The Pickwick Papers

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Peter Batchelor

Pickwick was a huge success. Chapman and Hall printed only 1,000 copies of the first monthly installment; at the end of serialization 40,000 copies were being printed. Pickwick had taken Britain, and later the world, by storm and had successfully launched Dickens to celebrity status. The Pickwick Club sends Mr. Pickwick and a group of friends to travel across England and to report back on the interesting things they find. In the course of their travels, they repeatedly encounter the friendly but disreputable Mr. Jingle, who becomes a continual source of trouble for all who know him. Pickwick himself is the victim of a number of misunderstandings that bring him both embarrassment and problems with the law.

Public Domain (P)2014 Trout Lake Media

Great, Just Great

I cannot believe that I am more than a half a century old and have never listened to this. The speaker is wonderful, the story is wonderful. EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIFETIME

wonderful story and characterization

Charles Dickens is one of those authors who everyone reads in high school because they gotta.

After that first push, some people take his work as daunting... something you only read to prove how smart you are.

There are phrases and ideas in the book that do not hold up in today's times, but the pure humanity that Mr. Dickens shows in everything he writes is universal.

And... he's hilarious. The members of the Pickwick club are... a little absurd because they're gentlemen of the Victorian era. But that absurdity doesn't make them less lovable or the butt of the joke. You laugh right out loud at their antics but if you were there, you'd shake your head and help them out of their predicament. Like Sam Weller does.

I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to read something rather light-hearted... and spooky in spots.

Narrator impossible to understand

The reader's "lively" voice and accent for characters' dialogues is impossible to understand. Story is a good one though. Classic.

A true classic! Dicken's characters come alive.

Would you listen to The Pickwick Papers again? Why?

Yes, I loved it, it is hysterical in parts..and I found myself wiping away tears on occasions. I love Dicken's Characters..I am Sorry this 29 hour book ended.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It real is hard to separate them, as they all play off of each other..But I loved Mr.Pickwick, Sam and of course Mr. "V"eller.

Have you listened to any of Peter Batchelor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I will, he did a fantastic job.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Pickwick in debtor's prison, and when Sam would not leave MR. P

Any additional comments?

I love period pieces and the classics, there were a couple of times it got a bit dry, but picked up to fantastic hilarity in the next chapter. I LOVED Sam Weller' s tongue in cheek humor, you felt at times that he was stepping out of the novel just to say the quips to you, then stepped back in and continued on with his part. I feel this would be tough for a novice reader to take on, it is a hard read due to being written in many parts with the English that was traditionally used in the working class. Again, I loved it, I hope you will too.

Great book.

Love it. Love it. Love it.Love it.Love it.Love it. Good book. Great book.! ! !