Our Mutual Friend Audiobook By Charles Dickens cover art

Our Mutual Friend

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Our Mutual Friend

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: David Timson
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A mysterious boatman on the Thames, a drowned heir, a dustman and his wife, and a host of other Dickens characters populate this novel of relationships between the classes, money, greed, and love. The 58 characters are presented with remarkable clarity by David Timson.

Public Domain © and (P) Naxos Rights International Classics Funny

Critic reviews

"With a cast of characters that covers the whole spectrum of London life, Dickens weaves a tapestry of tales that are by turn funny, moving and tragic." (School Library Journal)

"David Timson makes the cavalcade of contemporary types compellingly real." (The Times, London)

"The fact that Dickens is always thought of as a caricaturist, although he was constantly trying to be something else, is perhaps the surest mark of his genius." (George Orwell)

Complex Characters • Intricate Plot • Social Commentary • Humorous Dialogue • Engaging Storylines

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Here is Charles Dickens in all his glory: countless interlinked and concatenated plots; a wealth of characters, each one a unique individual; and the panorama of London society in the 1800's, from the lowly scavengers who dredge up bodies from the Thames to the superficial socialites with nothing to do but exchange gossip at dinners and breakfasts. David Timson helps to make sense of this complex work, gives each character his or her individual voice, and adds color and life to the prose.

A major undertaking, but well worth the experience

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I was totally confused by the first 3-4 hours as nothing seemed to make any sense, and I wished I had the book to go back and look at, but once past that, it was a excellent book. The narrator was fantastic and you know which character was which by his voice alone. It was excellent.

Outstanding

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Brilliant story..mind blowing narration...Mr. Timson, you have earned a lifelong fan!
Thank you for bringing the words of the inimitable Mr. Dickens to life.

Absolutely brilliant!!!

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I cannot rave enough about this book in itself. As an audio book it's equally amazing. The voice artist brings to life the different characters with an acute memory as to who's who and doesn't slip. It's a joy to listen to.

The storyline itself weaves in and out of so many characters lives without seeming to. You become equally involved with everyone and your disappointment that their scene temporarily closed is relieved by the knowledge you'll become just as entranced by the next chapter. How some one can have so many vivid and interesting characters and still maintain a clear interesting storyline is beyond me.

If you love story, a little uncomfortable history lesson in the treatment of an entire culture, examples of the truest of loves (romantic and otherwise) and examples of the darkest and most hurtful emotions, I highly recommend this book. Even if you don't I would suggest giving it a listen. It is a wonderful piece of literature and a true classic.

Best book ever.

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Expertly crafted. Wonderfully narrated. It takes a dickens to create such a colorful variety of characters, and it takes a Timson to come up with enough voices to give them each Audible expression. The author and the performer are a worthy match, and the end result is an utterly delightful and satisfying listen.

Bravos all around!

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This has everything you could possibly want in a nice, long Dickens tome! There's young love, absurd rich and poor people, nasty rich and poor people, mistaken identity, mysterious goings on, nefarious goings on, wonderful humor, social responsibility and a touch of sentimentality. Nothing "in short" about it, but "Our Mutual Friend" is perhaps the least-discovered best of Charles Dickens!

As always with these books, trying to describe the plot of "Our Mutual Friend" leads to a convoluted and confusing impossibility. Let's just say that it's a long and winding, extremely satisfying tale with greater organization and a little less over-the-top Victorian sentimentality than many others of Dickens' works.

I think David Timson presents Dickens in the very best way. These oversized characters and plotlines are especially wonderful when expressed vocally. The characters are distinct and lively, and it makes the whole experience full of life and color. I got very involved in the story and finished the thing long before I thought I could. The humor especially comes through - I found myself laughing out loud at times.

If you have ever enjoyed a Dickens novel, I'll bet the farm that you'll particularly like "Our Mutual Friend". And, if you have not appreciated some of the more familiar works, you might, in this one, discover why Charles Dickens is so universally acknowledged as a master.

My Very Favorite Dickens!

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Dickens once again manages to create a multitude of memorable characters, some despicable, some bizarre, others endearing, and expertly weaves them into multiple plotlines, never dropping a loose end. A somewhat darker offering than usual, with a little mystery thrown in. Hugely entertaining.

Another Dickens Masterpiece.

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I have to admit - I almost didn't make it through this book. The beginning seemed awfully tedious, and this is coming from a Dickens lover. But I forced myself to keep listening and I'm certainly glad I did, for I ended up loving this book.

David Timson is *brilliant* and I truly hope to see him narrate other novels by Dickens in the future. He makes the characters come alive.

All in all, well worth the listen. If you've downloaded this and feel like you're ready to give up, I urge you to keep listening. The story really picks up and I bet you'll end the novel with the same feeling I did - wishing that there was more!

Stick with it!!!

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If you could sum up Our Mutual Friend in three words, what would they be?

Funny, Touching, Intriguing

What other book might you compare Our Mutual Friend to and why?

How do you compare Charles Dickens? I'll say, if you liked

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

David Timson brings life to the book. The way he creates characters, down to the smallest idiosyncrasy - a stutter, the speech pattern is remarkable, painting a picture in your mind of the complete character. If you narrowed the world of readers down to the best of the best, David Timson would be one of them, along with Ron Dale and Juliet Stevenson.

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

YES! but I specifically looked for a book too long to listen in one or two sittings. Even so, Our Mutual Friend is one of those books I wish I could forget so I could listen all over again.

It doesn't get much better than this.

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I laughed, I feared, came close to crying. Dickens writing is superb and Timson's incredible skill at rendering characters and bringing life to language made it doubly rich.

Timson and Dickens are marvelous

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