What Makes a Good Narrator?

There are so many elements that go into a good audiobook. Obviously the plot of the book itself, but you must consider a slew of other factors. I know that I have a few preferences and I’d love to discuss those today. 

I love when the narrators’ sex matches that of the main character. I hate it when some male tries to do an awful high-pitch imitation of a woman when speaking for a female character. A few examples of perfect narration that come to mind are Lenny Henry’s reading of Anansi Boys, Frank Mueller’s reading of Motherless Brooklyn, and Jenna Lamia’s reading  of The Secret Life of Bees.

I enjoy a full cast of narrators when there are multiple main characters. For example, I’ve listened to a few of Shakespeare’s plays that were done with a full cast and they are excellent! Also, the audiobook of The Help was done this way and it is one of the best I’ve heard.

I almost always dislike it when authors read their own work. For the most part, authors do not have the skill of a seasoned narrator. There are a few major exceptions to this rule that come to mind. Neil Gaiman and David Sedaris are wonderful at narrating their own work! Also, I know Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling both did their books and they’re both great. 

I particularly dislike special effects or music in the background of the performance. Some audiobooks rely on this as a way to explain what is happening to a reader. Here’s a tip, if the book says, “And then he closed the door,” I don’t need to hear the sound of a door closing.

As far as genres go I’ve found that I prefer listening to nonfiction on audio rather than reading it. I’d highly recommend trying one of Erik Larson, Bill Bryson or Mary Roach’s books if you’re interested. Young Adult books, especially series also worked beautifully on audio. I’d recommend the Percy Jackson series, the Flavia de Luce series, the Harry Potter series, the Lemony Snicket series and The Dark Materials series as good audiobooks.

My biggest pet peeve when it comes to narrators is blatant mispronunciations. It drives me bonkers! I don’t mean an English to American difference, like pronouncing aluminum Al– Loo – Mini – Um. I mean just saying the word wrong. Some are funny and others make me cringe. Does this bother anyone else?

Here’s a few of my favorites…

Despot … pronounced DespoTATE

Fruition … pronounced Froot – Uh- Tay - Shun

Guillotine … pronounced GILL – Uh- Teen

Carnagie … pronounced Car – NEG – E

How about all of you, what do you love or hate about audiobook narrators?

This post is part of Audiobook Week hosted by Devourer of Books

Image from here.

Your Audiobook Year

Hello, my name is Melissa and I’m an audiobook addict. I’ve loved audiobooks ever since my Dad encouraged me to try them when I was in high school. I didn’t listen to them regularly until my first summer home from college. I took a job running an exterior house painting crew (I know, odd). One of my main duties was to canvas local neighborhoods and give estimates. I hated the job, but I loved being able to listen to audiobooks all day as I drove around.

As far as places I listen, I feel like they’re endless! Obviously the car is a major one, but my commute is incredibly short. I listen while taking a shower and getting ready in the morning. Also while doing dishes and cleaning the house. I love listening while I walk my dog or play fetch with him. The options are infinite!

I get almost all of my audiobooks at book sales or by borrowing them from the library. I keep one in my car and another in my house. I may be one of the last people in the world still listening to audio cassettes. I can find them so cheaply at library book sales and I still have a few audio cassette players.

I would also like to add that some people claim listening to audiobooks isn’t actually reading them. To them I say this; the great tradition of story telling was around long before written books were available. Odysseus’ travels and Arthurian legends were shared in front of fireplaces before anyone took the time to record them on paper. I can’t imagine anyone claiming those people didn’t know the stories they heard.

Sometimes listening to an audio version of a book makes me appreciate the writing more because you have to listen to every word instead of skimming a paragraph. It also gives me a deeper appreciation for favorite books that I’ve already read in print version.

I’m currently listening to Alan Rickman reading The Return of the Native and Wil Wheaton reading Ready Player One. Both are absolutely excellent and I would highly recommend them.

This post is part of Audiobook Week hosted by Devourer of Books

Image from here.

On Audiobooks

(My stockpiled audio cassettes from the library)

On thing I've rarely talked about on this blog is my deep and abounding love of audiobooks. In honor of Audiobook Week, hosted by the wonderful Jen at Devourer of Books, I thought I expound on the topic.

I started listening to audiobooks sometime in high school and have been a devoted listener for the past decade. I quickly found that I could double my reading time by listening to audiobooks while driving, cleaning, showering, cooking, etc. I've also found that listening to a favorite book, instead of re-reading a hard copy, adds a new layer of depth. It draws my attention to different aspects and makes me notice things I may have missed before.

(One of the last audio cassette players I've been able to find)

There are some genres I prefer to listen to in audiobook format. I love listening to nonfiction because a huge tome on WWI or a massive biography on a dead president might be daunting to pick up if it's a hardback, but listening to it makes the book fly by. I also prefer light mysteries, like the Kinsey Millhone series, in audio format, because they're easy to dive into while doing something else and I never want to write down quotes or highlight passages. Audiobooks are a great way to introduce yourself to new series or different genres. You don't look at a cover every time you pick it up to read, so it's easier to set aside preconceived notions and try out a western of sci-fi book for the first time.

My brother LOVES to tease me about my obsession. He'll ask "Oh did you read that book or just listen to it, because that's not really reading." He only does it because he knows it drives me nuts. I actually pay more attention to a book when I listen to it than when I read a hard copy. It forces you to listen to every single word instead of skimming a paragraph and pulling out all of the major ideas. I often take more from the book when I listen to it, because I spend more time with it. The narrator will never speak as fast as I can read.

(My record player, which also has a CD and cassette player for my beloved audiobooks)

I've been incredibly lucky with the wide selection of audiobooks my library offers. I've only used audible once or twice. It's great, but I go through too many books to be able to afford it. I pick new audiobooks each week. I listen to mps on my iPod while walking the dog and cleaning. I listen to a CD audiobook in my car. And I may be the last person alive to do this, but I also listen to cassette tapes at home. I love being able to turn them on while getting ready for work and then hitting stop and knowing I won't lose my place. The technology is faulty and the reels often get caught, but I still love them. I buy them whenever I find them online or at yard sales. My library has been getting rid of all of its audiobook cassettes and so I've been stocking up at every book sale they hold. I'm not sure what I'll do when I run out.

If you've never read an audiobook before I'd encourage you to give it a shot. Maybe listening to it in the car won't work for you, instead you can try listen to a book while going on a walk and give it your full attention. Try starting with a book you've already read. The Harry Potter books (narrated by Jim Dale) are fantastic. I also loved The Help and The Secret Life of Bees. Audiobooks narrators are as diverse as the authors themselves and if you find one that doesn't work for you, just put it down and try another.

Happy listening!

Photos by moi.