The books on CD

[penapart_elf]

Hi All,

As the thread below is Off Topic Chatter, am moving it to here from 
the Main list.

Here, everyone who is interested can participate freely.  Enjoy!

:) Penapart Elf

---------------------------------

#167746
From: Kathryn Lambert <anigrrrl2 at yahoo.com> 
Date: Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:32 am 
Subject: Slightly OT - The books on CD

Hi all,

I haven't posted in quite a while, but I was just at the library 
today with my 3-year-old and we got Sorcerer's Stone on CD, because 
he loves listening to "stories" in the car and we've tried reading 
the books together, and he's still a bit young.

Anyway, the book is read by a Broadway actor who I think reads like 
he's a third grader being forced to read aloud in class! He sounds 
completely flat, lifeless, and dull. I can't believe that's the best 
they could do for our HP!!

We just finished listening to the entire Narnia Chronicles on CD, and 
they were read WONDERFULLY by classic British actors like Patrick 
Stewart, Jeremy Northam, and Helen Mirren. Why couldn't we have done 
as well for Harry?

Has anyone else found this on the CD's? Anyone share my opinion? Just 
curious, List Elves, please don't skewer me for being slightly OT. 
Katie

---------------------------------

#167747
From: "colebiancardi" <muellem at bc.edu> 
Date: Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:57 am 
Subject: Re: Slightly OT - The books on CD 

Katie wrote:

> Has anyone else found this on the CD's? Anyone share my opinion?
Just curious, List Elves, please don't skewer me for being slightly
OT. Katie
>

colebiancardi:
you might want to check out amazon.uk - the brit version is read by
Stephen Fry, who is a wonderful actor(he played Oscar Wilde) and they
are much more livelier than the US versions.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Potter-Philosophers-Stone-
Unabridged/dp/1855496704\
/ref=sr_1_3/026-0541642-2366805?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177005345&sr=1-3

colebiancardi

---------------------------------

#167750
From: "Panhandle" <penhaligon at gmail.com> 
Date: Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:06 pm 
Subject: Re: Slightly OT - The books on CD 

Kathryn Lambert said:
>  Anyway, the book is read by a Broadway actor who I think reads 
like he's
> a third grader being forced to read aloud in class! He sounds 
completely
> flat, lifeless, and dull. I can't believe that's the best they 
could do
> for our HP!! We just finished listening to the entire Narnia 
Chronicles on
> CD, and they were read WONDERFULLY by classic British actors like 
Patrick
> Stewart, Jeremy Northam, and Helen Mirren. Why couldn't we have 
done as
> well for Harry?
>

I have both versions of Books 1-6, the Jim Dale version and the 
Stephen Fry version. I prefer Stephen Fry's readings, but find much 
value in Jim Dale's readings too.

By the way, while Jim Dale does have experience on Broadway, he is 
indeed British.

panhandle
--
Panhandle
penhaligon at gmail.com

---------------------------------

#167752
From: "Steve" <bboyminn at yahoo.com> 
Date: Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:32 pm 
Subject: Re: Slightly OT - The books on CD 

---  Kathryn Lambert <anigrrrl2 at ...> wrote:
>
>... I was just at the library today with my 3-year-old
> and we got Sorcerer's Stone on CD, ...
>
> Anyway, the book is read by a Broadway actor who I
> think reads like he's a third grader being forced to
> read aloud in class! He sounds completely flat,
> lifeless, and dull. I can't believe that's the best
> they could do for our HP!! ...
>
> Has anyone else found this on the CD's? ...
>

bboyminn:

I don't have and sadly can't afford the HP CD's, but
recently sample readings of the books by Jim Dale (USA)
were made available. While Jim Dale does have a nice
clear voice, I found his inflection for the speech of
various characters to be off. That is, it either didn't
match what I though was a natural inflection or it
wasn't consistent with the stated mood of the character.

Still, I think he did a good job on the narrative part
of the story. Lots of people really love Jim Dales
version of the books.

Later someone in the group lead me to some samples of
Stephen Fry reading the book. They weren't the same
passages but I found his speech (character literally
speaking) much more natural and his range of
character voices to be better. Though again, many
other people prefer Dale over Fry.

Since you can get the UK versions of the books in
Canada, I had hoped they would also sell the UK audio
version, but 'no joy'. For some reason, Amazon and
Chapters.Indigo in Canada sell the UK printed book, but
the USA audio book.

Still for those wishing the Stephen Fry experience, it
is possible to order the books from Amazon.co.uk.

Just passing it along.

Steve/bboyminn
 
---------------------------------

#167753 
From: Kathryn Lambert <anigrrrl2 at yahoo.com> 
Date: Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:25 pm 
Subject: Re: Slightly OT - The books on CD  

Panhandle <penhaligon at gmail.com> wrote: Kathryn Lambert said:
> Anyway, the book is read by a Broadway actor who I think reads like 
he's
> a third grader being forced to read aloud in class! He sounds 
completely
> flat, lifeless, and dull. I can't believe that's the best they 
could do
> for our HP!! We just finished listening to the entire Narnia 
Chronicles on
> CD, and they were read WONDERFULLY by classic British actors like 
Patrick
> Stewart, Jeremy Northam, and Helen Mirren. Why couldn't we have 
done as
> well for Harry?
>

I have both versions of Books 1-6, the Jim Dale version and the 
Stephen Fry
version. I prefer Stephen Fry's readings, but find much value in Jim 
Dale's
readings too.

By the way, while Jim Dale does have experience on Broadway, he is 
indeed
British.

panhandle
--
Katie replies: I didn't realize there was another version. I will try 
and find
that. I did know Jim Dale was British - but his voice lacks the 
resonance and
expression of the actors who read the Narnia books, which are the 
only books I
have ever listened to on CD.  I was just disappointed in the quality 
of the
reading - it lacked a lot of expressiveness. But I appreciate knowing 
there is
another version. I will look for that. Katie