer that graduated from high school and I've reread it several times since. Lesser's reading is masterful- relevatory is another adjective that comes to mind. His pacing is perfect and, as many other listeners have noted, he has an amazing ability to create individual and very vivid portraits of the many characters. For me his reading has opened up sections of this beloved book in a way that I would have missed no matter how many times I revisited it. Simon Vance reading Trollope is top notch. Prunella Scales' Wives and Daughters is extraordinary. Juliet Stevenson reading anything is not to be missed. However, none of these amazing artists is able to hold a candle to what Anton Lesser has done with this reading of Little Dorritt. More, please!

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Great narration; middling Dickens

I have listened to many of Dickens' novels. The narration of this one is excellent--Lesser is a man of a thousand voices and dialects, making this a very enjoyable listening experience. Among Dickens' novels, this is not one of the best. PRobably because it was published in monthly installments of equal length, some chapters/installments had the feel of being padded. More significantly, even for Dickens, some of the characters were very one-dimensional and the plot depended too much on coincidence and, in one important point, deux ex machina. Having said this, if one is making one's way through Dickens oevre, this is worth a listen. For all its plot weaknesses and heavy handed social commentary about class, this novel has important messages about family relationships and human kindness. Finally, I couldn't help thinking about Bernie Madoff while listening--the book is oddly prescient, or stated differently, suckers are born all the time.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Anton Lesser is extraordinary.

I highly recommend Anton Lesser's reading of Little Dorrit. I particularly love his character readings - Flora Finching is priceless.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A cast of thousands...

I read somewhere that Anton Lesser says he "doesn't do 'voices'", and he's right. He's more like a 'cast of thousands' - really! I'm just steadily purchasing anything he reads (though I draw the line at Jeffery Archer) and acquiring an exemplary education thereby!
He peoples this world of Dickens so vividly it's hard to pull yourself away when the real world intrudes. I found myself thinking that certain actors in the reading were especially good and I must note who their names... and having to recall that it was one man only.
Exhilarating!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant reading

Marvellous voices. I was able to recognize which character was speaking from the first word. Lesser is a master at characterization. I found myself looking forward to encountering them again and again. Flora in particular was a delight.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Anton Lesser is a genius: Dickens is OK too

Little Dorrit offers the best and worst of Dickens (wit, lyricism, character, humanity, caraciture, sentimentality, over-extended passages, great plot with some very clunky bits). Overall, though, it's in the top half of his novels. I can't praise Anton Lesser enough. His narration is simply fantastic. Audible has some great readers but Lesser is unsurpassed. It's not just his mastery of accents; it's also his perfect but subtle timing and stress. Just listen to the way he puts he emphasis on "off" when he reads the brilliantly funny account of the "circumlocution office". Thats shows absolute mastery and understanding of his material.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic Reader

Anton Lesser is a fantastic reader and although this may not be the best of Dickens, it isn't the worst of Dickens. Highly recommended.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Not Dickens's Best But Beautifully Read

I was disappointed with Little Dorrit; the book is not nearly as good as Bleak House or Our Mutual Friend. Dickens's writing is always at its weakest with his tiresomely good female characters. The plot is preposterous and a little dull.

Anton Lesser's performance is outstanding. He brings all the characters to life in their own voices and mannerisms; it's worth the price of the audiobook to hear his interpretation of Flora Finching.

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5 people found this helpful