Charles Dickens: The BBC Radio Drama Productions: Volume One(17 CDs)

Charles Dickens is one of the most renowned novelists of all time, and this first volume of the dramatized canon of his work includes four of his best-loved stories. The Pickwick Papers: Mr. Samuel Pickwick, founder of the Pickwick Club, forms a Corresponding Society for members to report back about their travels. So begins the chronicle of their hilariously comic journeys. Oliver Twist: Born and brought up in the workhouse, orphan Oliver escapes to London—only to fall into the hands of the notorious Fagin and his gang of child pickpockets. Nicholas Nickleby: Left penniless after his father's death, 19-year-old Nicholas Nickleby takes a teaching position at Dotheboys Hall, where the brutal Wackford Squeers presides. The Old Curiosity Shop: Pretty, innocent Little Nell's childhood is shattered when evil moneylender Quilp discovers her grandfather is in debt. The duo are forced to leave their curiosity shop and go on the run. With an all-star cast including Pam Ferris, Tim McInnerny, Alex Jennings, Anna Massey, Ken Campbell, Tom Baker, Julia McKenzie, and Sandi Toksvig, these BBC radio adaptations bring out all the humor, romance, pathos, and tragedy of Dickens' four classic masterpieces.