The Chimes

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Richard Armitage

The magnificent Richard Armitage (Hamlet: King of Denmark: A Novel) performs The Chimes by Charles Dickens.

This classic story is the second in a series of five Christmas books Dickens was commissioned to write - beginning with A Christmas Carol. A haunting tale set on New Year's Eve, The Chimes tells the story of a poor porter named Trotty Veck who has become disheartened by the state of the world - until he is shown a series of fantastical visions that convince him of the good of humanity. Though much different from and certainly a bit darker than A Christmas Carol, the moral message of The Chimes is equally poignant - touting the importance of compassion, goodwill, and the love of friends and family.

The Chimes was followed by The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life, and finally The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain.

Public Domain (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

A pleasant surprise.

This was a surprising listening experience. The story reminded me of a combination of "A Christmas Carol" and "Its a wonderful life". However, it was a little more gripping, and dare I say uncomfortable as you were drug down into depths of the experience. No doubt this was greatly aided by the phenomenal presentation by the narrator. This may very well become a new Christmas tradition. Thank you, Audible, for this gift without which I may never had read/listened to this book.

A Beautiful Gift

I look forward to Audible's gift every year, and this one doesn't disappoint.
Like most Americans, while I was familiar with A Christmas Carol, I was not familiar with The Chimes until now.
The main character, "Trotty" Veck, is a poor, elderly porter (message runner). The chief joy of his life is his beautiful daughter, Meg. The Chimes are the bells of the church that stands at Trotty's usual post. Their sound helps to cheer and strengthen him during the cold days of winter. On New Year's Eve, several encounters cause Trotty to lose all hope in the future. The Chimes call him to the church tower and show him what will happen to those he loves if they also lose hope. As another reviewer stated, it is a combination of A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life.
Richard Armitage's voice is beautiful and rich, and he tells the story beautifully.

delightful

Charles dickens never lets you down.there is a great variety on audible to surely appreciate

Eerie, beautiful, amazing!

At first I was put off by the classic language, however as I adjusted and sank into the story, I became enraptured and touched. The performance of the reader was so wonderful, I naturally created a movie of the words in my mind.

Excellent

The poor were treated so awfully.
Worth listening to in one sitting and relistening at New years.

Our limited vocabulary

I am amazed at how the English language has changed. I am disappointed that I struggle to follow the story because of my lack of vocabulary. The writing is the best but Dickens is a bit dark for me. We have no clue of what people suffered in those days.

So sad! :-(

It’s just not what I want to hear at Christmas. It was a good story, but it was just too depressing.

Hard to follow

I found it hard to follow due to the shifting locations / dreams? Scrooge? dear dear dear. Great performance though.

not my kinda story.

Not really my kind of story. Too over the top for my taste. Hard for me to follow.

Wonderful tale

Hauntingly addictive from beginning to end. Never heard this Dickens tale, but it has become a favorite. The narrator does a wonderful job of bringing this sorry to life.