Harry Potter - the full-cast Audible edition

[TheNeighboursComplain]

Has anyone started this yet? The first book was just released today.

I'm only a couple of chapters in, and I really want to love it, but I'm not blown away so far. The narrator is good; I do like her voice - it's a nice and soothing voice. I really like the cast voices, but their voices are too quiet and sometimes quite tinny sounding. The sound effects can be really distracting, and too loud - it's quite hard to hear the cast voices over them. I'm hoping it improves!

Still early on in Goblet of Fire and enjoying it.

I have always been confused, though, about how Barty Crouch junior impersonated Moody so well for so long, unnoticed.

Also why he worked hard whilst doing so to teach the pupils. He helped Harry in order for Harry to progress in the tournament, to be kidnapped and murdered. Perhaps he taught the others because he found the dark arts so interesting!

It amuses me to imagine Dumbledore, after the dust had settled, saying: “Shame, really. If it wasn’t for the fact he was a psychotic, murdering Deatheater…he’d make a hell of a teacher.”

Dumbledore (the character not Hugh Laurie) is pissing me off this time around.

When I read the books as a young adult I thought he seemed benevolent and trustworthy, until the revelations in Deathly Hallows. Now he seems both calculating and a bit like Mr Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. Letting things ‘play out’ and tolerating things like bullying of pupils by other pupils and teachers.

Just reached the bit with Snape’s nasty comment about Hermione’s teeth in front of a crowd: horrible! Still enjoying the actor’s performance, seems so tightly wound and angry. Snape’s bullying behaviour is nasty, an abuse of authority, and not redeemed by his bravery being a double agent.

Agree about James McAvoy as Moody - he's the stand-out for me. I'd love to see him playing Moody in the TV series as well.

I've just finished Harry's hearing at the Ministry, and Kiera Knightley as Umbridge is great. I was sceptical at her casting in that role but she's got the sickly-sweet girly voice and giggle just perfect. Harry, Hermione and Ron are terrific again, as is Sirius. Other stand-outs from books 1-4 are Michelle Gomez as McGonagall, Kit Harington as Lockheart and Daniel Mays as Dobbie. Ginny is also very good (and I'm really hoping the TV series does her justice - she's a terrific character in the books).

I very definitely hear Hugh Laurie whenever Dumbledore is speaking, but I like HL very much and I'm enjoying him in this.

I'm less keen on Fred & George Weasley. I find them a little stilted. And I'm still not on board with Trelawney, although she was excellent at doing her prophecy voice.

So agree with Fred and George. Are they still played by one actor? It feels very one-dimensional. I'm enjoying number 5 so far, the scene with the Dursley's at the start is great.

I'm not sure. I think so - they sound like the same person anyway.

Yes that Dursleys scene was really good!

Here is all of the cast info-looks like they are played by the same actor the whole way through-no change of cast

https://www.harrypotter.com/news/every-single-voice-you-hear-in-harry-potter-the-full-cast-audio-editions

Thank you for that @MrsMitford3 . Bizarre choice!

Loving Ambika Mod as tonks. She sounds spot on.

I've just reached the quidditch match and thank god they've given 'Weasley is our King' a proper chant

Had forgotten how much teen angst there was in book 5. The full cast really brings it out.
Half of this could have been sorted with Dumbledore just telling Harry why he couldn’t tell him anything tbf.

do you think some of the voice actors might end up doing the same roles on the HBO show? Obviously the characters (mainly adults) who appear from season 2 onwards - Lockhart, Rita Skeeter, etc. as S1 has already been cast.

I know not all of them will work - KK is probably never going to be physically convincing as Umbridge, for example, but do wonder if perhaps the audiobooks were them dipping a toe in the water testing the potential controversy with their fans if they did take a role. I know it's probably quite well paid but it seems quite odd otherwise for so many well established stars to take a potential risk on their reputations for an audiobook, which is pretty lowkey compared to a lot of their other work.

Now they've seen there's just the usual bluesky outcry for a few days, then silence, rather than total industry cancellation, they might feel confident in committing further.

I'd love to see James McAvoy and Kit Harrington to play their parts on the TV series. Keira Knightley is blowing me away as Umbridge, but I agree, she's definitely not "squat" and "toad like"!

