What audiobooks have the best narrators?

[dratsab]

I'm looking for audiobooks that have the benefit of a great narrator, who really makes the story interesting or does a good job entertaining. I can think of three instances off-hand: 1) Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, the audiobook for that was done incredibly well 2) The Disaster Artist, Greg Sestero doing the Tommy Wiseau impression was spot on 3) The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins simply had a mesmerizing voice. Anyone else got anything?

[Iain Sparrow]

I agree that Dawkins has a great voice, listened to a couple of his books on audio.
The best ever narrator, is definitely the guy who does the Harry Potter books, he's simply amazing. Also, the investigative journalist Jon Ronson has some excellent books on audio, and he's a blast to listen to.

[Clopin]

Isn't it Stephen Fry who does Harry Potter?

[Clopin]

I have to say though that I hate audiobooks no matter who is narrating them, just like I hate poetry read aloud (blasphemy I know) and hate most performances of plays. You just can't beat the internal narrator.

[Helga]

I listened to a few agatha christie novels read by hugh fraser, that was a good read. I have to say the only time I have been bothered by the voice reading for me is when I listened to (or tried too) the divine commedie, the version I listened to was on libravox so there where many people who just read a few cantos each and some voices were just hard to hear, one was always singing and it annoyed me so much I gave it up.

Like Clopin said the best narration is in the mind but I do enjoy audiobooks too, it's a good way to 'read' on the bus

[Iain Sparrow]

Isn't it Stephen Fry who does Harry Potter?

For the American release it's been Jim Dale... for which he won a Grammy Award, actually two Grammy Awards.

[Iain Sparrow]

I listened to a few agatha christie novels read by hugh fraser, that was a good read. I have to say the only time I have been bothered by the voice reading for me is when I listened to (or tried too) the divine commedie, the version I listened to was on libravox so there where many people who just read a few cantos each and some voices were just hard to hear, one was always singing and it annoyed me so much I gave it up.

Like Clopin said the best narration is in the mind but I do enjoy audiobooks too, it's a good way to 'read' on the bus

I've also listened to some of the Agatha Christie books, excellent narration.
My job is very eyeball intensive as I work in the commercial printing field... so by the end of my work week I just can't take a lot of reading. I've found audiobooks to be a great way around eyestrain and the headaches I was getting behind my eyes.
And another thing I like about audiobooks, it's easy to fall asleep while listening. An audiobook and a beer just knock me out cold.:)

[dratsab]

I listened to a few agatha christie novels read by hugh fraser, that was a good read. I have to say the only time I have been bothered by the voice reading for me is when I listened to (or tried too) the divine commedie, the version I listened to was on libravox so there where many people who just read a few cantos each and some voices were just hard to hear, one was always singing and it annoyed me so much I gave it up.

Like Clopin said the best narration is in the mind but I do enjoy audiobooks too, it's a good way to 'read' on the bus

Ohh god, I remember back when I used to listen to those free libravox audios... ugh. There would be people with Indian accents that I could not understand at all, and they would seem so amateur, etc.


I've also listened to some of the Agatha Christie books, excellent narration.
My job is very eyeball intensive as I work in the commercial printing field... so by the end of my work week I just can't take a lot of reading. I've found audiobooks to be a great way around eyestrain and the headaches I was getting behind my eyes.
And another thing I like about audiobooks, it's easy to fall asleep while listening. An audiobook and a beer just knock me out cold.:)

You have many similar problems I have. I get headaches from reading for a long time... not sure why. I tried googling it, but all I found was a recommendation to wear glasses. I've tried reading books with and without glasses, and I have the same problem, blarg. So, I have two books going... one physical and one audio, and yes... I listen to my audio before bed (granted, unless it's really interesting, I space out during parts, and miss what's going on, heh).

[RetsixArp]

American actor Alexander Scourby reading the entire King James Bible: on CD now but originally recorded on vinyl for The Lighthouse for the Blind in the late 1950s. Also: (if you know German) German stage actor Will Quadflieg reading an unabridged Steppenwolf by Hesse.

[dratsab]

Ohh, and this guy is a pretty good narrator, coff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wv9JyPk8mo

[Eiseabhal]

This is surprisingly enauralating

[Eiseabhal]

Ok reckon that was OTT but this did surprise me and make me think. It's a good question.

[L.M. The Third]

There are some good readers on Librivox. Elizabeth Klett is a trained actress and English prof who is my go-to for everything from Austen to Euripides.

[WICKES]

A refined, upper class, RSC-trained English accent is best. John Gielgud reading Waugh's Brideshead was probably the best audiobook I have ever heard. Stephen Fry is also wonderful.

[Emil Miller]

A refined, upper class, RSC-trained English accent is best. John Gielgud reading Waugh's Brideshead was probably the best audiobook I have ever heard. Stephen Fry is also wonderful.

I would agree except for a reading of an American classic such as The Great Gatsby; in which case, an American accent would be necessary. I can't imagine John Gielgud reading it.

Edit: I forgot to add that the question should read 'Which audio books have the best narrators?'

[Jackson Richardson]

I don't listen to audiobooks much, but I was very, very impressed by Miriam Margoyles reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie managing the different Scots accents for appropriate characters but reading the narrative in RP English.

A convention of audiobooks I very much dislike is when narrators read dialogue by characters of the opposite sex, male narrators doing falsetto for women characters, and female narrators going gruff for all male characters.

[ennison]

When I was young I used to enjoy listening to Cooke read his own regular letters from America. He had a wonderful speaking voice. I don't know if he ever narrated any other writer's work.