David Copperfield

Written by Charles Dickens

Narrated by Anton Lesser

This much-loved novel was, by Dickens’s own admission, his ‘favourite child’. It is easy to see why, with its colourful characters ranging from the repulsive Uriah Heep to the endlessly improvident Micawbers, and dominated throughout by the moving story of David’s search for a family and a home…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: Mar 1, 1998
• ISBN: 9789629544898

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic. Regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, Dickens had a prolific collection of works including fifteen novels, five novellas, and hundreds of short stories and articles. The term “cliffhanger endings” was created because of his practice of ending his serial short stories with drama and suspense. Dickens’ political and social beliefs heavily shaped his literary work. He argued against capitalist beliefs, and advocated for children’s rights, education, and other social reforms. Dickens advocacy for such causes is apparent in his empathetic portrayal of lower classes in his famous works, such as The Christmas Carol and Hard Times.

Reviews for David Copperfield

[fmrox · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Child manipulation.

[stuart10er_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable novel. What to say about this classic? I enjoy Dumas, Hugo, Hardy and Scott - but somehow I always struggle with Dickens. It isn't that I don't enjoy it, it is just that I'm not sure that I care about where the plot is going. I think the characters are interesting, but I'm not quite as interested in what is happening to them.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This reads like a memoir of David’s life starting with his birth. His life as an orphan, mistreated by his stepfather and eventually running away to his aunt who had wished he were a girl, his marriage to his child bride and eventual success as an author gives this book has a blending of fairy tale with bildungroman. The story compares punitive father figure Mr. Murdstone with the eccentric fun of Mr Micawber. There is elements of problems that surround class and gender mostly in the tale of Emily and Steerforth and Agnes and Uriah. My conclusion is “all’s well that ends well”. This book is the most autobiographical of Dicken’s works. This book was written in the usual serial method but also encompasses some of the newer, psychological realism and social details of the changing novelistic style.

[morryb_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel is another reason Dickens is read generation after generation after generation. I certainly remember reading Dickens in school, by my appreciation for him has grown greater in my later years. There are probably many who grasp Dickens at the high school level and can enjoy him greatly, it is not until my later years that I have come to really enjoy him. This novel origianlly published in magazine form over a duration of time can at first seem long and daunting and yet is seemed in no time that I was able to finish it. The title character obviously is David Copperfield and this is somewhat of a autobiographical sketch of the author Charles Dickens life. (Notice the initials DC and CD). While the first of the novel can seem almost unbearably painful with the character's father dying just several months befor his birth and hiss aunt abandoning the family immediately after Copperfield's birth and the loss of his mother at at young age, things do get better. Dickens introduces us to a cast of characters that are enjoyable and we get to follow along as David Copperfield goes through his own life. If you enjoyed Dickens in high school, than you are ahead of the game. If you did not enjoy Dickens in high school, than give him another chance.

[engpunk77 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Required reading for college: See review of Great Expectations. It'd be the same for this one.

[libbromus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a listen and WHAT a listen it was! Richard Armitage narrates, nay, he performs this book better than I ever could have read it for myself, better than any movie or TV series produced. He is astounding in his range, grace, understatement, mirth, and sadness. He acts every character with depth and understanding. Every character. Bravo. A thousand times, Bravo. As for the story, well, I bloody loved it. The last and only Dickens I ever read was Great Expectations in high school. And we all know how that goes. I was indifferent. Knowing David Copperfield makes me want to know them all. With the exception of the Murdstones, whose fate I will simply have to imagine as being of the foulest kind, all the story lines were tied up very satisfactorily. What a ride of emotion and archetype and subtlety! Superb!

