Great Expectations

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

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

Great literature can pose problems for narrators. If the book is a classic, the pitfalls are that the listener has a preconceived notion of how the book should sound and, perhaps, how the characters themselves should sound. It is, thus, heartening to listen to Michael Page's narration of Dickens's tale. He sheds new light on the text and shows off his collection of personalities and voices. Page twists his English accent so that the characters have their own unique inflections, laughs and resonance. His voice is slightly nasal but full. He's exceptionally good at setting the tone of this rather wistful novel. And his marvelous diction and pacing make the story vibrant and interesting. R.I.G. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

A frustrated actor, Dickens himself entertained thousands in England and America with readings from his own books. But would his reading of GREAT EXPECTATIONS be better than this one? I seems likely. Angela Cheyne's 1977 performance unfortunately suffers from the poor recording equipment used at the time, which distorts at higher volumes and captures limited dynamic range. Even without these distractions, it is jarring to hear the young gentleman, Pip, portrayed through the distinctly feminine voice of Cheyne. In addition, Cheyne chooses not to give distinctive voices to the menagerie of Dickensian grotesques, which takes away much of the fun of the performance. P.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

In his reading of GREAT EXPECTATIONS, Martin Jarvis exceeds even the greatest expectations: He is superb. In a novel that some say is Dickens's finest, numerous characters confront young Pip, coming from all manner of backgrounds and circumstances and, therefore, using a variety of geographical and social dialects. Jarvis is more than equal to the task of differentiating perfectly and consistently among them: the uneducated but good hearted blacksmith, Joe; the convict Magwitch; the proper Miss Havisham; the puzzling Estella; along with other equally memorable friends and foes. To hear Jarvis tell their stories, you almost believe you're listening to a full-cast recording. This audiobook merits highest praise. T.H. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

A frustrated actor, Dickens himself entertained thousands in England and America with readings from his own books. But would his reading of GREAT EXPECTATIONS be better than this one? Not likely. Martin Jarvis takes charge of this work with intelligence and talented intensity. The BBC-trained Jarvis produces authentic British voices. His characters are vibrant, and his pace allows one to follow the action without strain. His voice, however, is on the shallow side, with too much scratchiness to be pleasing. The recording is enhanced by a background hiss reduction system. P.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Great Expectations, like London itself, can be re-visited many times without losing its charm. A fine mixture of comedy, romance and mystery makes it a splendid choice for audio rendition. This version has been much abridged; the simplified plot closely parallels David Lean's splendid 1946 film. Accomplished British actor Tom Baker's widely varied vocal charac-terizations are brilliant. (The most memorable is that of Magwitch.) He is less successful, however, with the "straighter" roles. Above all, he has not fully captured the appeal of Dickens's narrator, the mature Pip, and this proves a definite, though not fatal, flaw. B.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

[Editor's Note--The following is a combined review with DAVID COPPERFIELD, GHOST STORIES, HARD TIMES, MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, OLIVER TWIST, OUR MUTUAL FRIEND, THE PICKWICK PAPERS, and A TALE OF TWO CITIES.]--New Millennium presents the distinguished Academy Award winner Paul Scofield interpreting abridgments of the novels and stories of Charles Dickens. These are excellent readings, sonorous and compelling. However, they lack the verve and character of the old Victorian qualities that have been so wonderfully captured on cassette by Martin Jarvis and Miriam Margolyes, among others. And while few authors benefit more from pruning than the paid-by-the-word Dickens, some of these cuttings are far too drastic. In addition, hurried post-production is evident in numerous audible edits, frequent mouth noises, and occasional overlapping of announcer and narrator. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

A frustrated actor, Dickens himself entertained thousands in England and America with readings from his own books. But would his reading of GREAT EXPECTATIONS be better than this one? Not likely. American actor and audio superstar Frank Muller is known for authenticity of voices, outstanding interpretation, and sheer natural ability. His is a voice one could listen to forever--it is sonorous and mellow without any unpleasant raspiness. Perhaps Muller's reading is a bit fast, but the dramatic intensity and nuance keep one from losing meaning. His characterizations are superb, expecially those of the imperious Jaggers, the sniveling Orlick and the confounding Magwitch. Muller's great strength lies in his ability to project an ease of presentation that, when combined with his extraordinary emotional alertness, produces a most engaging effect. Surprisingly soft-spoken and confidential in tone, Muller's Pip seems to be talking directly to the listener. Charles Dickens would have been pleased to know that his words are being recalled to life. P.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

A frustrated actor, Dickens himself entertained thousands in England and America with readings from his own books. But would his reading of GREAT EXPECTATIONS be better than this one? Most certainly. Dickens requires gusto; Haley deadens the text through a tiresome ecclesiastical-sounding tone. Combining his own American voice for Pip's first-person narration with generic British voices for the other characters, Haley inflicts aural schizophrenia on the novel. In addition, he regularly stumbles over words and mistimes the rhythms inherent in Dickens's elaborate sentences. P.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

This classic about young Pip's aspirations to become a gentleman and wed Estella and fate's different designs for him is familiar to many as a television drama and a movie. Simon Vance brings a whole new dimension to the story as he imbues each character with a unique voice, and with exquisite diction provides listeners with a totally new experience. Every detail, every nuance is accorded importance, and lines, even paragraphs, that might have been skipped when reading the book to oneself, or omitted entirely in film, are given their due in this performance. Vance takes the work of the great writer and delivers it to listeners with a full cast of authentic characters and terrific attention to the writing itself. S.S.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

It's almost a cliché: Dickens is verbose because he was paid by the word. But what becomes clear with this audiobook is that all those words do indeed matter. They dazzle with peerless charm, and, when acted by a master like Charlton Griffin, they mesmerize. Griffin takes on the sizable cast with verve, transforming his voice to play innocent Pip, haughty Estella, and ancient Miss Havisham. As he delivers remarkably convincing portrayals, his vocal gifts make this classic come alive. Dickens was paid by the word? If so, fantastic: all the more for Griffin to perform. L.B.F. 2010 Audies Finalist (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

With its meandering paragraphs, colorful character names, and engrossing plots, Charles Dickens's masterpiece is magical in the audiobook format. Anton Lesser's performance is especially notable for its blend of the traditional and contemporary. He captures young Pip's transformation from downtrodden lad to society gentleman with all the typical trappings of Dickens's atmosphere: Precise accent, clipped diction, and mellifluous voice are gloriously present. However, Lesser's performance is also wonderfully modern in its pacing and phrasing. Where some narrators resort to fusty, passive vocals, wherein they allow Dickens to own the role, Lesser is fully involved and vivacious in each sentence, propelling the story continually forward. This version of a classic is bound to become a classic in its own right. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Alison Larkin serves double duty as adapter and narrator of this reimagining of GREAT EXPECTATIONS. Larkin creates a world in which the iconic orphan Pip is female, but her story of ongoing dramatic reversals in fortune and love remains otherwise the same. The production magnifies the significance of the adaptation by firmly conjuring the image of a young woman making her way in the world. Larkin's young Pip has a delicate voice, which becomes noticeably stronger as Pip grows into herself. Larkin's portrayal of Miss Havisham is appropriately brooding and histrionic, while Estella, Pip's unrequited love, is exquisitely cold in tone. Every character in the vast story has a distinct voice or accent, and Larkin throws herself into the performance without restraint. N.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine