Dodger

A Printz Honor Winner

By: Terry Pratchett

Narrated by: Stephen Briggs

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Best Teens Category, 2013

A storm. Rain-lashed city streets. A flash of lightning. A scruffy lad sees a girl leap desperately from a horse-drawn carriage in a vain attempt to escape her captors. Can the lad stand by and let her be caught again? Of course not, because he's...Dodger.

Seventeen-year-old Dodger may be a street urchin, but he gleans a living from London's sewers, and he knows a jewel when he sees one. He's not about to let anything happen to the unknown girl - not even if her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.

From Dodger's encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.

Beloved and best-selling author Sir Terry Pratchett combines high comedy with deep wisdom in this tale of an unexpected coming-of-age and one remarkable boy's rise in a complex and fascinating world.

©2012 Terry and Lyn Pratchett (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

Mr. Pratchett does it again

If you enjoyed the disc world books, then this is well worth getting. Historical fiction with an entertaining mix of real and fictional characters from history come alive through the author's masterful prose.

Great story

I loved this story. The narrator, though, grated on my nerves. Any foreign accent needed sounded German, the characters spoke in stilted cadence, and his female voice was a bit insulting.

Overall, worth it for the story, and I’d still recommend it.

Great Dickensonian tale Prachett style

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

Yes, loved this book and the narration. Prachett's humor came through in a slightly more conventional story than his usual. The plot was reminiscent of Dickens' underdog themes.
Great listen!

What about Stephen Briggs’s performance did you like?

Stephen Brigg's has pitch perfect timing for highlighting Prachett's ironic wit.

Not just for young people

This is billed as a book for teens, but it seems to me that many of the words would be above the knowledge of most teenagers. A typical one would be spending a lot of time in a dictionary in order to truly understand this book.

This book was a delightful listen. Not so complicated as to require rapt attention, but just enough mystery and action to keep me wanting to go on. An audio page-turner.

Excellent

Better than the original..because I like the classics with a bit of humor. Thanks, Sir Terry.

Second time listening to this

A fun mix of fantasy and history with a first-rate narrator. Dickens fans will appreciate the humor.

Believe all the positive reviews

Would you consider the audio edition of Dodger to be better than the print version?

Yes. Stephen Briggs brings an extra element of atmosphere and character to the book.

What other book might you compare Dodger to and why?

I read Nation by the same author prior to this and I cannot help but compare the characters. The stories are singularly different but the development of the characters and the humour in their interaction is similar.

What does Stephen Briggs bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The characters are somehow deeper and even more interesting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes for sure. I couldn't but its definitely one of those non-stop books.

Any additional comments?

Don't envy me but I've just discovered Terry Pratchett and I can't imagine how I missed him with all the books I have read. If you are reluctant to embark on the 40 book Discworld series, this (or Nation) is a wonderful place to start.

such a great story

That I wish it were another few hours long so it wouldn't have to end so soon

Good read, but still not the disc world

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

Yes. Especially if they have not experienced the diskworld books. It's a good tale and I enjoyed it. I know it must be boring for Terry Pratchett to work on a new discworld book, but he is so great at writing them that I look forward to each one.

Feels like a cross between "The Watch" and "Making Money"

I absolutely love Terry Pratchett and to get another classic wet slums underdog story is a treat.