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Bleak Expectations #1.5
Bleak Expectations
You think you know the entire story of ''''Bleak Expectations'''' but look! Now it's also a big, fat, juicy book. Like the radio series, but with added jokes, extra bits of story, additional dimensions to characters and masses more paper. Unless you're reading it as an e - book in which case ...masses more digital information bits. ''''Bleak Expectations'''' recounts the remarkable adventures of young Pip Bin as he tries to repair his destroyed family and distinctly damaged life, aided by his best friend Harry Biscuit and definitely not aided by his cruel and ironically named guardian Mr Gently Benevolent and his accomplices, the fearsome Hardthrasher siblings. Weep! As Pip is sent to Britain's nastiest boarding school, St Bastard's. Gasp! As the true extent of his despicable guardian's plan becomes clear. Worry! As our hero is committed to the Workhouse, where he meets the hideous poverty - punishments of the treadmill, the grindstone and the painwheel. Sigh! As Pip finds love with London's most eligible frail beauty, Miss Flora Dies - Early. Find a tenterhook and sit on it! Grim circumstances, mistaken identities, unlikely inheritances, nightmarish court cases, ridiculous names, convenient coincidences to resolve plot problems, over - sentimental death scenes and lots and lots of adjectives: ''''Bleak Expectations'''' is the novel Charles Dickens might have written after drinking far too much gin.
488 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2012
23 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
Mark Evans
7 books9 followersMark Evans is a Welsh comedian, actor, and writer.
He has written for many U.K. radio and television programmes, including That Mitchell and Webb Look (2006), The Late Edition (2006), That Mitchell and Webb Sound (2003, 2005), Popetown (2005), and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002-2003). The pilot of his BBC Radio 4 comedy series Bleak Expectations was recorded in 2006, and the full series, starring Anthony Head and Celia Imrie, was recorded in April 2007 and broadcast in August 2007. The second series was recorded in May 2008 and the third in June 2009. He has also appeared in That Mitchell and Webb Look, notably as David Mitchell's chiropractor; Saxondale (2006); and in several other television and radio programmes and commercials.
He has often written and performed with James Bachman. On 6 May 2008 they recorded the pilot of their BBC Radio 4 comedy Zoom, starring David Soul, Carla Mendonca and Jon Glover with a special guest appearance by Nicholas Parsons as himself.
He read Classics at Cambridge University, where he was president of Footlights.
From Wikipedia
He has written for many U.K. radio and television programmes, including That Mitchell and Webb Look (2006), The Late Edition (2006), That Mitchell and Webb Sound (2003, 2005), Popetown (2005), and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002-2003). The pilot of his BBC Radio 4 comedy series Bleak Expectations was recorded in 2006, and the full series, starring Anthony Head and Celia Imrie, was recorded in April 2007 and broadcast in August 2007. The second series was recorded in May 2008 and the third in June 2009. He has also appeared in That Mitchell and Webb Look, notably as David Mitchell's chiropractor; Saxondale (2006); and in several other television and radio programmes and commercials.
He has often written and performed with James Bachman. On 6 May 2008 they recorded the pilot of their BBC Radio 4 comedy Zoom, starring David Soul, Carla Mendonca and Jon Glover with a special guest appearance by Nicholas Parsons as himself.
He read Classics at Cambridge University, where he was president of Footlights.
From Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 16, 2022
BBC audio, wonderfully produced… just a little ‘milked’!
December 28, 2012
Harrumble for Bleak Expectations!
This book is a retelling of series 1. It follows the storyline, recycles most of the jokes, rewrites some of them as to make them fit to the page, and adds some new ones. I find it quite interesting to see which jokes made the cut in which form. For example, in the radio series there was a joke with Sourquill and a Gladstone bag. The book doesn't need the Sourquill framing device, and consequently there's a new scene with Gently Benevolent and a Gladstone bag. Another joke that got rewritten, to my sadness, is the one with Harry joining the army and discovering he has an allergy for the colour red. For some reason, in the book, Harry discovers his fear for the colour red. Just not as funny as allergy.
Bleak Expectations started off as a radio show, and it still works best as a radio show. If only for Benevolent's laugh, which is just not done justice by ha! ha! ha!. But it does make for an amusing book. To Evans' credit, he does try to use the possibilities of his new medium, such as jokes with footnotes or appendices. I got quite a lot of hearty laughs out of this, from old jokes and new. But I'll sooner be giving the radio show another listen.
