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Bleak House cover art

Bleak House

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Hugh Dickson
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Summary

The case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has ground its way through the courts for generations. At its heart are Ada Clare and Richard Carstone, who find love - and terrible loss - through their involvement in the endless battle.

Meanwhile, her friend Esther Summeson, who believes she is an orphan, gradually discovers the truth of her identity. The court case throws out a web ensnaring all who come near it, including Lady Dedlock, the menacing lawyer Tulkingham, detective Bucket and tragic little waif Jo.

Secrets emerge, crimes are committed and love affairs bloom. But will anyone ever benefit from the case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce?

©2008 BBC Audiobooks Ltd (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Bleak House

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Really worth it!

A fantastic book to listen to. The narrator is amazing and his range of voices made the listen even more enjoyable.

There is both sadness and joy in this book and story lines that keep you gripped. Although it is very long it really is worth it!

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My favourite Dickens

Would you listen to Bleak House again? Why?

This is a good reading of Dicken's vast and complex work. Dickson has a good attempt at differentiating all the characters' voices but his sudden changes in volume, especially Esther's voice in her more contemplative moments, meant that I was having to adjust the volume when listening on the bus/train/street. A good performance, though, overall.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sheer enjoyment

This a beautiful book - Dickens at his wittiest and most ironic. The narrator Hugh Dickson is brilliant and the book came alive with his acutely drawn characterisations. Some of the descriptive passages came close to poetry in his interpretation.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A genuine gem

A brilliant novel brought to life with astonishing vividness and humour by Hugh Dickson. I cannot recommend this audiobook highly enough.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A Great Listen

Even (make it specially) if you've read this a few times, it's worth listening to this version. Hugh Dickson does an amazing job.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

An enchanting audio experience

This is a superb reading by Hugh Dickson. The character portrayal is staggeringly good, the dramatic passages are full of excitement and the emotion is sensitively expressed. I cannot praise this reading highly enough. It should not be missed.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Bleak House .... Funny ?

I've never really been a fan of Charles Dickens but bleak house was recommended and I laughed out loud, I cried, I cursed,I've rushed out to find the history books to investigate the working lives and living conditions of ordinary people, I've learnt new words, I've been amazed at my reaction and I'm going to see if the BBC Bleak House with a cast including Gillian Anderson Charles Dance and Denis Lawson is a patch on it

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Please excuse and forgive me if I should yawn or fall asleep

Now, first of all let me just acknowledge to all purists that i am aware that it is not entirely the done thing to criticize a much celebrated writer of what is supposed to be called classic literature in the strictest sense of the word but criticize is all I can do of a man whom is celebrated as a great master of the art of Victorian writing. This book is probably the worst example of what might be described as part caracature and part self-portrait I have ever heard. Trying to be funny and yet corny this book ahs no plot and nothing to hold the attention. The characters spend money they don't have since it's supposedly all tied up in a lawsuit which is so tangled up there's no way out of it yet money is of no object. The characters themselves are by turns sentimental, annoying and unlikely. In short this example of classic literature is simply unworthy of its craft or its author. Don't read it if you think of yourself as a Dickens fan or you'll change your mind unless there's something I'm missing here. The book is too long and not at all engaging. The narator just about saves it from complete disaster.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliantly narrated

Hugh Dickson is superb. He manages to pull so many different voices and characters out of himself. Magical.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

very complex socio-judicial intrigues

would prefer a woman to read stories written in female first person singular
however, the reader has great voice, easy to listen to,even for such a long book

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