The Secret Life of Books, BBC4 - TV review: EastEnders lead writer Tony Jordan explores Charles Dickens
Here's a programme to make you pick up unread classics and love your old favourites even more
The original Miss H was born in the pages of Charles Dickens in his 1861 novel Great Expectations, of course. Some consider it his finest work – I'm more of a David Copperfield fan myself – but it certainly made an ideal starting point for The Secret Life of Books, a new six-part BBC4 series in which writers and performers give a personal take on favourite works of literature.
Last night former EastEnders lead writer Tony Jordan used his experience of populist drama to help us get to know the great-great-great grandfather of soap opera.
You can't truly appreciate Dickens's talent for cliffhangers until you've heard the 44th chapter of Great Expectations read aloud and accompanied by the EastEnders duff-duffs.
We were also treated to a thrilling look at the original manuscript (such tiny handwriting!) as Jordan tackled one of the great controversies of 19th-century literature: was Pip and Estella's happy(ish) ending a cop-out?
They say writing about music is like dancing about architecture and this attempt to capture books on screen may sound similarly absurd in theory.
In practice, Jordan's pirouettes were a pleasure to watch. Here's a programme to make you pick up unread classics and love your old favourites even more.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies