Do all library-issued audio books sound like this?

[Redgreenbluehooray]

Thanks to a Mumsnetter suggesting this, I've just borrowed my first audio book ('Meet Me in Monaco') from the public library. It's a semi biographical novel about Grace Kelly. Not great literature, but an okay story while I'm pootling around.

Athough the narration has most of the inflections right, it partly sounds like a machine is reading. Some words are mispronounced too - e.g. 'buoyed' has been read out as 'boo-eeed'.

Are all library-issued audio books like this or have I picked a bad 'un?

Any suggestions for others I could try? The choice seems limited and the search function doesn't seem to work very well. It's via an app called Borrow Box.

e.g. 'buoyed' has been read out as 'boo-eeed'

Is the narrator American? That’s how they pronounce it.

IME audiobooks do vary in quality.

Is the narrator American? That’s how they pronounce it.

He probably is, yes. I didn't realise there was a different pronunciation and it still sounds like a machine in places. The French pronunciation is spot-on though.

Audiobooks vary a lot with quality of narration. I've had some duds over the years and some utterly wonderful ones. A lot of the books on Borrowbox are the same editions that can be bought from Audible.

Look out for some good narrators like Juliet Stevenson, Harriet Walter, Alex Jennings, Beth Chalmers etc.

@littlediaries Thank you, that's a great tip.

Yup. A bad narrator can ruin a book. Someone like Stephen fry can make even a bad book amazing. Zara ramn makes every book she reads wonderful. Some audiobooks are sadly read by a computer voice.
Before I even consider getting an audiobook I always listen to the entire sample that u can get. That really helps.
Give it time. You will find ur favourite narrators and will seek them out.

If u are on audible you can return your book if you are not happy with that. I don’t like doing that but I don’t have a lot of money and my credits are like gold dust to me.

Oh gosh, I've had some terrible narrators completely spoil a book for me. There was one where a woman read the book in this strange, soft, lilting tone like you might use if you were trying to soothe a toddler having a tantrum. And some narrators change their voice, depending on whether the dialogue is being spoken by a male or female, which can be hilarious, annoying, or both! I had been listening to one series of books where the narrator was brilliant and then on the fifth book, the author himself decided to have a shot at it and it was so disappointing. So flat and dull.

I listen to a lot of audiobooks though and I would say the majority are well narrated, with only a few duds!

@paranoidandroidmarvin That's why Borrowbox via a free public library subscription is so good - it's completely free to borrow audio and e-books (sadly not for Kindle).

I hadn't realised this until someone here on MN pointed it out.

Librarian here! The audiobook is not usually specifically library issued, we pay for a library edition (paying more so it can be loaned a certain number of times) but it’s the same as can be bought individually, not a different production. BorrowBox is excellent because it has Audible titles! What is frustrating is that all authorities have different budgets so you’ll find some services are better stocked than others. Look out for Cloud and Libby/Overdrive if you cant get BorrowBox from your library service. Some have more than one audio service because publishers have exclusivity deals on certain platforms. Oh and where they can’t be used on some kindles…that’s Amazon who stop that!

Even the best voice artists have their idiosyncrasies. Stephen Fry (who is an amazing reader) always annoys me when he randomly decides to pronounce "your" as "yerrr".

The bloke out if The Office and The Hobbit reading Hitchhikers Guide series is great too.

A good reader can make a medicare book awesome. And a rubbish reader can make a great book crap.

I use libby rather than borrowbox. It's definitely not all audiobooks, but you do have to pick and choose carefully. I had to return one the other week because the narrator's voice was so irritating.

As you say the advantage is that you can just return them and borrow something else for free.

I have had a few experiences of the robot voice - I downloaded an audiobook of Marian Keyes "Under the Duvet" and returned it after two sentences. It literally was like having a SatNav reading to me. I think it is used for books where it is not cost effective to pay a narrator, and I suppose it does make the book available to people with a sight impairment.

Then I downloaded "Dopesick", which was read by the author. Narrating clearly isn't her job and she fumbled a few bits, and the speed regulation made her sound like she was trying to calmly talk someone down off a ledge, but I can overlook all that. But the machine voice is a big no.

Been looking into this more. Apparently most narrators don’t get paid when they do the narration. They get money if the money makes books. How awful is that