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  • The Hundred and One Dalmatians

  • By: Dodie Smith
  • Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
  • Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (336 ratings)
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The Hundred and One Dalmatians cover art

The Hundred and One Dalmatians

By: Dodie Smith
Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
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Summary

Pongo and Missis Pongo are a pair of Dalmatians who live with the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Dearly and their two nannies. Mr. Dearly is a "financial wizard" who has been granted life-long tax exemption and lent a house on the Outer Circle in Regent's Park in return for wiping out the government debt. The dogs consider the humans their pets, but allow the humans to think that they are the owners.

Missis gives birth to a litter of 15 puppies. Concerned that Missis will not be able to feed them all, Mrs. Dearly looks for a wet nurse, and finds an abandoned Dalmatian mother in the middle of the road in the pouring rain. She has the dog treated by a vet and names her Perdita.

Mr. and Mrs. Dearly attend a dinner party hosted by Cruella de Vil, an intimidating and very wealthy woman fixated with fur. The Dearlys are disconcerted by her belief that all animals are worthless and should be drowned. Shortly after the dinner party, the puppies disappear. The humans fail to trace them, but through the "Twilight Barking", a forum of communication in which dogs can relay messages to each other across the country, the dogs manage to track them down to "Hell Hall", the ancestral home of the de Vil family in Suffolk.

Pongo and Missis decide to run away from home and find them, leaving Perdita to look after the Dearlys. After a journey across the countryside, they learn that there are 97 puppies in Hell Hall, including their own 15.

Thus commences a determined attempt to rescue the Dalmatian puppies quickly before they end up as fur for one of Cruella de Vil’s famous black and white fur coats.

©1956 CSA Word (P)2003 CSA Word

Critic reviews

"Martin Jarvis continues to bring the classics of children's literatue to new audiences with a reading of Dodie Smith's dognapping adventure every bit as enjoyable as his Just William series" ( The Daily Telegraph)
"Fun as the film was, it did not do justice to the cascade of wit and jokes that flows from Dodie Smith's pen in the novel....like Peter Pan, this is a book that will be as much enjoyed by parents as children." ( The Independent)

What listeners say about The Hundred and One Dalmatians

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

101 Dalmatians

A beautiful book beautifully read. It kept both adults and children happily entertained all the way down to Cornwall recently. Although the rough plot line will be familiar to most families from the Disney film the book is subtler and more carefully plotted. There are wider range of characters, both canine and human, and the dogs' final revenge upon Cruella de Vil is both viscerally exciting and absolutely fitting to her planned crime. My 7 year old son said it was 'fantastic' and we are now reading the book itself. A great way to introduce children to the stories behind the simplified Disney films.

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8 people found this helpful

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

Lovely!

I really enjoyed this. OK, OK, I know it's a children's book but after reading "I Capture the Castle" by the same author I just fancied it. The story is much more childish than ICtC of course, but it is surprisingly good and the narration is top-quality.

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4 people found this helpful

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

Marvellous!

This is my favourite book from my childhood. It has been excellently read by Martin Jarvis, and he portrayed each character's voice brilliantly. A joy to listen to.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Action packed, simple and fun!

My son really enjoyed this story, he is 6 years old and has seen the Disney film so was aware of the characters and the plot line. We particularly liked how the story is told from the dogs point of view which brings a certain humour to the narration. Recommended for all children of this age range as an easy to follow story.

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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

ITS EPIC!!!!

I love it ❤️

I liked the story telling and disliked nothing!
Listen/to/this/NOW!

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1 person found this helpful

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

Just the best thing ever

You wanna relax? Go for this
Big up Pongo and Missus
🤸‍♂️


Martin Jarvis

🥴 😁

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1 person found this helpful

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

A joy to listen to, but it shows its age

I love this story and MJ brings it to life beautifully. However, coming back to it as an adult, the blatant sexism made me wince on several occasions. I have no doubt I'll listen to this again, but there are some scenes I'll skip over in future.

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1 person found this helpful

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

great except for...

Pongo is a smart, brave and resourceful dog whereas Missus is portrayed as not very bright. Sexist but a product of its time.

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1 person found this helpful

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

beautiful tale read by Martin Jarvis so well!<br />

took me right back to my childhood and the first time I ever heard the story loved it.

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1 person found this helpful

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

So good I’ve listened several times

A lovely story expertly read. Really recommend for adults and children. A good one to listen to before bed.

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