Hearing Voices

Today I was bequeathed a Masters Degree. Which is pertinent here, because it means I will have more time on my hands for actual leisure reading. So look forward to that. But today, not having managed to finish any of the books I'm reading, I am going to talk about Narrators.

Audiobooks are a great thing. They are an excellent way to maximize time use. It is a way of always being reading, and it makes you look smart because you can be in the middle of two books at once. It is thanks to audiobooks that I managed to make a 1600 mile cross country drive solo. Definitely a great thing.

But not all audiobooks are created equally. So much depends on the narrator. A good narrator can really enhance a book. A bad one can ruin it. I can't listen to one of my favorite series because the narrator has such a different interpretation of the characters that it ruins the experience. I always feel like he makes the characters sound so snooty and obnoxious. I also had a bad experience with a full-cast audio once. The main character was supposed to be in early adulthood, and she sounded twelve. Which was problematic, because the person playing the prince she falls in love with sounded thirty-something. It did NOT work for me at all.

Whether or not someone is a good narrator really depends on the listener, so I can't give any guidelines on how to identify one. Nor do I feel like I should. But I can tell you some of my favorite listens.

The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill is an excellent listen. I saw this book on the shelf for months before I finally checked it out, and after listening to it, I couldn't believe I'd waited so long. The story takes place in New York and the narrator does a great job capturing all the accents--Jewish American, Italian American, New Yorker. It is a delightful listen.

Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay is a book that I think I enjoy listening to more than reading. The narrator (British, which is fine, because it takes place in England) does a great job of capturing the mayhem and absent-mindedness of the family.

I find that Agatha Christie narrators tend to be very good. There are several narrators for her mysteries, but I can't think of a single one I didn't like. If you want something light and enjoyable to listen to, you can't go wrong here.

The Maisie Dobbs series also has terrific narration. It has been great to be involved with this series, because it means I have something to listen to!

The James Herriot books are also well narrated. (I think I have a thing for British narrators). I would consider buying these audiobooks, because I can go back and listen again and still enjoy them.

My first introduction to the Mitford series was through audiobook, and I think that hearing them actually helped me get into the books. The narrator really fits the character, and even when I think of the books, I hear that voice narrating them.

Authors narrating their books is always a bit risky. But it worked with Freakonomics, and I have started following their podcast. I also thought that the narration of Mornings on Horseback was well done, which is saying something, because the wrong narrator could have killed that story.

There are many others, and I will try to add them as I come across them. So look forward to that. In the meantime, if you have any favorites, let me know. I'm always looking for a good listen!