Coketown is dominated by the figure of Mr Thomas Gradgrind, school headmaster and model of Utilitarian
success. Feeding both his pupils and family with facts, he bans fancy and wonder from any young minds.
As a consequence his obedient daughter Louisa marries the loveless businessman and 'bully of humanity'
Mr Bounderby, and his son Tom rebels to become embroiled in gambling and robbery. And, as their fortunes
cross with those of free-spirited circus girl Sissy Jupe and victimized weaver Stephen Blackpool,
Gradgrind is eventually forced to recognize the value of the human heart in an age of materialism and
machinery.

About The Reader
A distinguished actor with a very long career, Martin Jarvis is probably best known for his radio work -
his voice is a staple of Radio 4. With his wife Rosalind Ayres, he runs Jarvis and Ayres Productions,
which produces dramas, readings and audiobooks. For this, and his other work, Martin was honoured with
an OBE for his services to drama in 2000. Martin often steps behind the mike himself, and has narrated
dozens of audiobooks and readings, including versions of Richmal Crompton's William books, Kafka's
Metamorphosis, P.G. Wodehouse's Carry On Jeeves, and 101 Dalmations. Martin's TV debut was in Doctor
Who in 1965, playing a giant butterfly in The Web Planet. A couple of years later he played Jolyon
Forsyte in The Forsyte Saga. Since then, his many TV parts have included Oliver, the main lead, in 1978
sitcom Rings On Their Fingers, Uriah Heep in David Copperfield, and Jeeves in the TV version of Alan
Ayckbourn's musical By Jeeves!

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