The Diary of Samuel Pepys

The BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

De: Samuel Pepys, Hattie Naylor

Narrado por: Kris Marshall, Katherine Jakeways, Full Cast

Kris Marshall and Katherine Jakeways star as Mr & Mrs Pepys in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the world famous diaries.

Samuel Pepys was 26 when he decided to start keeping a diary, in January 1660. For the next 10 years he faithfully recorded the day's events and confessed his innermost thoughts. That diary has since become one of our most important, and fascinating, historical documents. Pepys gave us eyewitness accounts of some of the great events of the 17th century, including the Great Fire of London and the Second Dutch War. He also told us what people ate and wore, what they did for fun, the tricks they played on each other, what they expected of marriage, and even how they conducted love affairs. He described London - the frozen river Thames, the rising crime rate and the poverty - and recorded the details of his own life: his wife, rivals, lovers and friends, his work for the Navy, his drinking and social life.

Over 350 years may have passed since Pepys first put pen to paper, but the man and his preoccupations feel surprisingly familiar. In this major BBC Radio dramatisation of the journals, the sights and sounds of his world are vividly conjured. This collection comprises all 10 radio series plus a special Saturday Drama centring on the Great Fire of London.

©2014 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2014 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Wonderful Performance

It's really difficult to make a diary interesting even when it's over 300 years old, but this performance did the trick. Wonderful selections, narrating and ending. Answers a lot of questions, too, like how did syphilis spread through Europe so fast? I cried at the end.

Must Listen!

A wonderful dramatic realization of the famous diaries. Pepys was a remarkable witness to key events in English history. He writes with enduring humor. His openness reveals a man very much of his time, flaws and all.

Incredibly entertaining. I was sad it ended.

This was the most entertaining and informative book I've read in a long time. I listened to it while on my daily 3 mile walks and couldn't WAIT to get outside to walk so I could hear more about the insatiable Samuel and his wife. Each character was distinct and memorable. A fascinating journey into the 1660's!

I can listen to it again and again

I finished this amazing book few minutes ago with eyes full of tears. I really enjoyed it.

Get Lost in Another Time

What did you love best about The Diary of Samuel Pepys?

I loved the acting. These are, by far, the best actors I've ever heard in a full cast performance. I also love the adaptation. The actual diary consists of 1st person journal entries. The mix of the narration of these entries and the full scenes is excellent.

What did you like best about this story?

There are so many things I liked about the story. I'd have to say, I was most moved by the personal relationships. Some of the characters were quite endearing. Humor was a huge part of the play. I found myself laughing out loud several times. I also loved the history that was so much of this story. I was transported to a long ago time and place.

Which scene was your favorite?

It's impossible for me to pick out a single scene as my favorite. There were so many wonderful moments. I particularly enjoyed any scene with Samuel and his house boy/servant, Will. I'd have to say, these were probably the funniest exchanges.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

As I said, there were many scenes that made me laugh, and a moment that nearly brought me to tears. The acting was so good, on par with the best British films and television, I found myself caring deeply for these people.

Any additional comments?

For anyone who particularly enjoys full cast audio performances, The Diary of Samuel Pepys is in my top five. In fact, it might even be my all-time favorite. It's hard to find fault with this production, but there is one glaring problem which caused me to deduct one overall rating star. Each of the 51 chapters is about 13 minutes long, and each one begins with a lone female voice singing a short, 20 second song. I wouldn't have minded if each time it had been a different song, but every 13 minutes I had to hear the same exact song. If that wasn't bad enough, any time there was singing by any of the characters, they too sang the same song. It's a shame the producers didn't take the time to edit out these 51 tedious chapter intros for the Audible and CD releases of this otherwise perfect audio play.