Barbara, re: Sandra Burrs, in Olive Ketteridge her other voices bother me less than what seems to be her natural one. However, I have successfully adapted and am really enjoying the book. Olive is so wonderfully flawed, but understandable.

I seem to recall Linda Stephens does a good job with Lee Smith's southern fiction
(Fancy Strut, etc.).

I’ve been listening to Gone With the Wind, read by Linda Stephens. Although I think she’s doing well for the most part, I don’t like her male voices, and I especially hate the sound of her Rhett. Every time “he” speaks, I picture a blonde woman wearing a suit and a black moustache.

Sorry!Thought I was replying to the comment on Sandra Burrs.
Mostly I was thinking of the Cedar Cove book series. The reading in Olive Ketteridge was better.

Barbara: Whose mens' voices are you talking about?

Oh amen to that! Her men's voices drive me up the wall.

If the multiple readers are each reading a different chapter, then they take some getting used to.
If there is a reader for each character, then I really enjoy it. It adds so much life to the story.
For example, in The Elegance of the Hedgehog and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
Although some readers have such a variety of voices that they are able to do that is a joy to listen to.

Heidi wrote: "p.s. I dislike when audiobooks have more than one reader (unless it is a play) -- it is disconcerting to me."

Really? I love when books have full casts... It makes it more like I'm listening to a movie... :) Princess Academy was especially good...

John wrote: "I've deleted Obamanos from my player, and doubt I'd listen to another with Dick Hill, although I might pick up that book again in print (though not soon)."

I just started Whiskey Sour and I think Dick Hill is the male narrator -- I was thinking I was not really liking him, now I know why! p.s. I dislike when audiobooks have more than one reader (unless it is a play) -- it is disconcerting to me.

I'm currently listening to a Dick Hill book: Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power. Admittedly, I am NOT a history buff, and I don't think even Nathaniel Parker could make me find this more than BARELY interesting (okay, maybe HE could, but even Jim Dale couldn't), but WOW, it's dry. My two biggest complaints are:
        (1) the difference in volume between the regular text and the voices he uses for direct quotes (my hearing is BAD ENOUGH! Stop trying to deafen me every time you quote Lincoln, man!) and
        (2) he reads SOOOOOO INCREEEEEDDDIBLLYYYYY SLOOOOOOWWWWLLLLYYYY! That, and you can tell just from the way he reads that he's pompous. Jude, you were EXACTLY right: "self-important" is the word (errr... phrase)!

OH!! I just realized that Dick Hill narrated the version of 2001: A Space Odyssey I listened to, too.... I KNEW his voice sounded familiar!! No offense to any fans of that book, but I don't think it could have been MORE boring. It was definitely more boring than Lincoln. And then (I don't know why I did it), I watched the movie. At least THAT I could watch at 1.5 speed!!

I've deleted Obamanos from my player, and doubt I'd listen to another with Dick Hill, although I might pick up that book again in print (though not soon).

I just started listening to a Brilliance Audio production of Olive Kitteridge and remembered that I really don't like Sandra Burr as a reader. She does a lot of things for Brilliance and always sounds like she is reading a children's book. I'm trying to adapt and make it through because I like the book.

Ah, Dick Hill:-)! I think if you go to 'self-important' in the dictionary, he is the illustration. One of the readers whose name indicates a pleasure I must forego.

I fear Dick Hill is detracting from my current book; I had mixed feelings about him reading Jack Cafferty's memoir earlier this year, but in this one he might be making the author seem more self-impressed than might be the case with the print book, or a different reader.

I'm having some trouble hanging in with Dick Hill's reading of Obamanos!. He was okay reading Jack Cafferty's latest book, but he's making the author of this one seem a bit more "self important" than the guy really is I think.

Dacia wrote: "I'm listening to "Hearts in Atlantis" right now, and it's bugging me! First of all, I didn't realize that this was actually a 5 stories in 1 book - and there was no indication of the fact that one..."

I listened to that one, and parts of the narration kind of dragged a bit in places, and became a little preachy (Author's fault, not narrator's). But, in William Hurt's narration, I could practically hear the spit in his mouth. It wasn't bad, exactly, just a little weird, and almost bad. I thought the book was AMAZING though, in the end, so stick it out. This is also a place where the musical selections helped set the tone beautifully, especially at the end!

I'm listening to "Hearts in Atlantis" right now, and it's bugging me! First of all, I didn't realize that this was actually a 5 stories in 1 book - and there was no indication of the fact that one story had ended and another begun on the CD. Instead, within a period of about 5 seconds (less time than between most chapter breaks) we go from Bobby Garfield holding his mothers hand in a semi sci-fi story told in 3rd person, to a first person narrative about some college kid. YIKES! For about the first 5 minutes I was seriously analyzing the story and trying to figure out how Bobby ended up going to college in MA.

However, I'm not to upset because the first story really wasn't all that great. It may have been better but the narrator (was it Stephen King himself or William hurt, I'm not sure) had this dragging monotone thing going. I would have given up on it if I had had anything else to listen to in the car!

Hilary wrote: "For a long business road trip by myself in the car, I'm listening to complete trash: New Moon (Book 2 of the Twilight Series). Despite this being an awful book, the narrator, Ilyana Kadushin, has ..."

Really? I recently listened to all four of the Twilight series audiobooks and thought that Ilyana Kadushin's narration was great (even if the books weren't)! She used different voices and inflections for all of the characters and I thought she was well suited as the narrator/Bella.

My favorite narrator is William Hootkins, his work on the Moby Dick audiotape was amazing. I highly dislike Rachel Leigh Cook's narration of the Devil Wears Prada. She was monotone, boring, and awful. She sounded so bored while reading it, it was like she walked in with no preparation or thought and just started reading.

Cathy wrote: "Jude wrote: "for all you fans:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UO0fzAICN8"

Fascinating. I've never seen a narrator at work. Thanks for the URL"

Wow. Fun to see Scott Brick in action. His focus, expression and intensity is impressive. No wonder so many people love listening to Harlan Coban when narrated by Brick. Generally speaking I'm hot and cold on Brick. With the whole swine flu thing going on, I recently re-listened to The Great Influenza by John M. Barry. To be fair, it's not that well written, but about 2/3 into it, I was done with Brick's narration - picked up the book.

Jude wrote: "for all you fans:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UO0fzAICN8"

Fascinating. I've never seen a narrator at work. Thanks for the URL

Like Lori, I also found Scott Brick's narration of the Nelson DeMille John Corey books perfect for the sarcastic humor. I love Jim Dale's myriad voices for Harry Potter and thought Frank Muller read several of Stephen King's books to perfection. As for authors who narrate their own books, I agree with Stef, Neil Gaiman is one of the best and I always get more out of a Stephen King book that he read himself.
And to further prove the theory that some book narrators make the top and the bottom lists for different readers, I loved Ilyana Kadushin's voice for the first three Twilight books. I read the fourth myself and missed hearing her inflections in my head.

Lara - Flo Gibson is definitely an "acquired taste"!

Dacia wrote: "Wow Heidi, I couldn't disagree more. I LOVED "the Host" and I thought it was even better because Kate read it. I haven't listened to anything by her yet that I haven't liked. "

You're the second person that said they liked Kate Reading. Maybe it was the story I didn't like and not her :)

Wow Heidi, I couldn't disagree more. I LOVED "the Host" and I thought it was even better because Kate read it. I haven't listened to anything by her yet that I haven't liked.

Hilary - I totally understand about New Moon. The only reason I even got through that book is because I really wanted to read the whole series so I'd know what the fuss was all about. I think the 3rd and 4th books get better.

John wrote: "If Walter Covell is who I think he is (a/k/a Wolfram Kandinsky), I agree he's dead boring!
I'm a huge fan of the late Anna Fields, but I guess I could see where she could be annoying.
I didn't ca..."

Wow-I have the totally opposite reaction. I find that C.J. Critt sounds that a raspy old smoker, who I find extremely hard to listen to; on the other hand, I love Lorelei King's readings and she's the one of the reasons I've stuck with the series. Also, I found Bernadette Quigley to be downright awful and Robert Forster reading Elmore Leonard is so monotone I couldn't distinguish between the characters.

For a long business road trip by myself in the car, I'm listening to complete trash: New Moon (Book 2 of the Twilight Series). Despite this being an awful book, the narrator, Ilyana Kadushin, has a whiny, monotonous voice that is making me want to tear my hair out. Double whammy!

I finished In the Company of the Courtesan A Novel by Sarah Dunant last night and I started The Husband by Dean Koontz this morning.

I also love Jim Dale and Kate Reading, though I can understand why someone may not like Kate. Her voice took some getting used to for me.

I couldn't stand Flo Gibson. She read a version of Pride and Prejudice, the only one our library had at the time. Her "s" whistled very shrilly. I actually had to turn the treble down on my radio in order to listen to her.

Perhaps Kate Reading was just not the right person for the Host. It happens.

Jim Dale is another reader I've never experienced - along with Scott Brick.
Kate Reading did a good job with Somerset Maugham's The Painted Veil.
I'm a big fan of C. J. Critt, although her stock of voices seems limited, so it's tough to go from series-to-series with her narration without becoming confused!

Kate Reading - the narrator for Stephanie Meyers "The Host" book was awful. I couldn't stand her voice and in no way did she sound young enough to be the main character. I can't believe someone mentioned Jim Dale - I love him!

