Little Dorrit

Why do we never tire of Dickens? Isn't it because of his characters and their crazy worlds? Science fiction was never so strange! Reader Robert Whitfield catches this zaniness and infects us with it. Whitfield is at once the delicate and sensitive heroine, Little Dorrit, as she humors the illusions of her father; he is that same father, presiding like nobility over his fellow debtors in the Marshalsea prison. He is the crafty Frenchman, Monsieur Rigaud, who is blackmailing old Mrs. Clenham. He is the pompous Mrs. Merdle, the asinine Mr. Sparkler, and the young Mr. Barnacle, who has attached himself to the annoying government Circumlocution Office to make certain nothing jolly well ever gets done. Crazy? Yes, completely, but nonetheless real as Whitfield, with a unique voice and vision for each character, casts Dickens's spell of mystery and intrigue. Dickens fans should not miss this almost perfect performance of his most mature work. P.E.F. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

What are the keynotes for Anton Lesser's reading of Dickens's classic 1855-57 serial novel? Enthusiasm is one. Lesser's voice carries an excited thrill as scenes unfold the drama of Arthur Clennan's interest in William Dorrit, imprisoned for debt, and in Dorrit's children, who have grown up in the Marshalsea prison. One of these children is the kind and openhearted Amy, the title character. Another keynote is respect. Dickens's book runs close to 1,000 pages, so even an abridgment is long, yet Lesser lavishes care on every sentence. His pacing is wonderful and captures the suspense and charm of Dickens's masterful storytelling down to each colorful minor character, as memorably personalized by Lesser. G.H. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Charles Dickens's tale of debtors' prisons, cheating bankers, inept bureaucracies, and slowly sinking working people will resonate in today's economic meltdown. Dickens always mixes commentary with romance and humor, and the enthusiastic Anton Lesser, a master of timing, character, and accent, understands that. The title character is born in the Marshalsea Prison, and her sense of delicacy and thoughtfulness, as well as her discomfort with sudden wealth, are effectively rendered by Lesser. Arthur Clennam, who cannot see that Little Dorrit loves him, sounds thoroughly decent and likable. Lesser has fun with the comic characters. The listener will laugh out loud as the unrelentingly silly Flora chatters on and on at great speed and Pancks's dedication to work (with his hair standing straight up) is tested by his grasping capitalist boss. A.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

The urgency of a crowded street, the strains of a wonderful musical score, and the last words of a dying man, "Do not forget"--these are the first sounds one hears in this fine BBC Radio dramatization of one of Charles Dickens's most popular novels. First published in serial form in 70 chapters from 1855 to 1857, the story centers around London's notorious Marshalsea Debtors' Prison, where Dickens's own father was once held, and follows the fortunes (lost and gained) of the families of Little Amy Dorrit and her employer's intrepid son, Arthur Clennam. Making full use of sound effects and Sir Ian McKellen's considerable narrative skills, the production presents Dickens's distinctive characters, gentle satire, and piercing observations with a naturalistic, film-like ambiance. Superb listening. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2010 Audies Finalist (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine