Audiobooks with narrators who are not so good

[JSWolf]

So what Audiobook narrators don't you like?

[treadlightly]

I just started listening to audiobooks so I'm far from an expert, but I tried Slaughterhouse-Five read by Ethan Hawke. I assume he was chosen for his name, not his skills as a narrator. His voice changes frequently in volume so that I can't hear when he is speaking softly, but when I turn it up and he changes character in a much louder voice it hurts the eardrums. I do sometimes have this problem in movies too, which is why I prefer ebooks, but I'm listening while walking.

[pwalker8]

There have been a couple of readers that I didn't like, but I don't think those readers have done many books. There are a number that I think are outstanding, but all the one's who have multiple books over a period of time do a pretty good job.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So what Audiobook narrators don't you like?

Allyson Johnson. She's the reader of the David Weber Honor Harrington books, and she definitely does not improve the books. The choice of accents are totally inappropriate and jarring. On the plus side, her sense of pace is good, and the books do flow well. But hokey accents for characters just doesn't cut it. There are lots of ways to differentiate characters by tone, pitch and pace without resorting to poorly done, mostly regional US, accents for characters in a different universe and time.

Ian Carmichael; he is narrating 'Thrones, Dominations' by Dorothy L Sayers, which I'm listening to at the moment. He sounds smug and patronising, and is obviously totally incapable of doing 'the voices' so every character sounds like every other character, and they all sound like the narration.

Basically, Ian Carmichael appears to be incapable of sounding like anyone other than Ian Carmichael. :-(

[Xanthe]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Allyson Johnson. She's the reader of the David Weber Honor Harrington books, and she definitely does not improve the books. The choice of accents are totally inappropriate and jarring. On the plus side, her sense of pace is good, and the books do flow well. But hokey accents for characters just doesn't cut it. There are lots of ways to differentiate characters by tone, pitch and pace without resorting to poorly done, mostly regional US, accents for characters in a different universe and time.

You should try to get copies of the Honor Harrington books read by Madelyn Buzzard. She did a number of the books in the series that are available free through the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, if you know someone who meets the criteria for that site. Her versions are much better than Allyson Johnson's, IMO.

[CRussel]

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who would have access to those, Xanthe. I'd certainly prefer an alternate reader.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Jen_Smith

Ian Carmichael; he is narrating 'Thrones, Dominations' by Dorothy L Sayers

DLS is no doubt rolling in her grave, since Thrones, Dominations was fleshed out from fragments by Jill Paton Walsh.

Sorry, pet peeve. I hate posthumous books that are written and published on the merest pretext, out of pure greed.

[Xanthe]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who would have access to those, Xanthe. I'd certainly prefer an alternate reader.

The Dark Side is your friend for that one, in that case.