David Copperfield Audiobook By Charles Dickens cover art

David Copperfield

 Preview

$0.00 for first 30 days

Try for $0.00
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

David Copperfield

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Simon Vance
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.79

Buy for $25.79

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel
David Copperfield is the quintessential novel by England's most beloved novelist. Based in part on Dickens's own life, it is the story of a young man's journey from an unhappy and impoverished childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist. Among its gloriously vivid cast of characters, he encounters his tyrannical stepfather, Mr. Murdstone; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood; the eternally humble yet treacherous Uriah Heep; the frivolous, enchanting Dora; and one of literature's great comic creations, the magnificently impecunious Mr. Micawber - a character resembling Dickens's own father.

In David Copperfield - the novel he described as his "favorite child" - Dickens drew revealingly on his own experiences to create one of his most exuberant and enduringly popular works, filled with tragedy and comedy in equal measure.

©1923 Public Domain (P)2009 Tantor Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Heartfelt

Editorial reviews

At 34 hours in length, this is quite an undertaking, but there's no one better qualified than Simon Vance to lead us through this audio journey. He parses the author's long sentences well, pausing sufficiently to make the details easy to follow while still maintaining a quick enough pace to keep the story going. Most enjoyable is his voicing of the myriad characters who appear in the narrative - and characters they certainly are. Vance times their occasionally hilarious exchanges especially well. All of this is delivered in a manner that suggests that Vance revels in Dickens's prose and sly humor, and the listener cannot help but revel along with him. Three cheers for Vance - and not the least for his stamina!
Memorable Characters • Compelling Storyline • Vivid Descriptions • Emotional Depth • Witty Dialogue • Distinctive Voices
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
Now I can say I've read it! It took me a while to get into it, but once I did I spent many late nights. If you can't read Dickens, please do yourself a favor and listen to him!

One of the Greatest Books of Alll Time

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The book is a classic and the reading is truly inspiring. Simon Vance truly has a gift. But maybe Audible should let customers into a little secret: Simon Vance IS Robert Whitfield; and Richard Matthews and John Richmond. He has used different names for the different publishing houses he has worked. Whitfield was his chosen name while working for Blackstones. So, it's funny to see him competing with himself among the reviews. They are all very good versions.

Gifted Reader

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I could listen to this over and over again. I've already listened to it maybe five or six times and each time I truly enjoy it. I am so grateful to have these audiobooks as I never could have made it through reading the book with my dyslexia.

I love this book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I was sad when I got to the end, but this was a great read. Dickens at his finest.

Great story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This was a masterpiece. I only wish that I had heard this recording during my teens.

David Copperfield is an emotional education. Chalk full of admirable characters, during the course of this epic novel, you see the results of their virtues and their mistakes. The results are edifying and entertaining.

Simon Vance is an incredible performer, with an excellent knack for differentiating the voices of he characters. It is particularly impressive that he is able to produce such a range of female voices.

At 30+ hours this recording is quite the commitment, but it remains engaging throughout and is well worth the time.

As good as it gets

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What did you love best about David Copperfield?

The story. The characters. Dickens' writing. Simon Vance's voice.

What other book might you compare David Copperfield to and why?

Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham. It is the story of a young boy's journey into manhood, traversing the pitfalls of his own vulnerabilities and insecurities.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

His many and extremely varied ways of giving voice to the characters in ways perfectly consistent with each person's trait.

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

No! This was an audiotape that I did not want to have come to an end.

Fabulous!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What a L-O--N---G book! --about 37 hours of listening (can you imagine narrating it?!)

While I enjoyed Simon Vance's expert narration and characterization of the Dickens characters, I can't say that I loved listening to this book. All that Victorian prose...and, frankly, the way that Dickens and men of his time regarded women was awaful. (Women needing to have their 'minds formed', and serving as the 'moral center' of a home, or flittering about like 'little birds' all the time.)

While Dickens certainly created memorable characters, I can't say that I liked David Copperfield very much at all.

Best Way to Read Copperfield

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Simon Vance is superb and suited to Dickens! His characterizations give flesh to the characters and is as if you are hearing a full dramatization.

Simon Vance is superb and suited to Dickens!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Such a wonderful performance, which only enhanced this beautiful story! I loved everything about it!

Beautiful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This narrator was incredible! The story truly came to life through his talent. Highly recommend!!

Wonderful telling of this classic!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews