Oliver Twist

The Audible Dickens Collection

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Jonathan Pryce

Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

This Audible Exclusive production revisits one of Dickens' most popular novels: Oliver Twist, narrated by internationally acclaimed, award-winning actor Jonathan Pryce.

Part of the Dickens Collection, an exclusive series of unmissable performances, Oliver Twist is a gleaming example of the genius and foresight of Charles Dickens.

When young orphan, Oliver Twist, is sold into an apprenticeship with an undertaker, he leaves behind years of miserable servitude and mistreatment at an English workhouse. Hoping to move on to better things, he decides to escape his new, equally dreary surroundings and head to London.

It is there that the novel unravels as Oliver meets a host of larger-than-life characters, including The Artful Dodger, a high-ranking member of a juvenile pickpocketing gang, and their elderly leader, Fagin.

Desperate for affection and the sense of belonging that he has never known, Oliver unwittingly throws himself into a life of petty theft, which soon takes a violent turn with the introduction of one of Dickens' most terrifying characters, Bill Sikes.

Exposing the cruel and inhumane treatment of orphans in 19th-century England, Dickens created one of the most significant social novels of all time. With it, he condemned the establishment for neglecting homeless children and leaving them vulnerable to recruiters who would exploit and abuse them. Oliver Twist cemented Dickens’ reputation as one of the most talented, influential and revolutionary of English authors.

Following his father’s incarceration, Charles Dickens had to abandon his studies at a young age and set to work in a factory so as to support himself. Despite his short-lived education, Dickens went on to write 15 novels, various articles, novellas and short stories. He lectured and led campaigns for children's rights and education and arguably became the ultimate self-made man.

Jonathan Pryce is an award-winning actor of the stage and screen. He is best known for Brazil, Glengarry Glen Ross, Evita, Tomorrow Never Dies, and the Pirates of the Caribbean series as well as his widely recognised performances as High Sparrow in HBO’s Game of Thrones and Cardinal Wolsey in BBC’s Wolf Hall.

Jonathan most recently starred opposite Glenn Close in the critically acclaimed film The Wife, directed by Björn Runge. He can soon be seen as Don Quixote in Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and in the upcoming Netflix feature film The Pope, directed by Fernando Meirelles, in which he stars as Pope Francis opposite Anthony Hopkins.

Public Domain (P)2019 Audible, Ltd

Amazing performance

Pryce does a wonderful job portraying multiple different voices. Dickens is incredibly loquacious so the story drags on at times. It’s also much darker than I anticipated. However it’s a lovely story in the end and I enjoyed the experience overall.

fantastic reading of a classic

I agree with other reviews that the reader does a fantastic performance. perfect accent and does multiple voices so well. the story is a classic of course, with so many more details than you get in the well-known musical. I'm having a hard time returning to modern life after the reader and author both transported me so well back to historic London.

Excellent narration!

Kudos to Mr. Pryce for an extraordinary narration. I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone

amazing!

I found It very interesting. I recommend it to those who love stories of robbery and orphan heroes.

FABULOUS READ TO FOLLOW A CHRISTMAS CAROL!

There are not words to truly describe the giftedness of the narrator in bringing to LIFE, the classic and vivid text of Dickens! Jonathan Pryce has NO EQUAL in voicing characters and creating pictures for the mind with his voice alone!He is a magician!! I enjoyed this book perhaps most of all I have heard this year! Bravo Mr Pryce and of course, thank you Charles Dickens for the literary treasures you left us!

WOW!

Of course! I should have known! I’ve always avoided this book, because I can hardly stand the topic of child abuse. My students and I have read four Jane Austen books this year and now three Charles Dickens books. Go ahead! Take the plunge. I should have know Charles Dickens could not possibly disappoint!!! This reader, I believe, just played the father of Charles Dickens in the recent “Man Who Invented Christmas” movie with Dan Stevens and Christopher Plummer. Jonathan Pryce knocked this performance out of the ballpark! It’s almost unbelievable how many different (and AWESOME) voices he rendered in reading this story! I’m quite pleased that my first time reading Oliver Twist was reading along with Jonathan Pryce. I feel that his performance helped us all follow this story with more clarity and entertainment. To my surprise, there were places in this story where we all laughed out loud! Read it. You won’t be sorry.

Loved it!

Fantastic Book! Fantastic Narration! I am a huge Dickens fan and was very pleased with this audio book!

Excellent Performance!

Excellent performance! Positively felt transported. The characters were believable and real. Wonderful book, of course - I am glad that I read the anabriged version.

can I have some more!

Charles Dickens a master author. a great story. and a fantastic narrator.. I love it when a narrator does the the each character voices different.

Love the narration!

The story is, of course, a classic and the narration is excellent. He brings the characters to life.