The Pickwick Papers

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Walter Zimmerman

This is the story of the celebrated Pickwick Club, with the good Mr. Samuel Pickwick as its founder and general chairman.

The members are to report to the club on their journeys, adventures, and observations of characters and manners. Dickens creates a vivid picture of England in taking his characters along the nostalgic highways and byways of this majestic isle. This remarkable first novel made Dickens famous and has remained one of the world's best-known works. With its scores of delightful, improbably-named characters, The Pickwick Papers brims over with joyous fantasy, infectious good humor, and a touch of the macabre.

Public Domain (P)1987 Jimcin Recordings

Critic reviews

"The great example of everything that made Dickens great....a supreme masterpiece." (G.K. Chesterton)

Tin-eared

The first reviewer is right. I prefer a real Brit to narrate Dickens, but there's nothing wrong in having an American do the honors, if they can do it properly. Unfortunately, this American narrator is just not good enough. His diction is clipped, but also unnecessarily forceful; it sounds like the particular monotone of an old Movie trailer voice-over actor from the forties and fifties. This doesn't segue well into the regional accents of Britain.
The overall sound quality is a bit rough as well. You can tell this is cassette recording, in the sometimes tinny, far-away sound.
It's really too bad, because this is a fun book, maybe not as dramatic and important as later Dickens(and even more episodic), but still funny and astute.

The Master

Charles Dickens' first novel (well, sort of) really hits the spot. I have read many of his other books, and I can see now why people fell in love with him. Don't read this if you are in need of a novel with a clear beginning, middle, and end plot where you can clearly define the point and follow events. However, if you enjoy Dickens' mind and his humor, you MUST read this. Then you ought to read it again. What a hilarious, heart-warming story full of the beloved (and reviled) characters Dickens is so well known for. Read it!

Accents adrift...

Enjoyable, but disfigured often by inaccurate rendering of English accents, which are indicators of class and geographic origin. Some pronunciations are wrong as well: either not as an Englishmen would pronounce the word, or in a few cases as any educated person, English or American, would pronounce the word.

To sum up, there's no subsitute for a well-schooled English actor for reading Dickens.

Terrific

If you are looking for a book with a clear plot, this is not it. But if you are in the mood for some wonderful characters in absurd situations, get this book! I don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life! Wonderful book and very well read.

Out dated

I am a lover of all things Dickens. That being said, with the quality of this recording Audible should really remove it from their offerings. It is read well by a person that I have heard long ago and at the time was fine. Today it sounds as though it's being broadcast through a Dixie-cup from thirty years ago. I listened to the end and regretted having started, not on Dickens account but on the fault of the above.

As good as it gets

I have listened too this book at least four times and I love it every time. The story is pure Dickens and the narration is pure gold. Please get this and treasure it. You will not be disappointed I promise!!!!

Love Zimmerman, don't know why.

Maybe it's because Zimmerman strikes me as so earnest, as if he refuses to influence the story with too much flair.

Why did I laugh out loud at something pretty slapstick, in this case the description of the carriage crashing? Because the characters are so vivid-not a surprise with Dickens.

Pickwick Brought to Life

A great listen, expertly narrated. Each character's distinct personality comes through in this very colorful interpretive read.

Horrible reading of an incredible book

The book? Amazing. This version of the audio book? Pathetically horrible! It sounds like the narrator is a computer, not a person. Really, really disappointing.

Do yourself a favor and either buy another version of the audiobook, or prepare for some really horrible reading.

Awful...and I'm a huge Dickens fan!

First, I absolutely love Dickens. Second, I have a ridiculous completion compulsion when it comes to books in general. This book was one of the very few I haven't been able to finish, the characters are annoying, there is no story, just ridiculous people doing who knows what. AND the narrator is so incredibly annoying you'll want to scream.