THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP

Dickens milks pathos for all it's worth in this famously tear-jerking account of the trials and tribulations of Little Nell and her poor grandfather, proprietor of the title emporium, at the hands of fate, a feckless relative, and, especially, an evil dwarf. Nell's death scene is one of the most famous passages in all of Victorian literature. The fustian prose and numerous memorable characters are ably represented by Anton Lesser. Vocally, he paints a cloudy sky over the entire oral landscape, neglecting the irony and touches of humor that occasionally relieve the gloom. The abridgment he reads from retains much of the style, as well as the plot, of the original. Y.R. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]