Accents in Audio Versions of Books

[LWalshETAL at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 85688

> Robyn wrote: 
> In listening to Jim Dale read OoP American version), I noted that 
> he gave Bellatrix Lestrange what sounds to me like a French 
> accent. Is there any canon to support that, or is Dale 
> extrapolating an accent from her French-sounding surname? 

In the German version of GoF, Rufus Beck gives Rita Skeeter 
(Rita Kimmkorn) a very broad American accent, with insertions 
of "Ya know," and an occasional American English word. It has 
been interesting to me to speculate as to why. Personally, I 
think it is a rather blatant parody of Americans (chiefly GIs
in Germany, who often live there for several years, but who 
learn little German. It does give a very interesting twist to 
the Rita character. 

Laura Walsh LWalshETAL at aol.com