Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World

By: Simon Callow

Narrated by: Simon Callow

A short biography of Charles Dickens by acclaimed actor and writer Simon Callow that offers a fresh perspective on one of the greatest novelists in the English language in a lively, highly readable account. "It has all the gusto that a popular biography of Dickens—a man who “could do nothing by halves”—should possess. . . . The best biography for Dickens newcomers and a wonderful read for all."—Library Journal

Dickens was one of the first true celebrity authors. Thousands of fans in Britain and America eagerly awaited each new installment of his stories and flocked to see him on his legendary speaking tours. Not only did he create an incredible cast of characters on the page, but he was also a dazzling mimic and storyteller, and he wrote, stage-managed, and acted in plays for the public. Throughout his life, from his childhood performances in pubs to his legendarily powerful reading tours, Dickens was fanatical about the stage. Callow reveals Dickens’s genius on and off the page and offers a compelling insight into a life that was driven as much by performance and showmanship as by literature.

Critic reviews

"A biography of Boz by a great English actor, who seeks to reverse the orthodox argument that Dickens’s obsession with theatrical drama made his books sentimental and lachrymose. . . . Callow argues that it is Dickens’s attention to stagecraft and the power of drama that’s made folks like The Artful Dodger and Miss Havisham seem three dimensional."
—The Daily Beast

"In this insightful biographical study, Callow, a seasoned actor and director, shows how the theatricality that caused Dickens’ legs to swell also vastly enlarged his literary art. . . . Itself as enchanting as a well-directed stage play, this narrative will delight any lover of Dickens."
—Booklist, starred review

“[Simon Callow’s] admiration for his subject glistens on every page. . . . The author shows us the vast, adoring crowds and tallies the enormous psychic and physical costs of Dickens’ myriad performances and celebrity. Callow makes us wish we’d been in those crowds to watch this astonishing magician weave his literary spells.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A celebration, jubilant, vigorous, imaginative, and, as Dickens might have said, an all-round sizzler.”
—John Carey, The Sunday Times (London)

“This is the book we have long been waiting for and only Simon Callow could have written it. . . . A marvelous book that deepens and enriches our understanding and enjoyment of Dickens.”
—Michael Slater, author of Charles Dickens: A Life Defined by Writing

“Callow . . . writes with great authority and elegant insouciance, which makes this ‘biography with a twist’ very entertaining.”
—The Independent (London)

“It is one of the many virtues of this book that Callow not only admires his subject, but has got inside him.”
—The Guardian (London)

"Of the several books published this year in honor of the bicentennial of Dickens’s birth, this by Callow is in many ways the best because it has all the gusto that a popular biography of Dickens—a man who “could do nothing by halves”—should possess. . . . The best biography for Dickens newcomers and a wonderful read for all."
—Library Journal, starred review

Excellent introduction to Charles Dickens

Simon Callow does a wonderful job of bringing this mad, impulsive, energetic and thoroughly eccentric writer to life. Both a writer and the reader, he adds great depth to the story since, as he points out in the Prologue, he has played so many Dickensian characters during his acting life.

Wow! I learned so much about Dickens!

Fascinating insight into Dickens genius! Wonderfully written and researched and of course read by Simon Callow! Highly recommend!

Stellar!

Written and performed with great vigor. Yes, it’s full of detail and every detail casts a light. Every author should narrate their own book — as long as they are Simon Callow

Simon Callow's writing and narration are sublime.

As colorful, dramatic and humorous as Dickens himself, Simon Callow's scholarly research and flair for the theatrical in both his writing and in performance, are in abundance here. Highly recommended for fans of Dickens AND Simon Callow!

Loved it!

Any additional comments?

I really loved this audiobook. Simon Callow is a gifted writer as well as a gifted actor, and I really can't imagine hearing anyone else read his book.

He has a unique perspective on Dickens. He's played him in various contexts: on a couple of episodes of "Doctor Who," for one thing; and in a one-man show written especially for him by Peter Ackroyd, who has written his own distinguished biography of Dickens. He seems to have "psyched" Dickens and gives him to us in a broadly sympathetic portrait, but still "with all his imperfections on his head." (Dickens treated his wife badly, eventually moving out and taking up with the actress Ellen Ternan. Callow explains all of this, mostly from Dickens' perspective, but he doesn't attempt to whitewash it.)

As a biography, it doesn't have the same level of detail as Claire Tomalin's (also) wonderful book on the subject. Tomalin provides much additional information about the early years and about Dickens' often fraught relationships with his publishers and with his children; those things appear here as well, but in a more condensed form.

Callow mentions but doesn't offer a literary analysis of the novels and stories (although he does offer some choice observations on specific characters). He's after something different: Dickens engaged with the world in general and with the world of theater in particular. He recounts many anecdotes about Dickens and the theater. Dickens was an accomplished amateur actor. And the processes used in creating characters are not all that different in the two professions: when writing, Dickens would often jump up and run to the mirror, where he would try out various expressions before returning to his desk.

He drew on his acting abilities in the readings he gave in later years - readings that often left his audiences shuddering or crying. One famous scene he often performed was the murder of Nancy by Bill Sykes, from "Oliver Twist." The scene left both him and his audiences wrung out and exhausted - and the toll it took on him may have actually shortened his life. Callow's own brief recreation of this scene will knock your socks off.

In another life, Callow speculates, Dickens would have made a terrific actor/manager in the William Charles Macready mode. (Macready was one of his friends, along with Wilkie Collins and William Makepeace Thackeray.)

It's a wonderful introduction to Dickens' life. If you feel the need to explore further, Tomalin's biography is also available on Audible. But I'd start with this one. It impressed me enough to make me want to read even "Edwin Drood," and for me, that's pretty impressive.