http://www.librivox.org is a site where volunteers record public domain works. Some are good, some aren't.

I thought it would be useful to list the ones that are really well done.

Here are ones that I think compare to professional readings:

The Card By Arnold Bennett - sort of a Ferris Buehler in Edwardian England.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy - adventure against the backdrop of the French Revolution.

El Dorado by Baroness Orczy - sequel to Scarlet Pimpernel.

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery - classic YA story.

If you get books from librivox, please share the ones you've found that you really liked.

I liked the second version of Northanger Abbey pretty well (all one reader). She reads pretty fast though, so be warned. She does the British accents pretty well.

I'm so glad that librivox came into existence. There are so many "old" recordings from these "professional" audiobook manufacturer that for me anyway have been totally impossible to listen to. And the price is sooo right

Want to add

The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett - the lives of two sisters as England changes from the nineteenth century to the twentieth. Read by the pitch-perfect Andy Minter, a librivox all-star.

I'm listening to librivox' Candide now, and while the reader tries a bit too hard, he's pretty good, and the book is so quick he won't have time to really bother me.

OK, this thread is mostly me, but there needs to be, somewhere on the internet, a list of what books on librivox rise above the rest of librivox, and that the typical audio-book junkie would be willing to stick with through the whole book.

Candide by Voltaire. In a narrator's rating scale, I'd put this second-tier, below Andy Minter and the woman who read The Scarlet Pimpernel, but still better than 90% of what's at librivox. He's clear, he's not monotone, and he 'gets' the jokes and delivers them dryly and well.

I'm loving the fourth version of Persuasion.

...read by Karen Savage. No wonder. I'm glad you mentioned this - I didn't know she had done a version of Persuasion. Thanks.

Is she a well-known reader? A professional? (I'm new to the LibriVox scene...

If you like her stuff, this is a list of what she's done so far on LibriVox.

I got Pride and Prejudice from the library and the lady who read it whistled her "s". Seriously!!

anyway, from Librivox I like Anne of Green Gables (all of them available are good)

The Picture of Dorian Grey (solo version)

Jane Eyre (solo version)

Karen Savage is not a professional, but could be, as far as I'm concerned. I've listened to her Anne of Green Gables, Scarlet Pimpernel, and El Dorado.

Cool! I guess I just hit upon a winner! Lucky me!

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Read by Brenda Dayne, it's her only complete book for librivox. That's a shame, because she's pretty good. I wish in the first several chapters she put a bit more emotion into it, because the first several chapters are hard to get into. I should be clear - she's not monotone in the least - I just would have liked a bit more oomph.

Then the last half was excellent. I "couldn't put it down." Of course, it's a great book, but the reading similarly sang.

Minor nitpick - I was aware of maybe 5 mispronunciations in the whole text.

Overall, it's a highly listenable reading of a great book. I'd gladly listen to another book read by her.

bup wrote: "The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Read by Brenda Dayne, it's her only complete book for librivox. That's a shame, because she's pretty good. I wish in the first several chapters she put a bit ..."

Thanks for the tip, bup. I will check it out.
I share your feelings about mispronunciations: little speed-bumps along the way. I have heard them in big-budget productions from Recorded Books and Naxos as well.

Jonathan wrote: "bup wrote: "The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Read by Brenda Dayne, it's her only complete book for librivox. That's a shame, because she's pretty good. I wish in the first several chapters sh..."

I listen to the Wheel of Time on audiobook and the readers change pronunciation as they go through the book. Very annoying! But, I've done some recordings for librivox, and sometimes you don't even know you're mispronouncing something until you listen to it later...

Some Experiences of an Irish RM by Edith Oenone Somerville, and read by Andy Minter.

This is another perfect book for Andy Minter - if you're a fan of the Britcom As Time Goes By, his voice reminds me of Geoffrey Palmer (Lionel) - he captures the put-upon, detached, slightly jaded curmudgeon that is perfect and a half for the narrator/protagonist of the book. That protagonist is an old-before-his-time regional magistrate from England sent out into the 'boonies' of Ireland to be a judge for small-time cases. Wow is it funny - and bonus - it's considered a 'classic.'

I recommend this for anyone with no reservations.

Anything read by Elizabeth Klett is wonderful.

Cool - I just started her version of Ethan Frome yesterday. I hadn't 'found' her until now, but I think I'll be listening to anything she does.

She's an interesting person.
She has a blog which has a section on her LibriVox work. And also her personal reading, sewing and knitting.

http://amingledyarn.wordpress.com/

Her Ethan Frome was GREAT!

So is her version of Northanger Abbey, Jane Eyre and Howard's End.