The Pickwick Papers

Lovable, endearing, joyous.

Dickens' marvelous stream of inventive genius.

I have listened to another audible version of Pickwick Papers--in addition to reading it when I was young. But David Timson's performance is simply incomparable. I am thankful to have it, and look forward to listening to it again.

Yes--but it would require me to go without sleep for several days.

I don't normally write reviews, but I was so shocked by the first review to be posted that I felt I had to respond. To condemn Charles Dickens on the charges of racism and sexism displays a sad failure to understand the purpose of great literature, which is to open our minds to the full richness of life, and certainly not to re-enforce our current notions of political correctness. Few books display the richness of life more radiantly than The Pickwick Papers and I urge anyone who wants to enjoy a romp through early nineteenth England to download David Timson's enthralling version of Dickens first masterpiece. It is cheaper than a trip to England, and a lot more fun.

Audible has given me the chance to fall in love with Dickens. I have now listened to all the great novels, my favorites being Our Mutual Friend and David Copperfield, but I have loved them all. I hesitated to download The Pickwick Papers, fearing that it would be too silly and tarnish my admiration for his wit and wisdom. But I didn't have many more Dickens titles left, and I love David Timson as a narrator, so I took a chance. It took me a long time to settle into the book -- indeed there are many silly characters and events and many digressions, and it took a while for Dickens to develop those characters that I always fall in love with -- the truly good people who are kind and generous in a selfish and often grim world. Dickens tries out lots of themes that dominate his later, great, novels -- ghost stories (including a Christmas tale), debtor's prison, the legal profession (scoundrels almost all), alcoholism, tight-fisted businessmen who treat their progeny badly, political battles, the gullability and venality of humankind, and so much more. There are some truly joyous moments and characters -- the wedding banquet followed by the Christmas eve celebration was marvelous, Sam Weller (Veller) and his hysterical father, and of course Mr. Pickwick himself. Stick with the early chapters and you'll be well-rewarded.

This is a wonderful introduction to Dickens. It's sort of a collection of separate stories, each very funny and detailed. They tie together wonderfully through the character of Pickwick.

Though I always enjoy Dicken's novels, The Pickwick Papers was not an all-time favorite. For the first while I was confused and thought the tale was somewhat pointless. However, David Timson's marvelous narration made every minute of listening worth while. I don't believe I've ever heard a reader so adept at capturing a variety of Dickension characters and moods with precise accuracy and no overdone dramatics. Thanks to Timson, I was able to forgive the first hour or so of confusion and get on with really enjoying this collection of tales that comprise a somewhat plotless novel. Highly entertaining, laugh-out-loud humor, beautiful description, and profound insights that sill apply today.

In my childhood I did like Dickens. Revisiting as a adult has been a big disappointment. He is so tedious and verbose. ALL his characters are unlikeable - stupid, racist, and sexist - but mostly stupid. Pickwich Papers is more like many short stories with a loose link so there is no sense of an overall plot. I have to read this book for book group so I'm listening to it at every opportunity just to "get it done". The performance is good but even that can't redeem a BAD book.