P. D. James BBC Radio Drama Collection

Desert Island drama

This collection is a treat. Sîan Phillips, Anna Massey, and many other brilliant actors shine throughout nearly seventeen hours of dramatised James. I particularly enjoyed Robin Ellis in the role of Dalgliesh. Although I knew whodunnit in these stories because
I’ve been a James fan since I was a young teenager, I still loved listening to the mysteries as they unfolded once more. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good British mystery with beautifully done dramatisations from talented actors.

39 of 39 people found this review helpful

A Different Sort of Experience

Hearing these excellent BBC dramas is a joy. First, it's a chance to sample, refresh, or renew some really great mysteries by a master, P.D. James.

Secondly, it's a way to experience old favorites in a new way. There are stories here featuring both Adam Dalgliesh and Cordelia Gray, James' wonderful detectives. Each appears in more than one episode and is portrayed by more than one fine British actor. The collection includes works from several stages of James' career. And the stories are, of course, much shorter than the original works from which they are abridged.

Nobody is better than the BBC at reminding us why radio dramas are so much fun! These selections are perfect for car drives, bedtime listens, and sharing with others.

16 of 16 people found this review helpful

If you like PD James

You’ll love this compilation of radio plays. Very well done, and with some bonus interviews of the author at the end. Also, if you know the BBC TV productions, you may be surprised that these are not identical. And if you love the books, you’ll find the radio plays are VERY close to them. Wish I could find more!

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

An Audio-Drama for Mystery Lovers

Most mystery novel fans have read PD James at some time or another, whether you are a fan of murder mysteries, British detectives, strong storylines that carry through a series of books, or simply a fan of great writing. This collection of seven stories is intense and yet the length of each is not so long as to become mind-numbing when casting back to earlier details. The voices are distinct enough to differentiate from each other, but I, an American reader, did not recognize the voices as belonging to anyone other than the characters in the story. The stories are, for the most part, propelled by the dialogue so there is minimal narration by non-characters. I'd love to hear more of these audio-dramas! #suspense #dialogue #tagsgiving #sweepstakes #whodunnit

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Classy

These are classy, full-on adaptations of several PD James novels: mostly Dalgliesh stories, but there are two Cordelia Greys here as well. The collection includes the story I think of as James’s masterpiece, A Taste For Death. The adaptations follow the plots of the originals closely, though POV is often changed to better meet the requirements of the medium. (Most commonly, third-person narration is changed to first-person.)

I really have only one complaint: as with many recent BBC omnibus collections, there is no index of tracks, nor is there a comprehensive list of cast members. There really should be a PDF with this information.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great stories

I loved all the stories P D James is one of my favourite authors she the master of weaving a story. The only one I didn’t enjoy was the one that stopped and then started again with the cast of the show each time, but on the whole I really enjoyed it.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Love the live action!!!

This is the first time I have ever listened to a dramatization. It was an amazing experience. Highly recommend it.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Excellent murder mystery

My first PD James book, and at first I found the stories a little hard to follow, she uses a lot of characters. She does an excellent job of defining the characters as the story develops.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Too bad I couldn't hear it.

Quality of the sound fluctuated to badly I couldn't understand the stories. I am so sad about this because I love P.D. James.
Long time listener,
Mary Banco

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

full cast

If you could sum up P. D. James BBC Radio Drama Collection in three words, what would they be?

I love the full cast performances having read all her books

What other book might you compare P. D. James BBC Radio Drama Collection to and why?

Can't say enough about full cast dramas and mysteries

8 of 12 people found this review helpful