As an aside, the actor playing older Harry in the audio books is terrific. He conveys Harry's terror so well in the scene where he has the vision/dream of Mr Worsley being attacked.

Don't know if you're aware but you can create a kids profile for DD to listen and then you can both listen to it without losing where you are up to. You just share it with the kids profile. This is what im doing with my DD, she's way ahead of me in listening hours.

*Weasley, not Worsley! Damn auto correct.

I am looking forward to giving this a listen as I have never been entirely happy with the Stephen Fry recordings. Some of his choices for character voices really don't match how they sounded in my head, for example Tonks having a broad (and not entirely convincing!) Northern accent. I know this is just a personal issue. I have read all the books so many times, know them almost by heart and they are so very dear to me that I have probably given far too much thought to minor quibbles like this!
I have never watched the films because I am concerned that the casting and script-writing decisions might be at odds with the versions in my head. This is not a problem as I don't watch films but I do listen to audio books and I am still a bit concerned that I may have similar problems with these new cast recordings.

I agree. I have long thought that Dumbledore's behaviour, throughout all the books, seems very shady. The revelations in Deathly Hallows, including his adoption of the 'Greater Good' mantra make complete sense when you consider the calculated way he manipulates Harry, drip-feeding him information and leaving him to fend for himself in dangerous situations seemingly in an effort to turn him into the saviour of the wizarding world, with no consideration for his own happiness or safety.
I know that the decision to place Harry on the Dursleys' doorstep was said to be for Harry's own good, to anchor the protection of Lily's sacrifice and help ensure a more normal upbringing for him. However, I have always felt that Dumbledore believed that dooming Harry to what he knew would be a miserable and abusive childhood was a key part of the education he had in mind for Harry, which is quite chilling.
Even Snape who, as you say, is a terrible bully, is used as a puppet by Dumbledore, who knows what strings to pull to make Snape do what he wants, even if that means using his grief and guilt against him.
I still think Dumbledore is a brilliant character. These shades of grey add far more depth to his personality and make him much more interesting and complex than if he were a faultless shining hero.

I get that a man doing a range of girls' and women's voice is going to have a tough job, but SF so often makes female characters sound so utterly witless that it's annoying. Hermione sounds like a complete idiot in his reading.

I’ve really enjoyed the audio books so far. Love the sound effects etc. But I do love a radio drama etc, so that probably helps.
I like that the voices are all different and other than the twins I can tell them apart.

I did not know this!! Thank you, this is going to save much drama at bedtime now when she tries to put Order of the Phoenix on 😁

I'm on my third listen to Order of the Phoenix - its my fave by far.

Looking forward to Half Blood Prince very much

Also absolutely loved it, but the heartbreaking tragedy of Sirius was almost too much. I’m not sure I could manage a relisten. Amazing how time changes you - I hadn’t reread it since it came out, and now as a parent I can’t bear the sadness of it.

Older Harry is driving me nuts. I find his Lord Fauntelroy plummy accent too much. He mispronounces so many words by putting in u sounds all over the place. Shouldn't he sound like his family.

I agree Dumbledore isn't much of a school principal on reread. Snapes treatment of Harry was unacceptable to our adult eyes, even to disguise his intentions. But the books were originally written for children, so I think jk took a bit of artistic license

Still on Goblet of Fire, at the bit where Cedric and Harry win and are transported im voldemort’s nasty plan, have paused it as am expecting a dark few scenes!

Enjoying the performance of the actor playing Sirius Black: paternal and gentle. I was shocked and cross when Sirius was killed in the next book and it’ll be way worse performed by actors!

Also enjoying Hugh Laurie’s Dumbledore becoming more serious.

In general the actors playing the children’s parts - all good - sound posh. Wonder whether it’s because they’re emulating the film casting or because a higher proportion of privately educated DC have acting lessons.

Hermione seemed to just have one mode in this one - exasperation, think it’s both the writing and the acting. To be fair hanging out with Ron and Harry would be frustrating!

I don’t think Snape’s dislike of Harry is part of the cover up: it’s visceral.

Hermione seemed to just have one mode in this one - exasperation, think it’s both the writing and the acting

Hermione is annoying me now too. She sounds constantly irritated and wound up. Ginny sounds so calm and reasonable in comparison. I am always so relieved when I hear her voice.