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Great Expectations
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins
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Great Expectations
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Summary
Exclusively from Audible
Pip is an orphan, brought up in a village on the Essex marshes by his disagreeable sister and her husband Joe Gargery, the kind-hearted village blacksmith. Life is harsh and Pip has few prospects until he receives from an anonymous benefactor the chance of escaping the forge for a more promising life in London. But his expectations are fraught with difficulties as he is haunted by figures from his past such as the escaped convict Magwitch, the eccentric Miss Havisham, and her proud and beautiful ward, Estella. As he passes from childhood to adulthood he in time discovers his true self.
Powerfully moving, the story is immersed in Dickens's own memories of the past, raising questions about the extent to which individuals affect each other's lives.
Often considered Dickens's best-loved work, Great Expectations features some of his most memorable characters and continues to attract fans of all ages.
Dickens was one of eight children from a very poor family, with his father eventually being sent to debtors' prison. At the age of 12, Dickens had no choice but to start work in order to help clear the family debt. It was this troublesome childhood that provided him with much of the material for his novels and lent him a sympathetic voice for the poor.
Narrator Biography
Martin Jarvis is one of Britain's most admired actors. His audiobook output is legendary. He is described in Vanity Fair as 'the Olivier of audiobooks' and 'genius of the Spoken Word' in the LA Times. Award-winning recordings range from titles by Charles Dickens, P.G. Wodehouse and Michael Frayn to thrillers by Jeffrey Archer, Wilbur Smith, Ian Fleming and Dick Francis. Martin's BBC Just William recordings are worldwide best sellers.
Martin Jarvis has starred in many acclaimed West End and National Theatre productions and received the Theatre World Award as Jeeves on Broadway. Numerous UK television appearances encompass Law & Order, Doctor Who, Endeavour, Inspector Morse and The Forsyte Saga. In America: Murder She Wrote, Numb3rs, Cosmos and Walker, Texas Ranger. Films include Titanic, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Wreck-It Ralph. Videogames: 'Alfred' in Batman, 'Finn McMissile' in Cars.
Martin is invested by HM the Queen as Officer of Order of the British Empire (OBE).
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What listeners say about Great Expectations
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Michydog
- 06-12-09
Brilliant rendition
I have recently decided (having failed to read classics as a kid) to listen to them by audio book. This was brilliantly read and I'll now continue my objective by purchasing a second classic read by Martin Jarvis. He has brought the characters to life brilliantly.
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38 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Jonah
- 30-11-09
Wonderful
Really enjoyed this recording. Jarvis is an excellent narrator
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 25-03-21
Spectacularly narrated, classic story
This is one of the most famous novels in history. It’s a classic coming of age story that gives key insights into society in the 19th century. The class struggles and lack of social mobility, the differences in romance, morality, life in London, and views of wealth that are still evident in British culture today. While there are certainly outdated views and I question Pip’s choices in finding love, the story is beautifully told in a way you can see the changes wealth and society can inflict on a person. The impact this story has had on future authors and writing cannot be understated and is worth a listen from anyone willing to give it a try.
Martin Jarvis is a spectacular narrator. The way he’s able to manipulate his voice gives life to every individual character which will ensure you are cognisant of who is saying what in dialogue. He’s able to develop Pips voice throughout the story to reflect Pips maturity and beautifully transitions from character to character. I would definitely listen to other books Jarvis narrates.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- CATRIONA SYME
- 05-06-21
Another classic Dickens. Expertly narrated.
Much more to the story than I remembered and the narration is exceptional. Very enjoyable.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- debbie williams
- 07-03-20
my first Charles Dickens
I have never been one for the classics but help me on my walks I decided to try to listen instead of reading and decided on this book purely because it had been free before to listen to but I had not managed to finish in the time scale. this book has changed my mind, it was well read with the right level of tone and diction to enjoy listening to. the story although long was interesting, thoughtful and enjoyable with moments of humor , good description and interesting and thought provoking . I will listen to Dickens again .
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
- Joey-boi
- 09-08-17
Brilliantly Narrated
OK so it's an 'old English' writing style, but it's brought to life so well by the narration. A real pleasure to listen to...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rajdeep
- 15-03-17
A true classic
Brilliantly performed bringing back all the memories of when i read it as a child.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Margo Price - Author
- 30-10-16
A richly rewarding experience
Loved the whole story and Martin Jarvis's myriad voices bring the whole to life, adding humour and emotion.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stephen readey
- 07-04-22
perfection
The reading of this book, the voices that is captured are all totally brilliant. I have now listen to this 7 times. I get totally swept away into the story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dr A Ainsworth
- 27-01-23
An original coming of age story
It's an epic coming of age story with the usual amazing array of Dickens characters. What brings this version to life is Martin Jarvis's brilliant narration.
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