Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Charles Dickens BBC Radio Drama Collection: The Early Years cover art

The Charles Dickens BBC Radio Drama Collection: The Early Years

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Anna Massey, Bill Nighy, Julia McKenzie, Pam Ferris, Phil Daniels, Robert Glenister, Sandi Toksvig, Tim McInnerny
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Charles Dickens BBC Radio Drama Collection: The Later Years cover art
The Thomas Hardy BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
The Noel Coward BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete BBC Collection cover art
The Complete George Smiley Radio Dramas cover art
The Brontë BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
The George Eliot BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
The Jane Austen BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
Bleak House (Dramatised) cover art
The Old Curiosity Shop cover art
Oliver Twist cover art
The Leo Tolstoy BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
Dombey and Son cover art
A Tale of Two Cities (Dramatised) cover art
W.M. Thackeray: A BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
The Complete Barchester Chronicles cover art

Summary

Captivating radio dramatisations of seven of Charles Dickens' most famous novels.

Charles Dickens is one of the most renowned authors of all time, and this first digital volume of the dramatised canon of his work includes seven of his most popular novels.

This collection includes the episodic adventure Nicholas Nickleby, comic tale The Pickwick Papers, poignant melodrama The Old Curiosity Shop and the much-loved Oliver Twist. Plus, there's the gripping historical novel Barnaby Rudge, picaresque comedy Martin Chuzzlewit and bittersweet tale of family relationships Dombey and Son.

With their compelling plots, larger-than-life characters and vivid descriptions of Victorian life, Dickens' stories have captivated generations. These radio adaptations bring out all the hope and happiness, pathos and tragedy, satire and social realism of his seven classic masterpieces.

Among the star cast are Anna Massey, Alex Jennings, Phil Daniels, Julia McKenzie, Tim McInnerny and Robert Glenister.

Public Domain (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

What listeners say about The Charles Dickens BBC Radio Drama Collection: The Early Years

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    85
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    79
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    80
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful recording ruined by poor indexing

What would have made The Charles Dickens BBC Radio Drama Collection: The Early Years better?

Indexing the tracks so that the listener can find the play they require.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The dramatisations are wonderful and deserve better from the audiobooks technicians.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

71 people found this helpful

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

No Chapter Headings!?!?!?!?!?!?

Why no Chapter headings? You don't know what book is where. It would have taken so little. Annoying!!!!!!!!!!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

39 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful.

Wonderful audiobook. Brings Dickens to life. However 100 chapters no index, very poor editing by audible. Please correct this as it is frustrating.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

28 people found this helpful

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

Mostly fantastic....

Mostly fantastic and such a range of narratives and performances across seven Dickens’ novels is an amazing thing! I had heard some before but 2 were new. I confess to some distress about the changes to the original in the Dombey and Son adaptation, though I understand time restrictions require alteration to achieve shrinking. Martin Chuzzlewit was particularly good, ten parts, strong cast, funny and sad. Thank you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

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

Wonderful stories, well adapted & well performed.

Thoroughly enjoyed all the dramatised Dickens' stories in this collection.
I dropped a star for 'overall rating' because the audiobook was very poorly indexed. The chapter number - all 100 - gave no indication as to what story you were listening to.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

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

Superb

I thought I’d always advocate listening to the unabridged Dickens audiobooks first but these Radio Plays are a superb accompaniment & just as good in their own way. Every one is a winner. Unmissable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

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

one of my best Charles Dickens stories

great story as ever by Charles Dickens, but enhanced if it6 possible by a brilliant cast.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

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

Totally Captivating!

These radio dramas of Dickens’ earlier works, like the audible files of his later works, are so enjoyable. While audio books of Dickens’ novels are also great to listen to, these are radio plays from the BBC with a full cast and sound effects. Absolute gems all of them!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

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

love it

Really enjoyed being taken back to a better more honourable and hopeful time, fantastic listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

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

Good listening

Thoroughly enjoyable. Dickens was ahead of his time! Great acting, clear and concise presentation. Fabulous

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful