Great Expectations, recognized as Charles Dickens's finest novel, is told by Pip, an orphan who lives with his sister and her husband, the village blacksmith. The young boy's life is changed forever when he meets and aids an escaped convict who wanders into his yard. Years later, Pip is sent to live with the decaying, bitter Miss Havisham and falls in love with her ward, the elegant and elusive Estella. A young man of modest means, Pip nevertheless aims to become a gentleman in order to win Estella's heart and an endowment from an anonymous benefactor suddenly places his intentions within reach. But capricious fate will lead him through further adversity and unexpected revelations in the pursuit of his dreams…
BBC Radio dramatizes Dickens's famous melodrama about orphan Pip, who rises from poverty to sudden great fortune. Not only is the acting high quality, but the voices seem matched to their parts with special care and intelligence. Cuts in the story are hardly noticeable, except for occasional abrupt scenes in which plot points must be made willy-nilly. Another weakness is the music: generic (it seems familiar from other BBC programs), repetitive, at times inappropriate to the action, but, like most wallpaper, easily ignored. All in all, a fine rendering of Pip's story--but the names of the cast that makes it fine should have been listed. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
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GREAT EXPECTATIONS is often considered Dickens's greatest novel, and there can be no better way to revisit it--or experience it for the first time--than through the narration of Martin Jarvis. Recorded in 1984, this rereleased BBC production is stunning in the way Jarvis gives unique voices to each character. He is a one-man full-cast recording, handling men, women, Londoners, country people, and all classes of humanity with remarkable versatility. The lawyer Jaggers is perfectly intimidating, Pip's friend Herbert is ebullient, and poor Miss Haversham is irresistibly maudlin. At more than 17 hours, not a moment of the narration drags, even during the many chapters that do little to advance the plot. It simply doesn't get any better than this. D.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
About the Author
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) worked relentlessly, producing successful novels that campaigned against many of the social evils of his time. His novels have provided the basis for many successful adaptations in the theatre, in the cinema, on radio, and on television.
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