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was thoroughly entertained by this and never found it a slog reading through its 800 plus pages--and that actually came as a surprise to me because I am by no means a Dickens' fan. I decided to read this one because it's on the the list of 100 Significant Books I've been reading through--and because a friend told me that I should at least try this one before giving up on Dickens. This was actually his own favorite among his novels, and the one most autobiographical. Even knowing as little as I do of his life, I could certainly see plenty of parallels between the young Charles Dickens and David Copperfield. And especially given this was written in first person, this book has a confessional quality that drew me in and propelled me forward.The thing is this novel I so enjoyed is guilty of every sin that so often drove me batty in Dickens: the rambling plot riddled with unlikely coincidences, the long, long length, the at times mawkish sentimentality, the phrases repeated again and again, the characterizations that often seemed more caricatures, and above all, the women characters that convince me Dickens thinks of the female gender as not quite human--or at least I felt so at first. David's mother Clara in particular drove me up the wall--I wanted to reach into the book and throttle her. It seemed to me in my reading of several of Dickens novels that his women run to four types or combinations and at first David Copperfield seemed no exception. There is the angelic creature who is often a victim, such as Clara, Little Em'ly, Agnes and Dora. There is the evil harridan such as Miss Murdstone or Rosa Dartle. There is the sacrificing Earth mother such as Peggoty. And finally, there is the (often rich) eccentric such as Betsy Trotwood. But ah, often the eccentric characters are so richly comic--and in the case of Trotwood there is more than initially met the eye--in fact I wasn't a third way through the novel before I loved her. And Agnes grew on me too. Not everyone's reaction--George Orwell, among others, despised the character. But she was the first female character who struck me as being a rational creature. But they're memorable--and not just the women. I don't think I'm ever going to forget Mr Micawber. I know I'll never forget Uriah Heep, the most odious, shudder-worthy villain I've met in literature. So yes, after this book I got more of a sense of Dickens' charms. A Christmas Carol has been a favorite since childhood. And I did love Great Expectations--till the end, which I found a bit of a cheat. But I hated Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities. It's David Copperfield that's convinced me I should try more of Dickens. It was worth traversing its long and winding length.

[mausergem_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story is narrated in the first person by Davis Copperfield who describes his birth to start things off. His mother is a timid creature who fall for the wrong person and alter marries him. This person along with his sister terrorize David and his mother. After his mother's death David runs away from his house and goes to stay with his eccentric aunt. Her he gets an education and as young man studies law. But in the meantime he discovers that he can write and makes a huge success of himself.The book is mostly satirical but has its moments of sadness. Most of the characters are eccentric but oh so lovable. Dickens' narration flows like a river and is very crisp.A slow but great read.

[wvlibrarydude · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read all of Dickens (Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, and Christmas Carol), but this is by far my favorite. The characters are interesting with more depth than other works. Plot moves along, and writing is a little more along the poetical descriptive than his other works. The book is quite long, but well worth the effort to wind through.

[sublunarie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At the completion of this novel, my only complaint is that I took so long to work my way through it. Not that I don't cherish the time I spent with it, but more that the time I spent was far too infrequent.How is it possible that I can find so much of myself in the depths of a 19th Century, fictional and notedly male character? It can only be the flowing associations of the heart, wither it's strength or is undisciplined aspects. Copperfield's fortitude through a life of fear, loss and some of the most downtrodden adventures ever known to literature is truly inspiring for anyone who has felt they can't possibly make it over the next big mountain in their lives.I can genuinely say that is the most profitable 99 cents I've ever spent at a secondhand store and that it's coffee stains, torn and battered covers are well deserved indeed.

[jennysbookbag.com · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Charles Dickens! David Copperfield and Great Expectations are my two favorite Dickens novels so far. He's another author whose work I want to read in its entirety.

[danajean_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the audio version of this book and was quite glad I did. Although the writing is wonderfully whimsical and had a musicality to it, the story dragged on and on to the point that great chunks of it were a chore to keep focused on. This could have been tightened up, was Dickens paid per word?Still, a great classic and the language is delightful and even more so when read to you by a skilled narrator.

[cappybear · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I finished this book today with a sigh of relief. I love Dickens's novels usually, which kept me going, but I found this one a chore: hellishly long (837 pages of small print), a superfluity of characters and caricatures, all of whom are afflicted with verbal diarrhoea; and burdened with a plodding narrative and a colourless central character. Much of the dialogue was mawkish, even by this author's standards. For hardened Dickens fans only.

[carioca_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How is it possible to review David Copperfield? I think it is only fair to say that David Copperfield is my favorite Dickens work. And also the first I ever read of his, back when I was only a little girl. If I am not mistaken, I first read it when I was about 11 years old. I reread it many times since; I love this book. It is so rich, the characters are so magnificently drawn, and David himself seems to be the most charming, irresistible little boy. Dickens also did a pretty good job in combining tragedy with wit and madventure; David Copperfield is indeed a complete novel in every sense.

[polarbear123_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another Dickens down! Not the best but still well worth it. Best character by far is Micawber. Hilarious.

[the_hibernator · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When young David Copperfield's mother dies, his awful stepfather sends him to a workhouse. David runs away to live with an estranged (and very strange) aunt. Much naughty and nice activity continues for a long time. :) I really liked David Copperfield. It was an engaging story, and (as always for Dickens) the characters were all so fascinating and well-developed. I'd say this is one of my favorite Dickens books so far.

[rdjanssen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I feel bad about rating a Dicken's book so low. I guess in comparison to his other works I just didn't get as much from this one. The beginning of the book had some very amazing and moving moments. The scene where he lays his mother and infant half brother to rest was such an emotional scene. I wish the bulk of the book had remained as engrossing as the beginning. I believe the length and shear scope of the volume may have had an influence. Perhaps with some editing some of the less critical parts could have been shored up and left the story that much better.

[sixteendays · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At the completion of this novel, my only complaint is that I took so long to work my way through it. Not that I don't cherish the time I spent with it, but more that the time I spent was far too infrequent.How is it possible that I can find so much of myself in the depths of a 19th Century, fictional and notedly male character? It can only be the flowing associations of the heart, wither it's strength or is undisciplined aspects. Copperfield's fortitude through a life of fear, loss and some of the most downtrodden adventures ever known to literature is truly inspiring for anyone who has felt they can't possibly make it over the next big mountain in their lives.I can genuinely say that is the most profitable 99 cents I've ever spent at a secondhand store and that it's coffee stains, torn and battered covers are well deserved indeed.

[ccookie_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First line~ Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show ~I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook read by Irishman Tadhg Hynes. He has a great voice with a lovely Irish accent and it was easy to listen to him. The narration captured me right from the beginning. Charles Dickens certainly has a way with words. To read such detailed descriptions of the lifestyle of the times fascinatine. Stories gave me much food for thought. For instance chapter 4 had me pondering the changes that take place for children in a family where the mother re-marries and the child and the husband do not get along. This chapter reflects a view of child punishment that was acceptable in the times the book was written but today would be considered abuse. Sad reflection on what was acceptable then.In the early chapters I found that I cared so much about David and really wanted to know what would happen to him next. I loved the relationship he had all his life with Peggotty and am struck by the fact, that, once again, someone’s life is changed because he is given confidence and self-esteem because one person in his life truly loves and respects him. I love this little kid who is on his own at age 10. Who among us could survive that today?There is a lot of tragedy in the book and this is counter-balanced with a lot of comedy. Aunt Betsey Trotwood and the donkeys, the description of David’s first experience at drinking and getting drunk, the chapter where he describes his and his new wife’s first year of marriage and their inability to keep house, the ongoing saga of the McCawbers. I just loved how everything is interwoven and although I found some parts to be slow and tedious to get through, all of a sudden, something wonderful would happen.There were a lot of very touching scenes and one of my favourites is when Emily has disappeared and we read Mr. Peggotty's reaction to her departure.“Every night,” said Mr. Peggotty, “as reg‘lar as the night comes, the candle must be stood in its old pane of glass, that if ever she should see it, it may seem to say ’Come back, my child, come back!‘…“I’m a-going to seek her, fur and wide. If any hurt should come to me, remember that the last words I left for her was, ‘My unchanged love is with my darling child, and I forgive her!’ ”I LOVE this paragraph. This is 'family' at its best; and Emily is not his 'daughter' but his niece and yet his love is 'father' for daughter...Another favourite passage …"I think of every little trifle between me and Dora, and feel the truth, that trifles make the sum of life."'Trifles make the sum of life'This was first published, in serial form with 3 chapters being released every month from May 1849 to November 1850. I would have been standing in line to spend my shilling!

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read in one very long weekend, this book is still my favorite Dickens - and I like him without admiring him in all his aspects. Reminds me of Austin, Texas.

[sweetiegherkin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

****CONTAINS SPOILERS****Virginia Woolf calls David Copperfield "the most perfect of all the Dickens novels" and I agree that it is quite the tour de force (not having read all of Dickens' novels yet, I can't say for certain that this is the best one). Dickens' talent shines the greatest in the characters he invents. In one respect, these characters are so unique and ludicrous that one keeps reading to see what he will come up with next. On the other hand, something in some, if not all, of his characters strikes a chord of familiarity that makes them quite human after all. In fact, much of the book, for me, lies in this plane intersecting the fantastical with the all too real. To some degree, one has to suspend reason to believe all the coincidences that occur throughout the novel. But then again, real life does quite often through you in the path of an old acquaintance, former roommate, friend of a friend, etc. etc. In one respect, it seems as though the ending of the novel is too good to be true with all the "good" characters successful and happy and all the villains getting their just desserts. But this is an over simplification if the reader recalls how many of the good characters are killed off or are exiled to another continent, separated from their family. And what of the bad lot? Uriah Heep and Mr. Littimer are worshipped as demigods in jail and catered to their every need. Mr. and Miss Murdstone are up to their old games, terrorizing another young woman. So while Dickens gives an ending that feels all too warm and fuzzy at first glance, there is a bit of reality in there, as well. Likewise, there is the character of David Copperfield himself. Critics have argued that he is more of an observer than an actor - a character who things happen to, not who makes things happen. As I was first reading the novel, I felt this way. But as I got further in, I realized that at many times and places, Copperfield does step up and act, but it's that as the narrator, Copperfield doesn't note his actions in the same way as he does others' actions. When Traddles works day and night to rise in the world, Copperfield praises to the skies Traddles' good spirit, his earnestness to work, and so forth. When Copperfield puts himself to the grind, he notes it as a matter of course and moves on with his narrative. Although the novel doesn't focus on social issues as much as say Hard Times for These Times, many of the issues of the time are touched upon - child labor, corruption in the government, the nonsensical prison system. All these elements together, along with others, make this novel an incredibly interesting read that will give the reader plenty to think about. It is a long novel that is well worth the read.

[kateingilo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

one of my all-time favorite books. I loved this particular edition because the pages a limp enough and the binding relaxed enough to stay open on its own.

[seajack_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Usual strong audio performance by Frederick Davidson (a/k/a David Case), bringing the dry humor and sarcasm alive. Involved, detailed setting up of characters who come into their own later, with a wait for the payoff in some cases. Still, I'm glad I read it - I even grew fond of the insufferable Dora by the end!

[epictale · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Coming to David Copperfield (DC) as an adult, I enjoyed DC for its big sloppy storyline, gobs of predictable but heart-rending melodrama, and vivid development of characters big and small. In particular, Dickens’s portrayals of Tommy Traddles, Uriah Heep, and Wilkins Micawber were masterful. Despite DC’s length and ponderous language, Dickens engaged me from the start and held my attention throughout. In the end, I knew he could be counted on to award each character his or her just desserts. The book was a relaxing and fun escape!

[csdaley-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I hate to say it but this book needed an editor. For me parts of it were brilliant. Others not so much.