This book is a retelling of series 1. It follows the storyline, recycles most of the jokes, rewrites some of them as to make them fit to the page, and adds some new ones. I find it quite interesting to see which jokes made the cut in which form. For example, in the radio series there was a joke with Sourquill and a Gladstone bag. The book doesn't need the Sourquill framing device, and consequently there's a new scene with Gently Benevolent and a Gladstone bag. Another joke that got rewritten, to my sadness, is the one with Harry joining the army and discovering he has an allergy for the colour red. For some reason, in the book, Harry discovers his fear for the colour red. Just not as funny as allergy.
Bleak Expectations started off as a radio show, and it still works best as a radio show. If only for Benevolent's laugh, which is just not done justice by ha! ha! ha!. But it does make for an amusing book. To Evans' credit, he does try to use the possibilities of his new medium, such as jokes with footnotes or appendices. I got quite a lot of hearty laughs out of this, from old jokes and new. But I'll sooner be giving the radio show another listen.
November 20, 2017
This book is based upon Series 1 of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series "Bleak Expectations", a pastiche of the works of Charles Dickens.
I have to say that the book doesn't quite live up to the comedy heights of the radio show - especially since it can't replicate the evil laugh of the main villain Mr Gently Benevolent (marvelously played by Anthony Head), described as "the most evil man in the world, his massively complicated evil plans are designed both to conquer the world and to personally make Pip as miserable as possible". (Note - Pip is Pip Bin, the "hero" of the story and a young man who becomes hugely rich by "inventing" the waste bin!). It's worth checking out the book and/or radio show just to smile at the hugely silly names given to all the characters.
The book's humour comprises a mix of outrageously bad puns, a full frontal assault on the more sentimental type of 19th Century English literature and surreal comedy. Although this book is quite fun, it doesn't match up to the radio series. As stated, this book only covers the 1st series and I'd advise anyone who's interested to check out the BBC Radio website or the audio CD's of all 5 series.
The author of the book, Mark Evans, also wrote the radio series in which he plays minor characters in most episodes.
I have to say that the book doesn't quite live up to the comedy heights of the radio show - especially since it can't replicate the evil laugh of the main villain Mr Gently Benevolent (marvelously played by Anthony Head), described as "the most evil man in the world, his massively complicated evil plans are designed both to conquer the world and to personally make Pip as miserable as possible". (Note - Pip is Pip Bin, the "hero" of the story and a young man who becomes hugely rich by "inventing" the waste bin!). It's worth checking out the book and/or radio show just to smile at the hugely silly names given to all the characters.
The book's humour comprises a mix of outrageously bad puns, a full frontal assault on the more sentimental type of 19th Century English literature and surreal comedy. Although this book is quite fun, it doesn't match up to the radio series. As stated, this book only covers the 1st series and I'd advise anyone who's interested to check out the BBC Radio website or the audio CD's of all 5 series.
The author of the book, Mark Evans, also wrote the radio series in which he plays minor characters in most episodes.
July 31, 2017
This whole series, this being the first, is an utter treat for Dickens, Gaiman and Pratchett fans alike. Silly, clever, funny and witty, I would expect you to be quoting this for years!
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
March 2, 2013
Not sure how this book would appeal to people who have not read the radio series. I had the voices of the cast going through my head as I was reading this.
The book has some laugh out loud moments and I can't recommend it enough. I would also say investigate the audio cast recordings of the radio series.
The book has some laugh out loud moments and I can't recommend it enough. I would also say investigate the audio cast recordings of the radio series.
March 17, 2013
A tie in with the radio series, this is basically a novelisation of the programme. As with the latter. the constant barrage of impossible situations and literary references get a bit tiresome. It really helps if you have read a lot of Dickens and have some idea of actual Victorian social policy and societal norms, otherwise the whole thing might come across as an in-joke. I compare this to eating a big sticky cake; it's delicious to start but gets a bit difficult to finish.
Having said this, the book has some hilarious moments, can get quite exciting and remains satirical by cross-referencing to the modern period.
Having said this, the book has some hilarious moments, can get quite exciting and remains satirical by cross-referencing to the modern period.
April 30, 2014
Based on the beloved Radio 4 series, Bleak Expectations recounts the remarkable adventures of young Pip Bin as he tries to make his way in a world made all horrible by the machinations of his cruel guardian, Mr Gently Benevolent. Grim circumstances, mistaken identities, nightmarish court-cases, ridiculous names, convenient coincidences to resolve plot problems, over-sentimental death scenes and lots and lots of adjectives: Bleak Expectations is a novel like Charles Dickens might have written after far too much gin.
Highly entertaining read with lots of black humour - read it, you cannot put it down !
Highly entertaining read with lots of black humour - read it, you cannot put it down !
July 10, 2013
For those who've enjoyed this BBC R4 Dickens parody, here it is - and more - in print.
It seems to me that Dickens' success as a public reader of his own works is evidence that he wrote as much to be heard as to be read: hence the excellent screen and radio adaptations; likewise, this radio piece succeeds as an adaptation into novel form.
The parody is mordant, but affectionate: a deep love (and knowledge) of the originals shines from every page.
More important, it's very funny. I enjoyed it; I think you will, too.
It seems to me that Dickens' success as a public reader of his own works is evidence that he wrote as much to be heard as to be read: hence the excellent screen and radio adaptations; likewise, this radio piece succeeds as an adaptation into novel form.
The parody is mordant, but affectionate: a deep love (and knowledge) of the originals shines from every page.
More important, it's very funny. I enjoyed it; I think you will, too.
February 7, 2013
Wonderfully silly! I haven't heard the radio shows (although I did enjoy 'Bleak Old Shop of Stuff') but still really enjoyed this.
March 23, 2013
Very funny, at times laugh out loud, but the plot was so ridiculous that it failed to be gripping. Still and enjoyable read, it just took me a while to get through.
June 10, 2013
It was very fun originally but then the complete lack of predictability, which originally was so interesting, made the book drag on and seem much longer than it needed to be.
February 10, 2021
Pshaw! This is the sillification of the seriousity of the Victorianish longbook! Pip Bin! Damn his eyes, demn his thighs & dimn his pies!!!!
If you haven't listened to the glorious BBC production on which this book is based, you should immediately seek it out. The book is funny but the radio series is sublime (and much longer) with Mr Gently Benevolent played by Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy) who imbues a pigeon's 'Coo' with unctuous malice.
Whilst reading the book I was constantly reminded of the production, from Harry Biscuit's dimwitted 'Harrumble!' to the obliviousness of Pip Bin when faced by yet another Hardthrasher.
It's a riotous read, which successfully satirises the worst excesses of Victorian melodrama with its fainting damsels, ludicrous medicine and obsession with novelty and xenophobia.
If you haven't listened to the glorious BBC production on which this book is based, you should immediately seek it out. The book is funny but the radio series is sublime (and much longer) with Mr Gently Benevolent played by Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy) who imbues a pigeon's 'Coo' with unctuous malice.
Whilst reading the book I was constantly reminded of the production, from Harry Biscuit's dimwitted 'Harrumble!' to the obliviousness of Pip Bin when faced by yet another Hardthrasher.
It's a riotous read, which successfully satirises the worst excesses of Victorian melodrama with its fainting damsels, ludicrous medicine and obsession with novelty and xenophobia.
December 12, 2015
I recently listened to Bleak Expectations: The Complete First Series,the BBC radio series this book was based on, and I enjoyed it so much I just couldn't wait to start the book. The novel is a rehash of the first few story lines from the radio play, using many of the same jokes and plot points and absurd similes, with just a few changes. The story is a parody of Dickensian writing, using all of the cliches, tropes, melodramatic death scenes and over used plot devices it can manage to tell an absurd, violent, and often hilarious adventure of ridiculousness and woe.
I preferred the story in its original radio form; I missed the actors and the sound effects. That being said, the book is well written with a delicious number of well-timed adverbs, metaphors and puns, and the narration is excellent. It is read by the author Mark Evans, who manages to capture the characters in a fantastic way even though he is not James Bachman or Anthony Head.
I preferred the story in its original radio form; I missed the actors and the sound effects. That being said, the book is well written with a delicious number of well-timed adverbs, metaphors and puns, and the narration is excellent. It is read by the author Mark Evans, who manages to capture the characters in a fantastic way even though he is not James Bachman or Anthony Head.
January 16, 2014
A fun silly read to start off the New Year.
I had heard some of the radio 4 series but certainly not every episode. The translation to the page works well and allows the author to have fun in parodying different types of novel, and not just Dickens, as well as those academic writers who annotate Classic literature in scholarly editions.
