• The Cricket on the Hearth

  • By: Charles Dickens
  • Narrated by: Jim Dale
  • Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (256 ratings)

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The Cricket on the Hearth  By  cover art

The Cricket on the Hearth

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Jim Dale
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Publisher's summary

The holidays are upon us, and this year Audible is very happy to present to our members one of Charles Dickens’ most popular Christmas stories, The Cricket on the Hearth. This holiday classic (original subtitle: “A Fairy Tale of Home”) tells the innocent, picturesque, and charming story of a poor family and their would-be guardian angel; in short, a delightful vision of Victorian Christmas. As always, a great story calls for a great voice, so we’ve brought in legendary actor and record-breaking Audie and Grammy award-winning narrator Jim Dale (The Night Circus). Happy holidays and happy listening!

Public Domain (P)2013 Audible Inc.

What listeners say about The Cricket on the Hearth

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Should have read this many years ago

I have always heard that a cricket on your hearth is good luck but I had never read why until now

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

Truly lovely story. Superb narration, one of the greatest authors of all time. I’ve listened to hundreds of audiobooks - this was one of my favorites!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sweet Christmas story

Love this story with all the Dickens surprises. Narrator adds a delightful touch to the story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Dickens is always better than the alternative

This is a weaker story of Dickens, but Jim Dale’s performance is remarkable-and bad dickens is still better than nearly everything else!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful!

Delightful! Excellent narration! A great little story by an exceptional author. So glad I listened to this charming story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely and heart-warming story with great narration

From the first moments of this tale, I was hooked. I laughed at the language and playful words chosen by Dickens, and revealled in the narrator's jovial voice, What a lovely winter tale to liven up the long dark days.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Ah, Mr Dickens...he is incomparable.

Such phrasing, such character originality, such depth of humanity, such entertainment in tale-spinning.

Mr Dickens is always an amazement and a delight.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story

White egg, sweet, and wonderful story for a holiday moment. You must Listen and enjoy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Absolutely love this story

I don’t know where this story has been all my life but I absolutely love it. The colorful language and beautiful narration is so brilliant. This is an instant new classic for me and one I will listen to over and over.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Another Jim Dale masterwork

The parallels to "A Christmas Carol" are unmistakeable. The visits of the fairies, the altered nature of the curmudgeon, and the triumph of love are all present. The theme may be similar, but the story is different. Jim Dale does his usual best to bring Dickens' uniquely named characters to life as only he can. I highly recommend!

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6 people found this helpful