David Copperfield

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 33 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

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

great reading of a great book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and this reading and was sad when it was over. I like Dickens but reading his novels (or even listening to them being read) can sometimes be a chore. Not so here. Vance's reading of the first-person narrative--an adult David recounting his youth--strikes just the right note. His performance of all the many characters and their various dialects is superb.

Outstanding story and narration.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Would highly recommend this book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All the characters have depth and engaged my emotions - loved some, hated one, cried with several.

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

Wonderful and complex portrayal of the characters with his many voices, accents and dialects.

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

too long to listening to in one sitting, but hated to put it down.

Magnificent

Would you consider the audio edition of David Copperfield to be better than the print version?

Simon Vance is masterful in his performance of this Dickens classic. His skill at creating fully developed distinguishable characters is a delight

Who was your favorite character and why?

Betsey Trottwood

Truly Enjoyed This Story

Where does David Copperfield rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A satisfying classic.

What did you like best about this story?

Insight into the differences between Victorian and modern attitudes. Sometimes I liked theirs better! Loyalty, honor and patience were so highly valued. And people who behaved badly mostly reaped the consequences.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

His voice suits the subject matter perfectly - measured and modulated, but capable of intensity, while it is possible to distinguish several versions of accent and tone to represent the various characters.

Any additional comments?

It is a long book, which can be a detriment for reading - it's hard to find the time. But it makes the audiobook great value: many hours of entertainment for a single credit!

Amazing reader

His distinctive voices for the characters were extraordinary and made this an exceptional theatric experience.

Best Performance I've Ever Heard

Simon Vance is a vocal wizard. The voices rendered for each person are splendid.
Of course the book itself is one of the Great literary works. Add a delicious reading of such a book and it is difficult to stop listening. As the voices for each character become familiar you are drawn even farther into the narrative.

One of the best classics of all time!

This is such a heartwarming, beloved story, rivaled only by Our Mutual Friend, also by Charles Dickens. These are my favorite two novels of all time!

Memorable reading of a classic

The book, the writing AND the narration by Simon Vance will stay with me. His ability to create all the different voices, especially Uriah Heep, is just astonishing and wonderful. I had not ever read this book by Dickens and think it’s one of the best books I’ve ever listened to on Audible. So many wise words, excellent phrasing and descriptions and rich characters. Simply fantastic!

Absolutely great

Great performance, compelling story, amazing retelling of David Copperfield in modern day Appalachia. 100% recommended.

Great narration

I was a bit concerned, as I’ve had to plow through Dickens in the past, but this performance was fantastic.