The Old Curiosity Shop

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Flo Gibson

Little Nell and her grandfather are forced to leave their curiosity shop and live as beggars. Peopled with such unforgettable characters as Daniel Quilp, Dick Swiveller, Thomas Codlin, Kit Nubbles, and Sampson and Sarah Brass, this Dickens classic is a real tearjerker.

Public Domain (P)2009 Audio Book Contractors, Inc.

A sentimental charmer

This is not my favorite Dickens novel, but the superb reading by Flo Gibson brings the book to life. The books stars sweet Little Nell and her slightly addled Grandfather. They are thrown out of home through some evil actions and wander the back roads of Victorian England fleeing from danger. This book lacks the depth of character of the later books and Nell's sweetness is somewhat cloying. Even with these short comings it is a great book. Dickens takes us through the social structure of the times and shows us country life and the grim cities of the Industrial Revolution. I am struck how many of the same issues of poverty and homelessness resonate with today. The themes of greed and avarice are the same now as then.

Flo Gibson was a true master reader. Her deep voice takes a little while to get used to but her understanding of he work is a marvel. She conveys the meanings of the text with her phrasing and inflections. This was the only Dickens novel I never finished reading. It just never caught me. This reading had me hooked.

Unable to finish

The story probably was good but I couldn't get past the narration the recording was very bad and distorted the readers voice making it impossible to read, Not returnable too waste of a credit