The Old Curiosity Shop

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Anton Lesser

Length: 22 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Death, innocence, sacrifice and corruption - The Old Curiosity Shop is vintage Dickens. Provoking an unprecedented outpouring of public grief when it was first published, it follows the story of Little Nell and her feckless grandfather. Forced to leave their magical shop of curiosities in London, they are pursued across the English countryside by the grotesquely evil dwarf Quilp. They escape - but at what cost?

Part tragedy, part allegory, this is Dickens at his most intense; drawing on his own experiences, he weaves a story of extraordinary emotional power.

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Public Domain (P)2009 Naxos Audiobooks

Wonderful narrator, not my favorite Dickens story

I love Dickens, and I don't regret listening to this book, but The Old Curiosity Shop just isn't one of my favorites. Anton Lesser is a wonderful narrator, however, who made this an enjoyable read nonetheless.

Quite the Journey

Dickens is a good writer. I'm glad I read it. Slow in parts, but engaging. The characters were very striking. The story as a whole is very packed, and the foreshadowing is fantastic.

Anton Lesser is amazing

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It is a classic tale and the reader is so gifted

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Richard Swiveller; he is very comic

Which character – as performed by Anton Lesser – was your favorite?

Daniel Quilp, the villain. Anton Lesser does an outstanding job with every voice, male or female but he truly outdid himself as Quilp.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved the scenes when Richard "rescues" the little maid.

Any additional comments?

This is a very rambling story, as most of Dickens' are but his writing is so outstanding and Anton Lesser is so gifted, the journey is mostly a real pleasure

Not my favorite Dickens

Not my favorite Dickens but still worth the read. The villain was a shade too dark and disturbing, the ending a bit too morbid compared to his other works.
The saving grace was the extremely talented reader who made this book come alive. It was worth listening to for the sheer entertainment of hearing him read.

Beautiful Tragedy

Just so Dickens ! Mr. Lesser's performance really brings the characters to life. #Curmudgeon #Addiction #Orphan #Tearjerker #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Deeply human. Deeply Dickens.

The performance of this narrator is superb! You would think there must be four different people reading to you. The novel is sad and uplifting. Beautiful words and rich characters.

Outstanding Narration

After listening to Mr Lesser's narration, I was reminded how enjoyable the book was the first time I read it. Mr Lesser using his acting skills to the fullest, and his understanding of the characters comes through in his narration. It felt as if Quilp was actually narrating the script himself. I listened to the book in only a week, and I couldn't recommend a better book to listen to.
The story itself was pieced together by Dickens and was never meant to become a novel. However, the narration makes it sound as if the continuity flowed---something I could not manage when reading it myself.

Sublime Recorded Book

A skilled actor is a necessity when taking on an 19C novel, especially one by Charles Dickens. Writing in his extra ‘wordy’ style of which he is the master, Dickens’ novels are replete with idioms and vocabulary that are not entirely familiar today, Anton Lesser, an actor I’m sure I’ve seen in at least a dozen movies or TV series, most recently, ‘Dickensian’ (as Fagin) on Prime, brings every last word, and therefore character and story to life, erasing 180 years of potential cultural confusion. To me, Lesser’s superb skill is what makes a recorded book a joy. I’m sure, had I read a physical printed copy of ‘The Old Curiosity Shop,’ I would not have had anywhere close to the sublime transport I did experiencing it via Mr Lesser.

Great story and narrator. Narrator as actor

Many things I could about this story /narrator combo, but the top story here is the humor the narrator brought out of the story with superb voice acting. His reading voice is good, but his portrayal of the dwarf and Sampson literally had me laughing out loud. Story was a little slow at first, but in the end is one of my favorite Dickens so far

A Good, And Fairly Typical Dickens Novel, Very Well Narrated

"The Old Curiosity Shop" is a fairly lengthy, by today's standards, typical Dickens Victorian Novel. The novel has a lot of the Dickens style ironic humor, that is sometimes slightly nuanced. At the same time Dickens addresses various social issues and social injustices. Some modern readers will not enjoy the Victorian style and may find the book somewhat "wordy". If one does have a taste for Dickens, one will find this yet another good novel.

As far as this audiobook specificity, the audiobook is excellent. The narration is very professional. The narrator, Anton Lesser, effectively conveys emotion and humor and adds to the reading experience.