Greatness of an also-ran
I am always a little embarrassed to admit that Charles Dickens is far and away, without question, my favorite author. Me and the entire rest of the English reading public, right? Anyway, The Pickwick Papers is not one of my favorite Dickens' or one of his best works. It has the feel of being plotted and planned as the words went on the page. Many of the characters add nothing to the story except their presence. They might be involved in funny incidents, but it is unclear why the author takes time with them. This looseness of intent means that Dickens does not create the compact and believable universe his other books have. When he stayed on the main story line, Dickens created an interesting and adorable character in Pickwick. He created a noble and inspiring character in Sam Weller, a young man who guides, mentors and protects Pickwick. In all of Dickens' books the so-called lower classes always seem to produce the most honest, caring and capable people. Young Sam Weller is certainly one of those. He stands head and shoulders above all the other young men in this book in honesty, integrity and ability to feel compassion. Simon Prebble is the excellent reader. He is especially touching and strong when reading the parts about the horrors of the debtor's prison. Prebble's reading of Dickens' words here leave an indelible impression.