Audiobook narrators creating something special

Years ago, like many readers out there, I had assumed audiobooks weren’t for me. But one day I decided to try one (it couldn’t be easier with Audible’s ‘First Title Free’ 30 Day Trial Program) and I was hooked.

At that time they made my long daily commute infinitely more interesting, and now that I predominantly work from home, I’ve found them a great way to wind down before bed.

But its not just the convenience of allowing you to multi-task or rest your eyes after a long day at the computer screen, that audiobooks have going for them. When a good story is matched with a talented narrator the result can be something special.

And that is why it is so exciting to see that more and more talented thespians, such as Rosamund Pike, Dan Stevens, James Franco, Jesse Eisenberg, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kate Winslet and Tim Robbins, are seeing this as a worthy stage.

Here’s another fantastic example.

Audible Studios have recently released two-time Academy Award winner Emma Thompson’s audio interpretation of Henry James’s gothic novel The Turn of the Screw.

From just listening to the audio sample it is clear that Emma Thompson has brought a special quality to Henry James’ governess, creating an atmospheric listening experience.

Want more examples of actors bringing something special to literary classics?

Emma Thompson’s long time friend, Stephen Fry and his performance of the Douglas Adam’s classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Colin Firth’s performance of Graham Greene’s The End of the Affair which won the Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year 2013

Other recent favourite Audible titles of mine include:

Adrian McKinty’s Gun Street Girl narrated by Gerard Doyle
Phillip Pullman’s Northern Lights, featuring a talented ensemble cast
Resistance is Futile by Jenny T Colgan, incomparably narrated by Lucy Price-Lewis
Malla Nunn’s Present Darkness, narrated by Rupert Degas (an all-time favourite narrator)
The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes, featuring narration by Elizabeth Bower, Ben Elliot, Nicola Stanton and Steven France

So whether it’s a classic, like Emma Thompson’s interpretation of The Turn of the Screw, or new release chick lit, contemporary sci-fi or crime thrillers, you can see from my diverse list of favourites there really is an audiobook to suit everyone’s reading tastes.

Audible content includes 250,000+ titles in business, classics, fiction, history, romance, mysteries/thrillers, sci-fi and fantasy, self-development, and kids/young adult categories.

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