Narrators you don't like?

[[deleted user]]

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.

[Scott S.]

Haha. I was fighting back a "yeeeeaah baby".

For what it's worth, Bobby, I agree with you on all those other things.

[Trish]

Barbara Rosenblatt. She reads for Kathy Reichs and a few other female-centric authors. She has a smoker's voice and I won't buy audiobooks if she is narrorating(sp).

[Bobby]

Trish wrote: "Barbara Rosenblatt. She reads for Kathy Reichs and a few other female-centric authors. She has a smoker's voice and I won't buy audiobooks if she is narrorating(sp)."

Man, I'm so glad you wrote this. You know why? Because I love Barbara Rosenblat. She's one of my favorites. And in spite of my irritation at all things Scott Brick, I know a lot of people love him...and it drives me crazy. Swear to god. That people love Scott Brick bothers me more than the fact that you don't like Barbara Rosenblat. It's completely illogical. Can anyone explain that? What is that about? When I see someone say "Oh my god, I have a major crush on Scott Brick!" I'm just like, "What is wrong with you?"

Another one I don't like: Mary Peiffer. She makes everything sound like a commercial.

[Sandi]

Voice crushes. I have a huge voice crush on Luke Daniels. That's for another thread.

[Leigh]

Does anyone else feel uncomfortable when Renee Raudman does voices for the narrative as well as the dialogue?

[[deleted user]]

I can't remember her name right now, but the narrator for The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton does the same thing. I find it disconcerting.

[John, Moderator]

Leigh wrote: "Does anyone else feel uncomfortable when Renee Raudman does voices for the narrative as well as the dialogue?"

I think she's okay, but I suppose I can understand why others may not feel that way.

[Sara ♥]

Leigh wrote: "Does anyone else feel uncomfortable when Renee Raudman does voices for the narrative as well as the dialogue?"

Uncomfortable? Lemme check what I've listened to by her... Oh. The Gallagher Girls series. I don't know if uncomfortable is the word. Annoying? Yes. In my reviews, I called her "OKAY" in a sarcastic way. There was a random side character in one of the books who was from Dallas, and she gave her this soul-cringingly thick Southern accent. I was like, "Ummm... she's from DALLAS. If she had ANY accent, it would be VERY SUBTLE."

She has a weird voice. Like... young and scratchy? I dunno. I wouldn't AVOID things she narrates, but I won't be seeking them out either.

[Nikki]

1. Mildred Pierce read by Christine Williams... the longest ten hours of my life (with the exception of childbirth). A really grating accent.

2.The Island read by Sandra Duncan. I only persevered with this because it was a 'book club' book. Utter drivel compounded by very poor narration.

[Nikki]

Lara wrote: I could practically hear the spit in his mouth. It wasn't bad, exactly, just a little weird

This also happens in a couple of Lee Childs Jack Reacher books read by Jeff Harding. At times I was swallowing for him! The narration is never subtle anyway and the stories are a bit like listening to Die Hard movies, but never the less easy and entertaining.

[Lára]

I want to add Hallie Cooper-Novack and Heather Lind to the list.
Have given up books just because of them. Couldn´t focus on stories at all.

It´s no secret - I gave up (audio)books (and rarely pick up the other edition) if the narrator is bad

[Becky]

Oh man, narrators I DON'T like? List-topper would absolutely be Jim Dale. I cannot stand his voice, or his style, or his characterizations. I know that people love his reading of the Harry Potter series, but I could only take about 3 minutes of it before I turned it off.

Otherwise, for me, my list would be authors reading their own work (with the exception of Neil Gaiman, who can read anything he wants to me anytime it suits him). Every experience I've had with authors reading their own work (with said exception) has been painful. :(

[John, Moderator]

The only fiction that I an think of where the author does a good job reading her own work has been Myla Goldberg's Bee Season.

I've never heard Jim Dale read anything (nor Scott Brick, yet, either).

[Becky]

Jim Dale also reads The Night Circus, which was... painful on so many levels for me. *shudder*

Thank goodness for the Audible app having 3x speed reading, as well as a return policy. I took full advantage of both on that one.

[Ann]

Becky: I despised Jim Dale's voice for Poppet, but other than that loved the audio of The Night Circus. The story was marvelous. I do understand how a personal aversion to a narrator can be distracting though.
Becky wrote: "Jim Dale also reads The Night Circus, which was... painful on so many levels for me. "

[Becky]

Well, in this particular case, the narrator was just the icing on the cake. I disliked the story itself as well. I did try to read it, but after a few pages decided that I'd never get through it in print format, and so I switched to the audio, which at least allowed me to multitask.

That book was not for me, and I knew it long before I ever picked it up, but it was selected for my bookclub, so I read it anyway. *sigh*

[MissSusie]

Bobby wrote: "Trish wrote: "Barbara Rosenblatt. She reads for Kathy Reichs and a few other female-centric authors. She has a smoker's voice and I won't buy audiobooks if she is narrorating(sp)."

Man, I'm so gl..."


Ha-ha just goes to show it is all subjective one persons favorite is another least liked....I love a deep voice usually my least favorites are ones with a higher voice..I have also had a few that I didn't like on one book but thought they were perfect for another so sometimes it is the material the narrator had to work with.

[Leigh]

John wrote: "The only fiction that I an think of where the author does a good job reading her own work has been Myla Goldberg's Bee Season.

I've never heard Jim Dale read anything (nor Scott Brick, yet, either)."

Phillip Pullman reading His Dark Materials is amazing

[Xe]

John wrote: "The only fiction that I an think of where the author does a good job reading her own work has been Myla Goldberg's Bee Season.

I've never heard Jim Dale read anything (nor Scott Brick, yet, either)."

Side note on Jim Dale for you John: if you aren't a fan of Harry Potter or have already read them and don't want to revisit in audio, I was blown away by Dale's performance of The Boy with the Cuckoo Clock Heart. The story is, er, unique, to say the least...but his narration was amazing - at least to me.

OK - back to the regularly scheduled programming!

[John, Moderator]

Thanks, Xe, although that doesn't seem like my type of story.

[Janet]

Has anyone brought up David Colacci? He's neck and neck with Scott Brick as my least favorite narrator. And like Brick, he narrates authors I really like such as T. Jefferson Parker and John Lescroart. Right now I'm listening to Parker's "The Famous and the Dead," the last in the Charlie Hood series. I'm hoping for his next novel, they'll choose a different narrator since there will be a different set of characters.

[John, Moderator]

I liked the one Colacci book I read: Night Train to Lisbon.

[Bobby]

Janet wrote: "...with Scott Brick as my least favorite narrator..." Aaaahhh...Janet, I like you already. :)

[Mirkat]

I can't recall whether it was the narrator of The Da Vinci Code or another book that reminded me of The Da Vinci Code (title promptly forgotten), but the narrator in question sounded as though he was making a sour face whenever he had to pronounce a French name. And there were multiple instances of characters yelling, "Noooooooooo!" [The book whose title I've forgotten involved an ancient shipwreck being pursued for its treasure.... I think.]

[Xe]

John wrote: "Thanks, Xe, although that doesn't seem like my type of story."

Fair enough. Wasn't my type of story either...just a Playaway that was available at the library when I was desperate for a new listen :)

[Mirkat]

Xe wrote: "John wrote: "Thanks, Xe, although that doesn't seem like my type of story."

Fair enough. Wasn't my type of story either...just a Playaway that was available at the library when I was desperate for a new listen"

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who does this. I actually do "Playaway" searches in my library's catalog and request any that sound halfway interesting. :)

[[deleted user]]

Playaway? Do tell :)

[John, Moderator]

Small devices that come pre-loaded with a single audiobook, which you check out just like a "real" (print) book. My current library doesn't have them, but I did listen to such a book once from another system; the player fit easily into my shirt pocket. I prefer downloading, but if one doesn't they're a lot easier to handle than a batch of (bulky) CD's.

[Sara ♥]

Yeah, they're like little mp3 players with just the one book on it. You check one out, plug in your headphones, and hit play! I've never actually checked one out and I don't think my library system has any.

[[deleted user]]

Will they rewind? This would be a deal-breaker for me.

[Sara ♥]

Looks like it... http://teachmag.com/wp-content/upload...

EDIT: Oooh... I liked that book. It was like having Wilson read to me! ;) (House, M.D., anyone?)

[Heidi]

Jennifer (Obsessive, compulsive and TBR) wrote: "Will they rewind? This would be a deal-breaker for me."

They have a rewind and a fast forward button

[[deleted user]]

Excellent. I would drive you all crazy with my trigger finger RW, but it works for me.

[John, Moderator]

The one I used was about the size of a pack of cigs (I don't smoke), or a deck of cards.

[Becky]

Can you control the reading speed for playaways? I've never used one, but I love the android/ipod audible apps for the ability to adjust the reading speed.

[Mirkat]

Becky wrote: "Can you control the reading speed for playaways? I've never used one, but I love the android/ipod audible apps for the ability to adjust the reading speed."

Yes, you can change the speed to slower or faster.

[Xe]

Jennifer (Obsessive, compulsive and TBR) wrote: "Playaway? Do tell :)"

Yep - imagine an mp3 player that only has the audiobook on it, and limited controls. I LOVE them. I don't have to download it to anything, I can control speed and volume, and it remembers where I left off. They are about the size of a business card (but 3D of course), so I just slip them in my pocket.

[Xe]

Mirkat wrote: "'m so glad I'm not the only one who does this. I actually do "Playaway" searches in my library's catalog and request any that sound halfway interesting. :) "

I absolutely do! I do put some on hold, but I often just surf the Playaway wall (they are separated out at my library) and pull any that look interesting and have narrators I enjoy (that's KEY for me).

[Vanessa]

I wouldn't say that I dislike Barbara Rosenblat..however, the inflection of her voice is a little much sometimes. One sentence will start off plenty loud enough, and by the time she is finished with the paragraph she is speaking so low it almost sounds like mumbling!! Just the variations of the volume of her voice makes it difficult sometimes.

[Becky]

Mirkat wrote: "Becky wrote: "Can you control the reading speed for playaways? I've never used one, but I love the android/ipod audible apps for the ability to adjust the reading speed."

Yes, you can change the s..."

Good to know. Thanks, Mirkat!

[Vanessa]

Dacia wrote: "Wow Firecat - this is off subject, but I thought I was the only one who used audio books to make data entry go faster. Everyone at work looks at me like I'm crazy. Music is too repetitive for me ..."

I'm a claims processor and I can't make it through the day without listening to books.

[Cindi]

One of my biggest irritations is a reader who pauses weirdly. That is, a beat or two too long at the end of each sentence, and then other places, where I'd consider it logical to give a longer pause, they just barrel on. I'm presently listening to Sea Change with readers Kate Forbes and Peggity Price, and I can't figure out which-one's-which but whoever it is, she does that weird pausing to the point of my distraction. I can't tell if it's the reader herself or poor editing? but it is incredibly annoying.

[Cindi]

Scott wrote: "...Scott Brick. My problem with him is that he narrates in such whiny, arrogant tone that I end up hating the protagonist of every story..."

I just finished listening to Harlan Coben's Six Years, and every minute of it, this is exactly what I thought about Scott Brick's reading. Not to mention that it was nearly monotone and most of the characters indistinguishable.

[Bobby]

Cindi wrote: "Scott wrote: "...Scott Brick. My problem with him is that he narrates in such whiny, arrogant tone that I end up hating the protagonist of every story..."

I just finished listening to Harlan Coben..."

Aaaahhhhhh...

[Cindi]

Last comment for tonight--gee, my first time coming out of lurking to post and I can't stop... Recently listened to Nora Roberts' Whiskey Beach, read by Peter Berkot. His reading was very good, very articulate. However, he could not do women's voices at all, it became almost comical, all the women sounded like drag queens--throaty raspy voices (think Harvey Feirstein). For some reason I think women can do men's voices fairly well, but not so much men doing women's voices.

[John, Moderator]

Welcome to the De-Lurk Side, Cindi!

[Scott S.]

I just learned his name today, but I've never been a fan of John Polk. Unfortunately, he narrates many in my favorite genre. He is very nasally.

He must be liked though, because he is chosen to narrate a great number of books.

Don't get me wrong, compared to Batman's Ben Affleck's brother Casey, Polk is a narration God. He just isn't for me.

[Sara ♥]

J. wrote: "Don't get me wrong, compared to Batman's Ben Affleck's brother Casey, Polk is a narration God. He just isn't for me."

*snorts* TOTALLY.

[Louise]

I just returned "Transatlantic" narrated by Geraldine Hughes, aften listening for 5 mintes. I hadn't listened to a sample this time, and she just overpronounced every word, which made me so annoyed that I couldn't concentrate on the story.