.The Old Curiosity Shop (Everyman's Library)

The sound of Little Nell clattering hurriedly over cobblestones immediately sets the stage by bringing to mind the narrow and dangerous streets of Victorian London. No fewer than 20 performers are called upon to conjure up the Dickensian world of wanderers, ne'er-do-wells, con artists, and kind Samaritans--and each performance is excellent. Tom Courtenay plays the sadistic Quilp, "the ugliest dwarf that could be seen anywhere for a penny" with magnificent sarcastic glee, and Teresa Gallagher's silvery, childlike voice is ideally suited for the role of the angelic Little Nell.
Nell is on her way home to the dusty shop where she and her grandfather live a rather mysterious life. The old man disappears every night--visiting gambling dens with the naive hope of winning a fortune. Instead he sinks deeper and deeper into debt. Enter Daniel Quilp, moneylender, who becomes furious upon learning that the grandfather is a pauper and will never be able to repay his tremendous debt. Quilp seizes the curiosity shop and begins making lecherous overtures to Nell, so she and her grandfather steal away one morning to seek their fortunes elsewhere. But the demonic dwarf is never far behind.

Sound effects are employed judiciously and serve mainly as a springboard for the listener's imagination. The sound of a crying baby is enough to convey the image of crowded lodgings and genteel Victorian poverty, while raucous laughter and high-pitched squawks evoke the barely controlled chaos of an outdoor Punch and Judy show. The dramatization pares Dickens's weighty novel down to two and one-half hours, but does so skillfully, retaining Dickens's wit, marvelous dialogue, and delightful characterizations. (Running time: 155 minutes, 2 cassettes) --Elizabeth Laskey

A Christmas Carol (Wordsworth Children's Classics)

Customer Review

The original Christmas message

Upon learning that A Christmas Carol had won a place in the BBC's Big Read extravaganza, it occurred to me that I had never actually read it. Of course, there have been many film adaptations over the years, and Amazon currently has more than thirty different versions of the book available, so it must have something going for it. Let me assure you, it does. The message behind the story is simple, and I believe that is a large contributing factor to its continued success. Although it was first published in 1843, to this day it remains as significant as when Dickens first allowed the public to feast their eyes upon it.

Ebenezer Scrooge is the central character - a lonely old miser of a man, he keeps all of his money locked away, and allows neither himself nor his impoverished relatives to enjoy it. Returning to his chilly home on Christmas eve, he is rather alarmed to find his once-business partner Jacob Marley waiting for him. This is hardly surprising, since Marley has been dead for seven years. Scrooge is warned that unless he changes his miserable ways, he will spend the afterlife repenting. The exchange between the two is followed by a lengthy night, in which three spirits - the ghosts of Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas yet to come, visit Ebenezer.

Although A Christmas Carol is largely aimed at children aged ten and above, many adults can (and have) enjoyed the wealth of description Dickens packs into the novel. The depiction of the streets of nineteenth century London and its architecture is a treat. Also, the way in which the author uses imagery to convey the difference between Scrooge's desolate existence, and the tenderness he could be experiencing had he any kind feeling in his heart towards his family. "... along the streets, the brightness of the roaring fires in kitchens, parlours, and all sorts of rooms, was wonderful. Here, the flickering of the blaze showed preparations for a cosy dinner, with hot plates baking through and through before the fire, and deep red curtains, ready to be drawn, to shut out cold and darkness."

I would recommend any reader wishing to locate a copy of the book look for one with explanations about words used in the story that are no longer (or rarely) in use. 'Negus' for instance, was a word used in the story, and I was not aware that it was "wine and hot water sweetened with lemon and spice" until I consulted the footnotes in the superb Penguin Classics edition. Similarly, 'twelfth-cakes' being "large, rich cakes, frosted and decorated with icing sugar figures, made to be eaten on Twelfth Night."

Any reader who has enjoyed this splendid, eerie treat may also enjoy Dickens' other Christmas writings (of which there are many). "The Cricket on the Hearth," "The Haunted Man" and "The Chimes" are all fine examples of the author's other festive tales. A Christmas Carol will be around for a long time, indeed, it has already and with good reason. It is only a short story, and can be read in an hour or two. I urge you to read it, it really is a delight.

Great Expectations (Cliffs Notes)

Wealth, happiness, and the valuable lessons of life envelop a varied collection of characters in Dickens' Great Expectations. Told from an orphaned boy's take on the world around him, this first-person perspective gives readers a detailed look at Victorian England – with its view of virtues and economic change. Travel back with CliffsNotes on Great Expectations to those times as you freshen up your understanding of Charles Dickens' best work with insights into themes of good and evil, plots that twist and turn, and people who want for means to make sense of their lives. Get into English literature – and the good graces of your teachers – with a classroom companion that can meet all your expectations!

David Copperfield (Penguin Popular Classics)

Customer Review

Utterly fantastic

For me, this may just pip "Great Expectations" as my vote for the BBC's Big Read thing.

Written in the first person, like "Great Expectations", the early part of the book is regarded as highly autobiographical. The range of styles, and the sweep of the plot, though, dazzles throughout.

True, the Little Emily stuff may be too melodramatic for today, but the characters here are Dickens at his very best. The odious Heep, the oh-so-brilliant Steerforth and the fumbling Mr Micawber.

On one level, yes they are caricatures, but I have met people just like Mr Heep, and not too far from Steerforth.

And when my boss denied me a raise in my salary the other day, claiming that were it down to her, she would certainly be looking to do it, but that her hands were tied by the senior management, I cast my mind straight back to David Copperfield trying to get a raise out of Spenlow and Jorkins. Timeless.

For a Dickens, it's a middling size of book, so it'll take time, but it won't wipe out a month, like "Little Dorrit", say.

Read this. Comic and tragic at turns, it is staggeringly brilliant writing.

David Lean's Oliver Twist

Based on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist is about an orphan boy who runs away from a workhouse and meets a pickpocket on the streets of London. Oliver is taken in by the pickpocket and he joins a household of young boys who are trained to steal for their master. The boys thieving activities and others who desire to cash in on Oliver's fortune by criminals activities leads to murder and community outrage as they are hunted down. This version of Oliver Twist is topped by Alex Guinness' masterly performance of arch-thug Fagin. [IMDB - Jenny Evans] This UNCUT release includes Dolby Digital Stereo in ENGLISH with optional English or Chinese subtitles. The original Black and White is especially effective at conveying the bleak, nightmarish quality of Dickins' Victorian England.