Does anyone else struggle with audiobook narrators, or does it improve?

i 100% have to preview the narrator before I buy the audio book. I prefer dual narration or multi cast narration I hate when women put on men’s parts or vice versa it annoys me so much 😆😆 what kind of books do you like? I’ve some favourite narrators that I’ll listen to anything they’ve done. Also I tend to speed them up to about 1.3 or 1.5 or else it’s too slow and becomes a bit drawn out ☺️

Two of my faves have been mentioned - Zara Ramm & Kobna Holbrook-Smith (my whole family love RoL - I’d be genuinely thrilled to celebrity spot him).

I loved Lesley Manville narrating the first 2 Thursday Murder Club books - Fiona Shaw does a good job too but doesn’t quite nail the chapters in Joyce’s voice IMHO.

In general, if the author reads his own work, as opposed to their hiring an actor to do it, it’s dire. It’s so arrogant to assume there’s no skill in the work actors have trained for ages to do.

A particular example of dire author reading is Andrew Lownie on “The Rise and Fall of the House of York”.

Breathing in the middle of sentences, pausing randomly in the wrong places, straight up mistakes. Abysmal.

Zara Ramm is great at the Jodi Taylor St Mary’s books.

I listen to the sample, and choose audiobooks equally on the story, and the reader. I’ve sent a few back to Audible for a refund, if I have made an error.

A poor narrator can absolutely ruin a book.

Some of my earlier books were narrated by a random selection of narrators (my recent ones all have the same narrator, who is brilliant). There is one I still can't listen to because the narrator mispronounces the Latin and ruins the jokes by stressing words in the wrong places.

It gave me a whole new appreciation for good narrators, and also how hard the work must be. I naively thought they just 'read the book out loud' but there's a level of acting ability that is necessary that some lack.

I listen to a lot of non-fiction and for those books I prefer them to be read by the author. Ian Mortimer is very good at reading his own stuff.

I usually try the sample and listen again to see if they grate. I am actually having that problem right now though, I just clicked without thinking and I feel so bad but the narrator is KILLING me! Got the book for 99p for kindle to make up for it!!

I recently chose a non fiction book on Audible that had an American narrator and unfortunately I couldn't get past his interpretation of the book at all. It sounded like he was almost laughing at times even though the material was serious. Until then I hadn't realised just how much difference the narrator makes.

Another vote for Kobna Holbrook Smith reading Rivers of London. I also like Julie Hesmondhalgh narrating these books about these retired teachers that solve crime. Also Michael Kitchen narrating Montalbno. Struggled with an American person narrating the Daniel Silva books. Really enjoying this thread

I always listen to a preview of a book i'm intetested in . Some narrators are dreadful. I reccomend the Old Ducks Club, it hilarious and the narrator is funny

Dream combination - Harriet Walter reading Mapp and Lucia.

Meera Syal is wonderful with narrating Our Mutual Friend so I will add Brick Lane - thank you🙂

I’m fine with American narrators for American books. Just not when the characters are British.

And yet your beloved Harold Bloom has a deeply strange American accent, with a Bronx accent overlayered his first language, Yiddish, and then a weirdly affected 'Hollywood Oxford Don' cadence on top.

Oh definitely. I cannot bear the American accent and can't listen to a book narrated by an American. (Nothing against Americans themselves, just can't stand the accent.)

I love Stephen Fry and Simon Callow – superb narrators. But my favourite is Michael Maloney. He recorded Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall and Aldous Huxley's Crome Yellow and they are just masterclasses in reading out loud. I also love listening to Stephen Fry read Sherlock Holmes and P. G. Wodehouse.

Here's a question – what would be your dream book-narrator combination? For me, it would be Joanna Lumley reading all of Iris Murdoch, Elizabeth Bowen and Virginia Woolf. I could lay in a bath and drink wine and listen to that all day long.

Yes indeedy. If I ever met the narrator of Theo of Golden id take great delight in giving him a slap round the face with a wet fish. Drove me up the wall.

I've only got a limited experience so far but I think I might have issues with American narrators. They seem to go over the top on the expression side.Brits, by contrast, seem to give the books a more natural expression.

Listening to a Matt Haig book narrated by Joanna Lumley currently and she is fine. It's just how you'd expect her to speak, no weird stress and emphasis. But as I say, I'm fairly new to it so maybe I just need to chill a bit. Who knows.

I have a few books saved on audible which I listen to on repeat, because the narrator is so good. Meera Syal narrating Brick Lane is one of them. Listened to The Dutch House narrated by Tom Hanks which was great. I find it hit and miss with American narrators. One of my favourite books is The Poisonwood Bible, but the narrator on audible is a truly awful speed reading robot voice. Definitely recommend the preview option.

I agree - listening to podcasts if I don't like the voice I can't tolerate continuing and it goes off.

It's so important to get it right. There must be loads of listeners switching off because of this. I find it to be in both UK and US voices. I find it extremely grating when trying to sleep especially.

Some of them talk too fast. This happened with A Tale Of Two Cities. I had to get the speed down to 0.8 or I just tuned out. He was talking too fast! Audible too.

I had to stop listening to the Rob Rinder books as cannot stand the narrator and how he voices the mother. Such a shame!

That is actually the correct/ local pronunciation, the 4 syllable version is anglicised. It just sounds wrong when you’re used to hearing it said a particular way.

Dp always listens to audio books where as I always read a book, and not getting on with the narrator is the reason I don't listen. I've tried so many times, but find they are either too slow, or it's the accent. I listen to podcasts in the car as I drive too much for my job, and I've lost count on the amount of new ones I've tried, only to give up halfway through an episode due to the way they are narrated. I too didn't know you could listen to previews, so I may give them ago again.

Rivers of London were an absolute masterpiece.

I keep checking in when they’re going to be made in to a series! It is happening apparently!

A good narrator reallly elevates the experience of listening to an audiobook doesn't it? If the narrator doesn't "fit" the book it's so painful.

i love Robin Hobbs Realm of the Elderlings novels, my absolutely favourite books.
however, for many years they were narrated by a man whose voice, accent and attitude just did not fit! I just could not listen, it was so painful. Recently Joe Eyre has become the narrator and the books spring to life. It's amazing, the difference this has made.

For me the absolute best fit for novel and narrator is found in the Ellacot and Strike books by Robert Galbraith read by Robert Glenister. If I read a a physical copy I find that I hear his voice.

The other super partnership is Ben Aaronovitch's River of London series read by Kobna Holbrook Smith.

I agree that trying BorrowBox and listening to a sample make all the difference. I do hope you find something you really enjoy soon.

Always listen to a preview before selecting. I have to like the voice or it's just not going to work.