The Best Audiobook Ever?

I've been listening to audiobooks most of my 62 years, and I have to say this is quite possibly the best one I've ever heard. I'm a Dickens fan, and Bleak House is one of my favorites. But that's not why this recording is so sensational. It's all Miriam Margolyes. Her reading, performance, whatever you'd call it is absolutely perfect, combining her talents in acting, voices, accents with her passion for Dickens and her emotional response to the characters. It all just works together to make the ideal reading, yet somehow also manages to seem like an incredibly talented friend sitting in the room, not just reading, but sharing the book with you. And about the length: when you listen to an audiobook this good, you don't ever want it to end. The hours flew by and, as I got closer to the end, found I was allowing myself only so much per day, to stretch it out so it wouldn't be over. Alas, it did finally end, but I plan to listen to it all over again -- once I have listened to everything else Ms. Margolyes has read for Audible, including several books I would never have thought to read but for her recording them. Miriam -- if you ever read this, I've got your readings of Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist too. But please consider doing more (maybe all?) of the Dickens novels, unabridged, of course, like these three. No one, but no one, does them as well as you.

42 people found this helpful

3.8 stars

I'm having trouble finishing this audiobook. Ms. Margolyes approaches the text with great reverence, as she is evidently a Dickens aficionado. I think that reverence detracts from her narration, as each sentence is delivered in the deliberate cadence of the Archbishop of Canterbury eulogizing a dead monarch. I don't mean that she doesn't use a different voice for each character. She does do that, fairly well. I mean that every. Single. Phrase. Is treated as. Equally deserving. Of careful. Enunciation. And emphasis. This would not be a bad narrative style for a fast-paced, crisply-written book. For "Bleak House," with its dry subject matter (Chancery Court! Law writing! Debt collection!) and convoluted plot? Ms. Margolyes's style is not ideal. Each scene drags and feels disconnected from the next, making it difficult to pick up narrative threads, such as the attempts of various characters to discovery the law writer's identity. What's worse, much of Dickens's sly humor is lost. You will note as well that this audiobook is several hours longer than the average Dickens narration. I suspect this is also down to Ms. Margolyes's narration. I have enjoyed Ms. Margolyes's skilled portrayal of several characters, in particular Grandfather Smallweed, whom she imbues with the perfect mix of querulousness and venom. So I am gritting my teeth and forcing myself to finish the audiobook. Hopefully I will have a greater appreciation for Ms. Margolyes's performance once I've listened to all 45 hours of it. :)

42 people found this helpful

An Old Friend, Revisited

"Bleak House" has long been a favorite friend, but Miriam Margolyes' masterful narrative voices bring to life this epic story and beautiful prose in an elegant and friendly telling. Well worth owning and relistening again and again!

5 people found this helpful

Not know the story is a disadvantage

Enjoyed other novels of this era--Dickens-Dostoesky-Tolstoy--but found Bleak House challenging-to-follow. Learn about story before listening.

9 people found this helpful

An immortal performance of an immortal work.

You know how many characters there are in this novel? I counted nine new ones introduced in two chapters about a third of the way through. Ms. Margolyes, one of our greatest character actresses, does every single one in an appropriate voice. She even has a different narration voice for the chapters narrated by one of the characters as opposed to the author's voice. She is clear and enunciates wonderfully. And of course, this is one of the greatest novels in literature. Dickens' books were popular entertainments in serial form, frequently read aloud in family settings, so they perfectly fit this format. Knowing he is writing for someone who will need to recall the prior characters and events, Dickens takes care to provide idiosyncrasies and reminders for the reader -- so it perfectly suits listening periodically.

2 people found this helpful

What A Journey

Bleak House has been a wonderful journey. Prior to listening to this I thought Dickens was somewhat dark and I was reluctant to purchase it. For the first few chapters the story confirmed my previously held opinion. It also seemed excessively descriptive and I wasn't sure I could persist with 40+ hours of it. I'm glad I persisted because it turns out the story has incredible light and I came to love the creative skill in the descriptive passages. This isn't a book for people who don't like stories with multiple threads. For those who do, it is a rich tapestry. The narration in this rendition of Bleak House is superb. Miriam Margolyes' interpretation of the characters adds to the enjoyment of the story. She changes voice as characters interact at an impressive speed. Thank you for such enjoyable narration.

5 people found this helpful

Thank You, Ms. Margolyes

Ms. Margolyes' performance was phenomenal. I was slightly concerned by her introduction, when describing the narrator, she states, "I don't really warm to Esther," but Ms. Margolyes' masterful reading did not reveal any misgivings on her part. Her range of vocal tone and style is amazing, from warm and comforting (Lady Dedlock) to "fingernails-on-chalkboard" (Grandfather Smallweed). I was truly sorry when the when the performance had finished. Bravo!

2 people found this helpful

Miriam Margolyes is AMAZING!!!

I couldn’t stop listening to Miriam’s reading of this classic Dickens novel! She did a fabulous job with all the diverse characters in this one story! Thank you Audible!!

1 person found this helpful

Listened to this reading about 5 or 6 times

This is one of my all time favorite books and when paired with Miriam Margoyles art for voices, it has proved to be timeless, for me at least. The pull and love I have for this book is very deep, and the number of times I've listened to Margoyle's voice, makes me sound like a compulsive, but she truly is a master. I don't write reviews, on anything really, but my sheer adoration for both Dickens and the talent that this voice gave this classic has provoked and shook me. Thank you for producing this and thank you, Miriam, for your skill. It has truly been a pleasure to hear. I wish I could give a higher rating than just 5 stars.

Bleak but beautiful

great writing and superb narration lifts a tame story. Amazing performance with many voices