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Great Expectations cover art

Great Expectations

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Eddie Izzard
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Summary

The classic Charles Dickens novel, performed by one of Britain's greatest comedians

Widely considered to be Charles Dickens' greatest and best-loved work, Great Expectations was first published as a serial between December 1860 - August 1861 and has been in print ever since. The story of a young boy from humble origins who dares to dream of becoming a gentleman, it is one of Dickens' most enduring and widely adapted novels.

In this new unabridged production, star comedian and polymath Eddie Izzard infuses the story of Pip with her trademark wit and flair, and breathes new life into some of Dickens' most memorable characters, while staying completely faithful to the novel.

A unique performer and storyteller, Eddie has long held a fascination for Dickens and his work. Whether you're already well-acquainted with the story or you've never read a Charles Dickens novel, this is a must-listen.

Public Domain (P)2018 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Critic reviews

'[A] captivating and colourfully calibrated performance' Wall Street Journal

'She's got this story by the reins, and we're lucky to travel along.' New York Stage Review

What listeners say about Great Expectations

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Magnificent, if poorly edited

Eddie Izzard offers a masterclass here in how to read fiction with magnetism and empathy. He delineates the characters beautifully and somehow makes us feel for Pip even more than we might if we were reading off the page.

Bafflingly, for a production predicated on the star power and talent of its reader, no one bothered to edit out the various restarts and second takes that are par for the course in any recording session.

So, not infrequently, we get to listen to Izzard take a second stab at a paragraph. In some ways it's interesting, as we get to hear the level of nuance involved in what Mr Izzard changes (it's often subtle, but makes sense). But it does take one out of the story a bit. A few time references for these errors are below in case anyone from the publishers is listening and wants to correct and re-upload the file. How hard can that be? I could do it on my laptop. It would probably take an hour.

Having begun to listen to the more stentorian, less intimate Martin Jarvis version and abandoned it in favour of this one. I can thoroughly recommend this production. Just a shame that it’s a let down by the absence of some standard issue finishing touches.

A 9 out of 10 read of a 9 out of 10 book

Chapter 1: 11:25
Chapter 39: 30:51
Chapter 50: 04:28
Chapter 54: 36:45
...and many others

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22 people found this helpful

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Brilliant

Eddie Izzard's performance for this audiobook is absolutely fabulous. He clearly loves this story and is relishing (I'm still listening) reading it aloud. Highly recommend.

But, the editing is not 100%. There have been several times when a sentence has been repeated and the editor/producer has not deleted accordingly. So not an ideal production but Eddie Izzard's narration is very good.

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6 people found this helpful

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Does Dickens justice

One of the most classic novels told in a wonderful and heartfelt way by Eddie Izzard. He brings Dickens' characters and words to life. I was hooked from the first minute.

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6 people found this helpful

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Narrator brought it to life

Eddie Izzard was wonderful as a narrator. The characters were in the room with me.

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3 people found this helpful

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Words cannot express how lovely this experience was

I have often started to read Dickens and abandoned him as too depressing and alien. Eddie Izzard has brought to life the most beautiful, humorous, witty, sad and complicated story. I wish I could capture a wisp of Dickens genius and Eddie Izzard’s magic to do justice to this experience.

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2 people found this helpful

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Great narration

Eddie really brought this book to life. Loved the story and characters. Long story but worth listening to every minute.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Superb Narration Eddie Izzard.

Absolute joy to hear Eddie Izzard reading Dickens...please sign him up to do them all...

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Brilliant novel narrated with style and creativity

Such a perfectly constructed and haunting novel; Dickens' finest work in my opinion. I was a bit nervous about listening to it because I know it so well and didn't want it spoiled. I needn't have worried. Eddie Izzard does it justice. He reads with intelligence and understanding and brings the distinctive voices of the characters to life. Most enjoyable.

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Not to be missed

This is smply one of the world’s best books read by one of the best ever narrators.

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magical

brilliantly read by Eddie. He has brought an amazing story to life. what a listen

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