The Old Curiosity Shop

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Anton Lesser

Death, innocence, sacrifice and corruption - The Old Curiosity Shop is vintage Dickens. Provoking an unprecedented outpouring of public grief when it was first published, it follows the story of Little Nell and her feckless grandfather. Forced to leave their magical shop of curiosities in London, they are pursued across the English countryside by the grotesquely evil dwarf Quilp. They escape - but at what cost?

Part tragedy, part allegory, this is Dickens at his most intense; drawing on his own experiences, he weaves a story of extraordinary emotional power.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2009 Naxos Audiobooks

Not my favorite Dickens

Not my favorite Dickens but still worth the read. The villain was a shade too dark and disturbing, the ending a bit too morbid compared to his other works.
The saving grace was the extremely talented reader who made this book come alive. It was worth listening to for the sheer entertainment of hearing him read.

Beautiful Tragedy

Just so Dickens ! Mr. Lesser's performance really brings the characters to life. #Curmudgeon #Addiction #Orphan #Tearjerker #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Deeply human. Deeply Dickens.

The performance of this narrator is superb! You would think there must be four different people reading to you. The novel is sad and uplifting. Beautiful words and rich characters.

Exceptional and enjoyable

Delightful rendering of a classic. The narrator does an excellent job of bringing to life Dickens' keen characterizations. I plan to download Lesser performing works by Dickens and others as well.

A wonderful story read beautifully

This is a Dickens book that I had never read. It is well worth a listen. The narrator did an outstanding job of giving voices to a myriad of characters. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful Narrator

I am still new to audio books, but this has by far surpassed everything else I have listened to. I felt like each character was so unique, I knew who was speaking without needing to hear the plot. What a superb narrator. I fell in love with this story due to the presentation. Dickens cns sometimes drag for me, but this changes everything.

Gambling addict head of household ruins granddaughter’s life

This is another classic Dickens novel brilliantly performed by Anton Lesser. But seriously, the grandfather was a villain.

One of the better Dickens' novels

Very much underrated and lacking the popular acclaim of his other novels, this was is a hidden jewel. While is drips with the same sentimentality for which Dickens is infamous, this narrative is much more metaphorical and richly thematic. Furthermore the final few chapters feel much more realistic than other classic Dickensian endings. Highly recommend!

Wonderful narrator, not my favorite Dickens story

I love Dickens, and I don't regret listening to this book, but The Old Curiosity Shop just isn't one of my favorites. Anton Lesser is a wonderful narrator, however, who made this an enjoyable read nonetheless.

Quite the Journey

Dickens is a good writer. I'm glad I read it. Slow in parts, but engaging. The characters were very striking. The story as a whole is very packed, and the foreshadowing is fantastic.