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The Pickwick Papers

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
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Publisher's Summary

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (commonly known as The Pickwick Papers) is the first novel by Charles Dickens. The book became the first real publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books and other merchandise.

Written for publication as a serial, The Pickwick Papers is a sequence of loosely-related adventures. The novel's main character, Mr. Samuel Pickwick, Esquire, is a kind and wealthy old gentleman, and the founder and perpetual president of the Pickwick Club. To extend his researches into the quaint and curious phenomena of life, he suggests that he and three other "Pickwickians" (Mr. Nathaniel Winkle, Mr. Augustus Snodgrass, and Mr. Tracy Tupman) should make journeys to remote places from London and report on their findings to the members of the club. Their travels throughout the English countryside provide the chief theme of the novel.

Its main literary value and appeal is formed by its numerous memorable characters. Each character in The Pickwick Papers, as in many other Dickens novels, is drawn comically, often with exaggerated personalities. Alfred Jingle provides an aura of comic villainy. His misadventures repeatedly land the Pickwickians in trouble. These include Jingle's elopement with the spinster, Aunt Rachael of Dingley Dell manor, misadventures with Dr. Slammer, and others.

Public Domain (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

This novel, Dickens's first, made him famous and was perhaps the world's first real publishing phenomenon, inspiring bootleg copies, theatrical performances, and merchandise based on the popular characters.
"[T]he great example of everything that made Dickens great....[a] supreme masterpiece." (G. K. Chesterton)

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Sensational

If you like period pieces Dickens will never disappoint.
This story is simply a beautifully written masterpiece. The descriptive images the author portrays will have you living in and experiencing England in the early 19th century as if you were there.
It's characters are superbly settled upon ones mind as if they were alive and well and right there with you.
The narration of Simon Prebble is immaculate and his timbre perfectly fits the era.
I gave the story a 4 only because I couldn't give it 4.95 and having recently completed David Copperfield, I feel that there could be very few works to match that level of written mastery. Certainly none I've ever read.
This is a brilliant story which will have you staying up late every night and contemplating during the course of your day.
Highly recommend.

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