Great Expectations

February 27, 2012
This beloved classic from Dickens follows the life and adventures of a six-year-old orphan named Pip as he makes his way and comes of age in 19th-century England. Simon Prebble turns in a solid performance in this audio edition, offering up a lush and resolutely dramatic reading and creating a panoply of unique voices and accents for the book’s many characters. But while Prebble’s performance is lavish, it fails to distinguish itself from the scores of previous audio productions of Dickens’s novels. Still, his reading remains a pleasure and a well-orchestrated introduction to the world of Dickens—one that could serve as a wonderful opportunity for both fans and those new to the author’s work.

July 1, 2006
Plot point follows plot point in these fast-paced adaptations. With scant space allotted for character development or setting, the tales seem to be little more than a collection of elaborate coincidences. [cf2]Jane Eyre[cf1] holds up best. [cf2]Les Miserables[cf1] is simply too large for such a brief treatment, and Martin's propensity for choppy sentences makes a hash of [cf2]Oliver Twist[cf1].

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)