The Pickwick Papers

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (commonly known as The Pickwick Papers) is the first novel by Charles Dickens. The book became the first real publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books and other merchandise.

Written for publication as a serial, The Pickwick Papers is a sequence of loosely-related adventures. The novel's main character, Mr. Samuel Pickwick, Esquire, is a kind and wealthy old gentleman, and the founder and perpetual president of the Pickwick Club. To extend his researches into the quaint and curious phenomena of life, he suggests that he and three other "Pickwickians" (Mr. Nathaniel Winkle, Mr. Augustus Snodgrass, and Mr. Tracy Tupman) should make journeys to remote places from London and report on their findings to the members of the club. Their travels throughout the English countryside provide the chief theme of the novel.

Its main literary value and appeal is formed by its numerous memorable characters. Each character in The Pickwick Papers, as in many other Dickens novels, is drawn comically, often with exaggerated personalities. Alfred Jingle provides an aura of comic villainy. His misadventures repeatedly land the Pickwickians in trouble. These include Jingle's elopement with the spinster, Aunt Rachael of Dingley Dell manor, misadventures with Dr. Slammer, and others.

Public Domain (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

This novel, Dickens's first, made him famous and was perhaps the world's first real publishing phenomenon, inspiring bootleg copies, theatrical performances, and merchandise based on the popular characters.
"[T]he great example of everything that made Dickens great....[a] supreme masterpiece." (G. K. Chesterton)

Captivating reader

This reader (Prebble) is a master at dickens voices! He is wonderful to listen to.
The Pickwick Papers is a fun read, not a dark story-line such as Tale of Two Cities

One of my favorite books by Dickens

this audio-book is marvelously read, and such an engaging story, but I think I've either read it, watched it, or listened to it, five or six times.

Wellerisms!

Loved the droll sense of humor. Particularly the comments of Sam Weller. Wellerisms had me rolling

Astonishing character study

I enjoyed every sentence of this great work. I am sad that it has ended.
I will miss his endearing characters and their surprisingly common-to-us experiences.
Dickens delights with his endearing characters,💚

Dickens at his best

Audible at its best. A grand story matched with a grand reader. Thank you Mr. Prebble.

Silly, Corny, Delightful 'Dickens Lite'

Everyone seems to have a different impression of Charles Dickens, depending on how many of his 15 novels they've read (or movie and/or BBC adaptations they've watched).

I decided to listen to all of his novels chronologically, and, technically this is his first.

I say technically because, although all of his novels were serialized, subsequent ones become much more cohesive--written more like chapters of a continuing story/ modern novel-- rather than individual episodes with familiar characters.
In other words, if you think of a sitcom vs. an HBO series, Pickwick Papers is a sitcom, both in structure and depth. Over the chapters, the adventures and situations vary, but the core cast is consistent, with "guest" characters coming in and out. And as sometimes happens, one introduced character (Sam Weller) clicks so well he becomes not only a regular cast member, but also a clear fan favorite.

As with any sitcom, a continuing plot (or lack thereof) isn't the point--it's all about the characters and setting, and-- although Dickens will become fairly proficient at plotting later in his career--characters and settings will always be his natural wheelhouse and earliest claim to fame.
And that's why his stuff is such a pleasure to listen to---it was meant to be read aloud, and Simon Prebble is a total pro. His accents and character differentiation are pitch-perfect.

For me, the biggest draw here is the detailed glimpse into mid-19th century English life, albeit a comically idealized one. (Milk punch, curling papers, meat pies, harrowing carriage accidents...)

Either you're really into this stuff our you aren't, but if you are, I highly recommend you supplement your listening by downloading the digitized original print version (with illustrations) from Google Books or iBooks (it's free/public domain) so you can see the illustrations that inspired the stories.

Life can be a daring adventure! We can hope😊

Love this book!!! This is my third listen. Terrific reader, and the adventures, trials and tribulations of the Pickwickians, never fails to bring a smile and often a bit of sympathy for these babes in the woods looking to find out more about the world! Highly recommended.

Fantastic Narrator!!!

Simon Prebble’s narration is absolutely perfect!! This book comes alive because of his outstanding skill!!

Cute until It Bores

I selected The Pickwick Papers because Simon Prebble was born to narrate audiobooks, and he does not disappoint. He brings every character to life by creating the perfect voice, accent, cadence, and intonation.

The Pickwick Papers is a long book, nearly 31 hours' listening time, and was written for serialization. The story is pure fluff, mildly amusing and mostly pleasant. The book offers several continuing characters and plot threads, and the story floats along a gentle stream. For me, it never generated a high level of interest. Probably the original serialization format had a lot to do with its success. Taken all in one piece as an audiobook, the novel and the characters became tiresome, like sucking on confectioners sugar, and I chose to opt for something else.

Dickens' first novel

The pompous, verbose tone with which The Pickwick Papers begins is characteristically Dickens, though the entire book is not quite so dense, as the beginning is deliberately written in the oratory style of the pompous personages depicted therein.

The Pickwick Papers was Charles Dickens' first novel. I wouldn't recommend it as someone's first Dickens novel to read, as it's evident if you've read a few others that he was already a brilliant writer, but he was still perfecting his style. Also, The Pickwick Papers, like many of his books, was originally published in serialized form, but since this was his first effort, there isn't a really a main plot. Rather, it's a long series of adventures featuring Samuel Pickwick, Esquire, and his friends and foes, all wealthy London gentemen who want to get out and see a bit more of the world (i.e., parts of England within a coach ride from London). So from one chapter to the next we read the humorous adventures of Mr. Winkle, Mr. Smiggers, Mr. Snodgrass, Mr. Trotter, Dr. Slammer, and so on. Sometimes entire chapters are devoted to a character telling an unrelated story, ranging from anecdotes about bygone relatives to ghost stories and Christmas tales, clearly "filler" material while Dickens decided what to do next with his Pickwickian characters.

The Pickwick Papers are mostly a series of humorous misadventures, with a bit of satire, that give some insight into the mores of Victorian society. You can also see Dickens working on a few prototypes that will show up in later novels - for example, there is a very Scrooge-like morality tale, and a goblin story that resembles his other Christmas tales. You also see his social consciousness already manifesting itself. After Mr Pickwick is sued for "breach of promise" (supposedly extending an offer of marriage which he then reneged on), the trial is described in humorous fashion, starring the character who would become a fan favorite in Dickens' day, Sam Weller, Mr. Pickwick's Cockney manservant. The jury rules against Pickwick, and he tells off the crooked attorneys for the plaintiff.

Standing on principle (but without much sense), Mr. Pickwick does end up going to debtor's prison, which is described in grimly realistic detail. Mr. Pickwick, a wealthy gentleman, is able to make himself somewhat more comfortable there with his ability to bribe the jailers and prisoners, but he learns just how horrible life is for the downtrodden members of society who don't have other options.

Aside from this episode, though, most of the book is quite light-hearted.

I have been a Dickens fan for years, and I have never not enjoyed one of his books, but The Pickwick Papers isn't my favorite. Being his first novel, it doesn't have as much of the brilliance of prose that characterize his later books, and being a big collection of serialized adventures, it goes on and on with only a few recurring storylines. Recommended for Dickens fans, but I can only give it 3 stars as it's fairly mediocre in comparison to his other works.