Barnaby Rudge

Barnaby Rudge, Dickens's first historical novel (about the Gordon Riots in 1780's London), is not his best book, but mediocre Dickens is still better than most of the competition. And reader Robert Whitfield is an absolute joy, making this long and complex work accessible and entertaining. Whitfield distinguishes with charm and consistency among the huge cast of characters--emphasis on that last word. This is Dickens, after all. He becomes an arrogant pub owner of modest self-awareness; a soft-spoken young lover; a highborn landowner; a henpecked locksmith; a sneaky apprentice; a protective mother; her retarded son, Barnaby; and dozens of others. Clearly Whitfield enjoys reading this novel as much as we enjoy listening to it. T.H. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

There's so much exuberance in this production of one of Dickens's lesser known novels, so much devotion and care, that it feels churlish to find fault. Yet, as a listening experience, it's hard to conclude that the production is other than seriously flawed. The problem is not one of acting--generally, the performers are engaging--but writing. In condensing Dickens's sprawling novel and adapting it to radio, the work has become nearly incomprehensible. The producers attempt to keep the main elements of the story--love and murder against the backdrop of the anti-Catholic riots in London in 1780. But their dramatization makes it nearly impossible to keep the many characters and subplots straight. Dialogue alone is insufficient as narrative in this case. And the melodramatic use of music is almost parody. M.O. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

This story was originally produced for BBC broadcast by talented creators of radio entertainment. Complete with sound effects, beguiling music, and a full cast of characters, this classic story is full of complicated conflicts, murder, blackmail and private tragedies. London in the 1870's is full of unrest and discontent. Model citizen Geoffrey Haredale combines efforts with a questionable character, John Chester, to break up the marriage between Haredale's niece and Chester's son. The cast of performers is superb, and the production possesses both the authenticity of a radio broadcast and the novelties of a theater production. B.J.P. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

The title character gets swept up in the anti-Catholic riots of 1780 in Dickens's first historical novel. As in his second and last, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, one finds here the author's wonted assortment of grotesques, eccentrics, impossibly evil villains, and equally impossible heroes, all pursuing personal ambitions while tossed about in a whirlwind of historical imperatives. Unlike TALE, this book doesn't come to life until the second half with the nail-biting description of the riot. Narrator Sean Barrett gives a workmanlike rendition, excelling especially in his interpretation of the male characters. He's not as good with the women and misses the touches of humor in the narrative. Indeed, one wishes he had contributed more Dickensian flavor and verve. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

After writing OLIVER TWIST and NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, the author next turned to historical fiction, using the notorious Gordon Riots of 1780, a clash between Catholics and Protestants, as the backdrop for this novel. It's a dark story but one that yields rich prose and a murder mystery. Narrator Sean Barrett has the kind of elastic, wide-ranging voice that is well suited to Dickens's writing style. Barrett can affect a sprightly youngster, a wise but weathered old man, a scheming politician, and an assortment of women, all of whom play major roles in this classic tale. It's a joy to listen to him alternate between characters and his own deep, robust reading voice, an accomplishment he keeps up for 25 hours. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine