Audiobooks

[50ft queenie]

Another question!

Has anyone bought any DW novels as audiobooks? I've always ment to get one but you know... too many stuff to get, always one gets pushed back in line...

I did get to listen to the BBC4 adaptation of Small Gods though and thought it was amazing! It was even easier to be a laughing stock in public transportation while listening to it.

I hope one day to have all DW audiobooks as well. I bet they would make housework FUN! xD

[Tonyblack]

I've got the unabridged version of Thud! read by Stephen Briggs. It's really good. I don't normally go for audio books as I find I tend to get distracted too easily. But I loaded it onto my MP3 player and it's great for long trips to the US.

Stephen Briggs really brings the books to life and now when I read the books I can often hear Stephen doing the voices.

I'm not so keen on the abridged books with Tony Robinson reading them though. I don't much like his reading and abridged versions are just not good enough for me.

[50ft queenie]

Stephen Briggs really brings the books to life and now when I read the books I can often hear Stephen doing the voices.

xD

That sounds like fun! The audiobooks just moved up my list! ;D

[Tonyblack]

BTW Stephen is also the model for Lord Vetinari on the One Penny Ankh-Morpork stamps.

[50ft queenie]

He must be VERY proud!

[ICL]

I have one that's read by more than one person, and American at that. I think it's Strata? Didn't buy it myself, got it as a gift, and it's horrible. Have to look it up when I'm at home, which one it is.

The other unabridged ones are all perfect, as far as I have heard them. The ones read by Nigel Planer are good too, I think.

[Dotsie]

I'm not so keen on the abridged books with Tony Robinson reading them though. I don't much like his reading and abridged versions are just not good enough for me.

I agree. A friend lent me a couple to listen to, but his accents were all wrong. And you can't help but say "hey! They missed out the bit where..."

[VesuvianRuin]

Stephen Briggs interpretations are perfect and he does a different voice for every character. A very talented man indeed.

I tried listening to the abridged ones but as Dotsie said you can't help saying 'hang on you've missed the bit where...' Now I only listen to the unabridged books.

I also like Nigel Planer's too as he is also very good at bringing the Discworld to life.

[LadyL]

In the beginning I made the mistake to buy abridged audiobooks because they were much cheaper than the others.

Now I wouldnt recommend them to anyone, because there is definitely too much of the books contents left out - all the abridged versions have a running time of exactly three hours compared to the unabridged ones with about 8-10 hours.

I wouldnt complain about Tony Robinsons readings though

[50ft queenie]

All of you have made up my mind. It's the (unabridged) audiobooks next then! ^__^

[VesuvianRuin]

All of you have made up my mind. It's the (unabridged) audiobooks next then! ^__^

Definitely, it's false economy to buy the abridged versions because you will buy one, listen to it then run out and get the unabridged version because too much was missed out of the first one you bought!

[Tonyblack]

I have the abridged version of Amazing Maurice read by Tony Robinson. It was a bargain in a charity shop. But I've only listened to it once. It's annoyed that so much has been cut out and Robinson's characterisation of Maurice is (I find) annoying in the extreme. I like Maurice, but this nearly put me off him.

[50ft queenie]

O.o

At least everyone who posted here and has listened to an audiobook has the same opinion about the abridged ones. I wouldn't think about getting one of those even before you told me all this. Cause having something that Terry wrote and then cutting bits of...? No way jose.

But I'm glad you told me all this. Now I have a very clear image of what I have to do! ^__^

[bogieman]

I think I have all the unabridged books around 40 of them and can only say the same as every one else they are the best.

the Steven Briggs are the best with Nigel Planner a close second but Tony does a good version of Eric.

When I first herd of Buggy squires I could not understand where he came from because in the abridged version they cut him out compleatly. I know he is small but that is ridiculous

[Witch from Lancre]

Gareth is dyslexic. He can read plain English but could not get into the books at all. He had mentioned that he enjoyed reading The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit only after listening to the audio books so I suggested he did the same with the Discworld Books.

Unfortunately at the time all the books were on cassettes and if they hadn't been stolen (they are the most stolen books and audio books at the libraries locally), then the cassettes were stretched or otherwise damaged so the library service found it cheaper to replace them with the abridged books. I then realised that so much had been cut out that some of the abridged audio books did not make sense. G then started buying the unabridged on CD and has them all.

Isis has now issued a few of the books in correct MP3 format and plans to make more available if anybody is interested.

Isis unabridged audio books are also a lot cheaper if bought directly from Isis. I do not know if this happens if you order online but if you order and pay by phone you amass points which can either be deducted from the cost of another book or saved enabling you to get a new book free of charge except for the p&p.