Perhaps the book is 50 pages too long and one of the devilish schemes could have been cut. But the jokes keep coming. As I said, it is very silly, but good fun too.
I had heard some of the radio 4 series but certainly not every episode. The translation to the page works well and allows the author to have fun in parodying different types of novel, and not just Dickens, as well as those academic writers who annotate Classic literature in scholarly editions.
Perhaps the book is 50 pages too long and one of the devilish schemes could have been cut. But the jokes keep coming. As I said, it is very silly, but good fun too.
April 12, 2018
Got to Chapter the Fourth - subtitled Things get even worse - and decided things were not going to get any better so I gave up, which I seldom do with a book.
Think I'd have liked this when I was 17. Now seems silly, extreme, unclever, obvious and repetitive; and didn't involve me, although it did provide an occasional laugh.
People mention the radio series, so perhaps that came across as funnier.
I do read a lot of Victorian novels including Dickens, which is why I bought it as I thought it would be very clever and funny, but not in my opinion.
Think I'd have liked this when I was 17. Now seems silly, extreme, unclever, obvious and repetitive; and didn't involve me, although it did provide an occasional laugh.
People mention the radio series, so perhaps that came across as funnier.
I do read a lot of Victorian novels including Dickens, which is why I bought it as I thought it would be very clever and funny, but not in my opinion.
June 30, 2019
If you've read the book but not listened to the radio series, I highly recommend remedying that. At the very least, you must find a clip of Benevolent's laugh - "ha ha ha!" just doesn't do it justice. All of the voice acting is great! (And also, if you read first, then the radio series is a(n even more ridiculous) continuation of the story! Double bonus!)
I'm not sure if I preferred the radio series just because I listened to that first, or because I read the book too quickly afterwards and it felt repetitive... I'm going to read it again next year or sometime to find out :D
I'm not sure if I preferred the radio series just because I listened to that first, or because I read the book too quickly afterwards and it felt repetitive... I'm going to read it again next year or sometime to find out :D
September 25, 2014
You need to have heard the radio series before you read this. But then it's just a re-telling of the radio series, so apart from the joy of revisiting the wonderful characters and relentless, machine-gun gags, you might think there's little point.
I did enjoy it, however. Bleak Expectations is one of my favourite comedy series and I loved being back in that world, even if there was little that was new to me. Joyous.
I did enjoy it, however. Bleak Expectations is one of my favourite comedy series and I loved being back in that world, even if there was little that was new to me. Joyous.
February 23, 2013
I tried the sample of this on my Kindle, and found I didn't want to read the rest. I'm English and I love Dickens and love a bit of silliness, but I felt this parody was long enough at 3 chapters, and doubt that it would stretch comfortable to anything longer. It might be funnier for people who know the radio show from which this originates.Still, don't let me stop you.
January 18, 2013
I don't know if it would have been as wonderful without the voices from the radio show in my head, but I did have them in my head, and so it was wonderful.
If only it came with an mp3 of Gently Benevolent's evil laugh.
If only it came with an mp3 of Gently Benevolent's evil laugh.
June 15, 2013
This is completely hilarious and I love it. It roughly follows the plot of the first radio series but is clearly written for book format. I laughed out loud several times on every page and it just made me laugh so much.
July 17, 2013
Very very funny. This book had me laughing uncontrollably at many points. Completely daft but this added to the humour. People who haven't heard at least one episode of the radio series seem to find it difficult to follow but give it a chance. Brilliant.
November 30, 2014
Several of the revues said it helps to understand this book if you've heard the radio show. I agree with that. I liked the book, it was funny, but I felt something was missing. If I can find the show online, it will be worth a listen and the book will make more sense.
March 12, 2013
The amazon reviews were right. I loved this as a radio show but it felt very laboured to read as a book.
March 13, 2013
The novel version of the radio series follows the same storyline with some extra jokes. Read it alone if you're prone to giggling out loud as you read.
August 9, 2013
Very quickly got fed up with this book, didn't find it particularly funny & gave up about half way through
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April 25, 2013smugger than an Eskimo with his hands inside a walrus
October 27, 2013
not impressed at all, gave up after page 30
December 17, 2013
A fun read, with lots of cute literary jokes, not a particularly complex story, but very fun.
February 23, 2014
Very amusing parody of Dickens
July 20, 2017
Not very funny. So I stopped reading it about the 21st chapter, (or the Pontoonth Chapter to give you an idea of the level of humour).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews