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  • Bleak House

  • The Audible Dickens Collection
  • By: Charles Dickens
  • Narrated by: Miriam Margolyes
  • Length: 43 hrs and 12 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (166 ratings)

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Bleak House

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Miriam Margolyes
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Publisher's Summary

Audie Award, 2019: Literary Fiction and Classics

Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award 2018

This Audible Exclusive performance of Bleak House features a unique introduction written and narrated by Miriam Margolyes.

Recognised as one of Dickens' most accomplished titles, Bleak House has impressed critics and audiences alike since it was first published in 1852. The novel boasts one of the most intelligent and engaging plots in all of English literature and is sure to engage the listener's imagination as it transports us back in time to the seedy, grimy and hazardous streets of Victorian London.

This release is part of the Dickens Collection, an exclusive series of unmissable performances available throughout 2018.

About the audiobook:

At the heart of Bleak House is the longstanding case of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce - a damning portrayal of the 19th century legal system. Dickens shines a light on the impact that overdrawn court proceedings could have on the lives of those involved, specifically through two of his protagonists, Richard Carstone and his beloved Ada Clare.

Dickens' unassuming heroine, Esther Summerson, along with the equally benevolent owner of Bleak House, John Jarndyce, attempts to guide the young lovers, Richard and Ada, to live their lives unaffected by the court proceedings. But with the introduction of some typically Dickensian characters such as Grandfather Smallweed and Mr Tulkinghorn, trouble soon ensues for all who cross their paths.

About the author:

Having experienced the incarceration of his father, Charles Dickens had to abandon his studies at a young age and set to work in a factory so as to support himself. Despite his short-lived education, Dickens went on to write 15 novels, various articles, novellas and short stories. He lectured and led campaigns for children's rights and education and arguably became the ultimate self-made man. Bleak House offers unique insight into the mind-set of a middle-aged Charles Dickens and the exceptional way in which his artistic skill had grown and developed by then.

About the narrator:

Miriam Margolyes is an award-winning stage and screen actress, best known for her roles in The Age of Innocence, Little Dorrit, Sunshine, Cold Comfort Farm and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Her stage credits include The Vagina Monologues, Romeo & Juliet, The Threepenny Opera, The Canterbury Tales and her own one-woman show, Dickens' Woman. Miriam has always been a keen admirer of Charles Dickens and demonstrates a profound understanding of his themes and writing style through her skilful narration of Bleak House.

Public Domain (P)2018 Audible, Ltd

Critic Reviews

"Such a miraculously good new audio version of this great novel is cause for hats in the air.... Margolyes clearly loves this material and brilliantly displays Dickens's genius for plotting, nailing human foibles, and shining light on social cruelties. It's a gobsmacking performance, on a par with Jim Dale's protean work on the Harry Potter novels. Ms. Margolyes contains multitudes." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about Bleak House

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  • Overall
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A Phenomenal Performance

Miriam Margoyes delivers one of the greatest performances I have ever heard of an audiobook. She is a great lover of Dickens and this shows in every moment of Bleak House. Each character, and there are many, is faultlessly delineated and springs to life with real joy. Being such a long work and with so many narratives and characters, the reading could easily muddle the strands and confuse characters (e.g. Simon Callow's one-note reading of The Tale of Two Cities). Ms Margoyles and her director keep everything in control and the story unfolds effortlessly. if there are Oscars for audiobooks, she should get one. Hugely enjoyable.

UPDATE. Just found out that Miriam won a 2019 Audie Award in the Literature and Classics category for this recording. Congratulations!

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11 people found this helpful

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Adds Another Dimension

This is arguably the most densely-plotted, character-crammed and labyrinthine of Dickens' many novels. It's certainly the longest at around 900 pages. Indeed, I'm fairly sure I would have given up on it had I read the book myself, but with a narrator like Miriam Margolyes I became utterly absorbed by the story and characters.

Ms Margolyes has such a genius for voices and the nuances of character that you never feel lost in the narrative. The 'faults' of the novel are really Dickens' traditional ones - his tendency towards sticky sentimentality and his creation of some characters (Mr Skimpole, for instance) whose eccentricities are such they defy belief.

But some the central characters here - particularly Lady Dedlock, George Rouncewell and the most villainous Mr Tulkinghorne - are some of the most memorable that Dickens created. And the story - about a complex lawsuit over a disputed inheritance so prolonged it has ruined innumerable lives - is one of his best.

My favourite Dickens is still David Copperfield, but this comes close.

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Incredible performance. Masterful writing and character study. Heartbreaking and uplifting.

Brilliant. If at first some long description of London or law seems off putting stick with it. I can’t wait to start it again. Brilliant.

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Dickens : the easy way.

Loved the social commentary of the times . I think I hear the indignation at the injustices. Beautiful prose wonderful voice rendered by Miriam Margolis. Esther is a bit too good to be true. I will be downloading more Dickens.

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Incredible performance of a classic masterpiece!

This is so well read. It is a captivating performance, making each character come alive. Brilliant! I highly recommend!

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Beautiful ending!

Thoroughly enjoyed the interconnectedness of the characters and their stories. Grief, love, regret and charity artfully interwoven throughout.

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This is Monty Pythonesque in its character descriptions.

I loved it and am recommending it to all my friends. An indictment on the legal system of the time. Tragic funny and sad all at the same time

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misogynist view of how an ideal woman should be

although of course of its time puts the perfect woman in a space of submission and service- yuck! however it is a social commentary of injustice and a criticism of class structure and judicial processes that is clever and does not direct the reader merely puts the issues to the fore. magnificently narrated

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Dickens & Margolyes a perfect match

Just wonderful to listen to this novel and remember how many writers and dramatists have been inspired by the great man. This novel reminds us that his awe-inspiring literary techniques are still employed by writers in the 21st century, whether they realise it or not. Miriam Margolyes is a perfect Dickens narrator: a masterful actor from the most nuanced and heart-wrenching depictions, right through to the glorious Victorian gargoyles.

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Brilliant

Miriam Margolyes’ performance is so perfectly appropriate in voice & sensitivity Dickens would be delighted!
I recommend this to all listeners who love the richness of the English language.

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