THE PICKWICK PAPERS

This full-cast dramatization of Charles Dickens's first novel is by turns delightful, sober, uproarious, and, once in a while, over the top. The music and background noises are appropriate, but it's the actors who carry the show, and they throw themselves into the task with great enthusiasm. To the American ear, it's sometimes hard to follow the rapid-paced accents, particularly when listening in a car. But it's most enjoyable to experience the surprises and occasional evils of British society of Dickens's day. D.R.W. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 00]