Product Description

Enter the life and remarkable times of the lovable Samuel Pepys (pronounced “peeps”). Born in London in 1633, the son of a tailor, he began keeping a diary on January 1, 1660, and continued for nine years, faithfully recording the rich and varied details of 17th-century London life. Writing in a form of shorthand—which was not deciphered until 1825—he also painted a vivid picture of Pepys the man.

In entries from 1660 through 1663, Pepys strives to establish himself in his career and in society. His unforgettable eyewitness accounts of the Plague and the Great Fire of London follow. The last diaries, dated 1667 through 1669, Pepys is enjoying his position as a surveyor-general in the Royal Navy—and having an affair with his wife’s servant. Uniquely uninhibited, deeply personal, full of wit and style, Pepy's Diary is a biographical masterpiece.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #460176 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-18
• Formats: Abridged, Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Audio CD

Review
A fitting gift for your favorite Anglophile would be Pepys Diary, one of the finest recorded books [brought to you by HighBridge Audio] in many years. A lusty adulterer with a sharp tongue and observant eye, Samuel Pepys provides a firsthand account of the Plague and the Great Fire of London. The text is brought to life by Kenneth Branagh, whose narration breathes despair, compassion, desire and humor into descriptions of days long past. -- Boston Globe, December 1, 1996

Top 20 Audio of 1996 [brought to you by HighBridge Audio] -- Library Journal, May 15, 1996

About the Author
Reader KENNETH BRANAGH has directed and acted in films including Love’s Labour’s Lost, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Henry V. He founded the Renaissance Theatre Company and has also starred in award-winning productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Reader KENNETH BRANAGH has directed and acted in films including Love’s Labour’s Lost, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Henry V. He founded the Renaissance Theatre Company and has also starred in award-winning productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

From AudioFile
The diary of Sameul Pepys (1633-1703) is a remarkable document that provides not only a glimpse into the life of a man who was at once intelligent, sensitive, and mundane, but also a window on life in seventeenth-century England. The selections in this recording include Pepys's reflections on Shakespeare, his account of the Great Plague and Great Fire of London, an explanation for how and why he beats his servants, and a description of the quality of his bowel movements. Kenneth Branagh is marvelous, matching his narrative style to suit the nature of the entry--a sexual indiscretion gets a lascivious tone; a secret gets a whisper. Listeners will feel like they're eavesdropping. D.B. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

Entertaining and Informative
Anyone wishing to know what it was like to live in Restoration London should go to the primary source, Samuel Pepys (pronounced "Peeps"). He is to 17th century England what Boswell was in the next century, a marvelously candid interpreter of customs, manners and mores in a less-than-gilded age. Pepys is perhaps the most conversational and engaging diarist that has ever written. He reveals himself intimately, warts and all, recording personal, city, court and national history in a journal that was never meant to be seen by the public at-large. Rousseau, in his Confessions, professed to tell the truth about himself. Pepys actually does. Added to this is the fact that the period dealt with is one of the most fascinating in English history, full of court intrigues, pivotal naval battles, the Great Fire, plague, etc., one comes away with an appreciation for the era as well as the man.

Branaugh is the perfect vehicle for introducing listeners to this idiosyncratic author. No living actor has as great a command of spoken English. He is the successor to Gielgud, Olivier, Guiness, Richardson, Redgrave, etc. This is an abridged version, but still runs to well over six hours, and not a minute feels as if it's wasted. Pepys, as interpreted by Branaugh, is excellent company, whether you are on a long road-trip in your car or sitting beside the fire on a winter night.

This tape is addictive!
My wife & I listened to this during 2 hour commutes between city & country & became completely addicted. We were no longer driving the Taconic Parkway but totally immersed in the politics & bawdiness & squalor of daily life in 17th century London from the viewpoint of a very frank & funny & right-in-the-middle-of-it-all Mr. Pepys. From romps in bed with maids & other mens' wives to the plague & fire that virtually destroyed London, nothing is left out. Kenneth Branagh is magnificent (as usual) capturing the moods, rhythms & character of this incredible diary. When we finished the tape, we played the whole thing over again, enjoying it just as much the second time around! Highest recommendation!!!

Listen -- Read the Bio -- and Listen Again
2003 -- the 300th anniversary of Pepys death -- accidentally turned into the year of Pepys for me after I bought this audiobook.

I fell in love with the diaries (read so well by Branagh), but was frustrated by my lack of knowledge about Restoration London. So, I read some history books, and eventually found the bio by Claire Tomalin (Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self). Tomalin has written a very clear biography that manages to give enough of the historical context without slowing down the personal narrative.

Better educated, I then listened to the audiobook diary again and enjoyed it even more than the first-time around!

I highly recommend both the audiobook and the Tomalin biography to anyone interested in becoming acquainted with a man who is fascinating and charming and frequently amoral, but remarkably honest! 1660 London doesn't seem so long ago or so foreign to me anymore!

Thank you Kenneth, and thank you Claire!