[cmbohn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dickens said that David Copperfield was like his favorite child. As I read this, I couldn't help but feel that it was apparent that his favorite sure had it rough.David is a posthumous child - born after his father's death. That's a pretty fair preparation for the rest of his life. Nothing in life comes very easily for David. His mother remarries, and his new stepfather hates him. He's sent off to school and the headmaster is a brute. His mother dies and he is sent off to live and work on his own in London.But David is not one to sit and moan about his fate. He does something. As I was reading this, his naivety in the beginning of the book was kind of annoying. It seemed like a lot of rough things happened, and he just reacted. But once he started taking charge of his own life, I started to like David Copperfield, and I was hoping things worked out for him.One of Dickens' strengths is his ability to create interesting and sympathetic characters. This book was full of people I would love to know - Peggoty, Mr. Dick, Aunt Betsey Trotwood (she is a riot!), Doctor Strong, Traddles, and my very favorite, Mr. Peggoty.The theme of family was big in this one - the questions of who is my family and how should I treat them. I loved that David went straight from Mr. Peggoty's house, with his large, mostly adopted, affectionate household to David's home with his new stepfather and aunt, with nothing but "firmness" and mistreatment. The two men were perfect foils for one another.If you haven't read this one, I recommend it. It is a long book, but it is a much easier read than you might expect. Much better, IMO, than Dickens' other supposed masterpiece, Great Expectations.

[hampusforev · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To give this book anything less than five would be irresponsible. The sheer weight and life that Dickens creates here is matched just by Tolstoy (who is the reason I read the book). I absolutely love Aunt Betsy Trotwood, she's brilliant. But to give it a clean five like I gave Anna Karenina or Moby Dick would also be irresponisble, those books, although as long or ever longer are never indulgent or seem unnecessary, every chapter and page is important. David Copperfield doesn't feel that way. Even though I was never bored, the sequential nature of Dickens writing really becomes damaging as a whole, and this is definitely a book where the parts are greater than the sum. I definitely see why people consider Dickens a master and although I felt DC a bit indulgent at times, I look forward to read some of Dickens more economical works.

[roseysweetpea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this book because it is my best friends favorite and I am a fan of Charles Dickens. Unfortunately this was not one of my favorites. I couldn't really get into it despite have a decent story line. It is a good book and I am glad I read it, but I don't see myself re-reading this anytime soon, if ever.

[cbwolff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book, to me, is a collection of pleasant pieces. It was filled with many small things that I liked, bits of nobility (Agnes Wickfield, who guides David and marries him ) amusement (David’s aunt’s attempt to keep donkeys off her property) and inspiration (David’s self-directed rehabilitation after the death of his wife)

[santhony_35 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Having recently read and enjoyed Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, I decided to up the ante by taking on his somewhat longer and more challenging David Copperfield. Already having sampled the writing style in Great Expectations, I found it somewhat easier to get into the flow of the story, and what a story it is.Young David Copperfield is raised by his widowed mother Clara and their devoted servant Peggotty, both of whom care for and love him very much. His life rapidly changes however, with the marriage of his mother to the loathsome Mr. Murdstone and his sister Miss Murdstone, who move in and take over the household, including the care and instruction of young Davey. From this point, we are introduced to a wide variety of richly drawn characters as Davey makes his way in the world. This novel is quite simply one of the greatest works of literature ever penned, widely acclaimed to be Dickens’s finest. I found it to be fascinating, both with respect to the characters, the story and the historical underpinnings.There is really no “story” here, as the book simply follows young David from his earliest years, through adolescence and into young adulthood. Along the way, he experiences great joy, heartbreaking loss and countless adventures set against the rich and detailed backdrop of Victorian England. Such characters as Uriah Heep, Mr. and Mrs. Micawber, Steerforth, Emily, Ham, Agnes Wickfield, Dr. and Annie Strong, Dora Spenlow, Thomas Traddles, Mr. Peggotty, Miss Dartle and countless others create an indelible impression on the reader as they drift into and out of the tale.