There was no way I wanted to tackle that book as a read aloud this year - we'll still be reading it through 2013 ☺. Time to outsource.
I got Bobs (and Daisy) to read through a condensed picture book version of the story first, that helped prepare him for the embittered old woman catching fire in the story, post seeeking forgiveness for her "deeds".
And, using a condensed version for Daisy is allowing her to be in the know with the characters in Great Expectations, when Bobs & I are talking about events in the book.
Bobs has enjoyed listening to Martin Jarvis read Great Expectations.
He's nearly finished, I'm chapters behind which is working in our "book discussions " favour.
Bobs is explaining in depth what he's hearing, giving his thoughts on a character's actions, and relaying some choice pieces of writing verbatim. He was delighted to find out who was Pip's benefactor - loving this logic stage with Bobs.
Martin Jarvis is an appreciated narrator in our home, the children still prefer his reading of Fantastic Mr. Fox over any other narrator☺
IMO: Jarvis injects just the right lilt and at places an almost humerous undertone into reading Great Expectations which stops the book from becoming a gloomish Victorian read. If one chose to, they could give this book a very heavy somber performance.
Once Bobs has finished listening to Great Expectations, I've prescribed Dickens, His Work and His World by Michael Rosen (beautifully illustrated by Robert Ingpen) for him as a quick read and that will wrap up out scheduled foray into another of Dickens' work, for this year ... perhaps☺
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