I enjoy Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta books. But then I listened to my first Scarpetta audiobook (The Body Farm), as read by C.J. Critt. With apologies to Ms. Critt--I found her voice and over the top dramatics to be really annoying! I won't listen to another audiobook that she is narrating.

Laurence Bouvard (female) reading Every Secret Thing. She is so heavy-handed and corny in her attempt at young, old & any emotional nuance that i have no idea if the story is any good. So i'm just kind of letting it happen cause i'm at work and her lack of talent is almost entertaining. Avoid this reader.

The Trial by Kafka.
read by Geoffrey Howard.

The worst narration I have ever listen to. That was so annoying!

I had to give up on The Adventures of Augie March
by Saul Bellow read by Tom Parker. The narrator (who I've listened to before, though it must have been under a different name) was way to fast. I couldn't process the information and couldn't imagine putting up with it for 22 hours.

I just might add it to my Netflix list. You are the second person to mention how deliciously bad the movie is. Somehow I'm more forgiving of bad movies than I am of bad novels.

katie - great review all 'round of christopher Hurt's reading of The Fountainhead xoxo

just go watch Gary Cooper & the devastating Patricia Neal. it was years before i understood how utterly pornographic it is - everything you never wanted to know about what turns Ayn Rand's on. If you can handle her rape fantasy, the serious as a train wreck campiness might entertain you quite a bit.

Oh, how funny, Katie. I love your description. I read The Fountainhead when I was in high school and liked it. My political beliefs are now diametrically opposed to Rand's. In terms of literature, however, I think Rand's writing was more suited to my immature brain back then.

Christopher Hurt's reading of The Fountainhead began to make me lose my lunch, though I can't be sure it wasn't the annoyingly bad writing instead. Maybe I hated him for reading the book aloud because the prose was so bad. I'll never be able to scrape from my brain the 1,000 different times he pronounced (long and drawn-out and melodramatic) "insolence." But Ayn Rand wrote that word into her book over and over, so there you go. I guess it was a team effort, with a goal of disaster.

I just TRIED to start listening to a LibriVox production of Jane Eyre and quit after the THIRD mispronunciation in 5 minutes... Ann Marie Williams ruined it for me... I'm just glad it was a free download and not one I'd paid for!!

Frank Muller I'm not crazy about.

Still, I can't believe you guys hate Scott Brick so much. He's read wonderfully in everything I've heard him do. Maybe it's because I mostly hear him for Sci-Fi, I don't know, but I like it. I just can't imagine anyone else reading Bean (from Orson Scott Card's Shadow series) nearly as well!

I love Scott Brick's portrayal of John Corey in the Nelson DeMille books. It has made Corey one of my favorite characters of all time. The humor is incredible.

Debra -- I have that repetition trouble with C J Critt. She reused her Stephanie Plum voices for a different series and it threw me big time!

Mueller was great, absolutely nailed, Rick Bragg's All Over But the Shouting. I cannot imagine a better narration of it. That is the only one of his narrations that I've listened to, though, so I can't really comment on his overall ability.

Guidall is very good for many books. As John noted, he did a nice job with Tony Hillerman's books. Unfortunately, he absolutely murdered Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford series. I will no longer listen to them if he is the narrator.

Bernadette Dunne did a great job with Ruth Reichl's memoirs, especially Garlic and Sapphires. She did a good job with Rose Connor's books. My knock on her is that I hear her characterizations repeated in other books.

What I find interesting is how many narrators are on both the worst and the best list. To each his own, I guess.

Jude, I read Crowley's blog too and that's what sent me scrambling to find the audiobook of Aegypt. It's available on audible.com. Here's the review I posted on audible.com:

Crowley develops his stories slowly with lots of detail and writes beautifully. His writing and ideas are meant to be savored and pondered. If you like the idea of listening to a 15 hour and 29 minute narrative poem, with another poem inside it, then you might well like this book.

Crowley narrates the book himself, in a flat middle-American voice, with a quirky, slightly self-conscious manner. The narration worked for me. I found his voice easy to listen to, and his reading gave me more insight into what his artistic intentions are. But the narration isn't going to please everybody.

I've never ever heard a Scott Brick book, though he's raved about!

Mueller was great for Motherless Brooklyn, but honestly, I recall not liking some of his other stuff; Guidall was great for Hillerman's Navajo police series, but not for other stuff, IMHO.

for all you fans:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UO0fzAIC...

Firecat -

Bernadette Dunne is the reader i gave a second chance to because a friend really liked her. she has done well for me more often than not and when matched well (and only then - like someone's category above) cannot be equalled.

and OMFLOG! you've HEARD Crowley's reading of Aegypt? I read his blog and heard his side of the adventure.Care to post a longer review?

And LeCarre for me is THE writer who can read....

this is a cool thread, yes:> ( i am avoiding work, can you tell?)