Has Anyone Listened To Tolkien’s Books On Audible?

Terminal_Boy

Terminal_Boy

Terminal_Boy

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Loved the films, never read the books. Don‘t really have the time to sit reading books, but I do have plenty of time to listen to them when driving, cutting the grass etc.

Which brings me to my question. There are versions of The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings trilogies narrated by different people, one set released in the early 2000s and the other last year. Has anyone listened to either or both?
 
Terminal_Boy said:
Don‘t really have the time to sit reading books, but I do have plenty of time to listen to them when driving, cutting the grass etc.
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Oddly enough, I don't get on with audiobooks much myself, as I end up doing other things at the same time and not concentrating on the story enough... but I get bored just listening, as I read faster than narrators speak.

However, I've also found that who the narrator is makes a big difference. Douglas Adams himself reading HHGTTG, for example, was brilliant, as is Stephen Fry's version.
Generally I find high-end theatre type actors do rather well with this, and I see Audible have Tolkien's stuff with the likes of Christopher Lee, Derek Jacobi and Martin Shaw... all narrators that I'd really enjoy, but it's pretty subjective.

Maybe try to listen to the samples without looking at who's doing it, and just go with whichever sounds the most engaging?
 
Terminal_Boy said:
Loved the films, never read the books. Don‘t really have the time to sit reading books, but I do have plenty of time to listen to them when driving, cutting the grass etc.

Which brings me to my question. There are versions of The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings trilogies narrated by different people, one set released in the early 2000s and the other last year. Has anyone listened to either or both?
Click to expand...

The god thing about audible is if you don't like one of the recordings it's really easy to refund the credit to buy the other :) Their refund policy is pretty good, even if you've listened for a few hours
 
Let me suggest an alternative. A rather superb dramatised version of the Lord of the Rings. I can’t read the books, I find them long and frankly too detailed.

I bought these on cassette years ago. More recently I bought them on CD and even more recently I used Audible credits for them.

www.audible.co.uk

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Dramatised)

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. The second instalment of Tolkien's epic tale, adapted from the original BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation. Having fled the Shire in their escape from Sauron's Dark Riders, Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring have journeyed to Rivendell and beyond...
www.audible.co.uk www.audible.co.uk

www.audible.co.uk

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Dramatised)

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. With its first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on March 8th, 1981, this dramatised tale of Middle Earth became an instant global classic. It boasts a truly outstanding cast including Ian Holm (as Frodo), Sir Michael Hordern (as Gandalf), Robert Stephens (as...
www.audible.co.uk www.audible.co.uk

www.audible.co.uk

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King (Dramatised)

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. The evil Saruman has been defeated by Gandalf, but in Mordor the battle for the Ruling Ring continues. Wounded by the giant spider, Shelob, Frodo has been captured by the dreaded orcs. Sam, alone and in possession of the Ring, must rescue his master if...
www.audible.co.uk www.audible.co.uk
 
I listen to the Hobbit read by Martin Shaw every night to fall asleep. Always the beginning 45 mins although I can never remember at which point I fall asleep. By my calculations it’s over 2,800 times now.

I do have the BBC versions mentioned above in a CD compilation, won from the bbc in a competition one time. One day I may get round to giving them a try.

A friend prefers a different version but I can’t remember, just that the gandalf actor had a very unusual voice.
 
MattTheTall77 said:
A friend prefers a different version but I can’t remember, just that the gandalf actor had a very unusual voice.
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That might be the version narrated and acted by Nicol Williamson. A friend of my dad's had the records of that, and I used to love listening to it. Would be fantastic if it were ever released on an oficail CD or digital service, rather than dodgy uploads that then vanish with copyright claims.
edit.. So apparently it is available on Amazon digitally. Brilliant!
edit 2... And Spotify (although they list him as Nicole Williamson??)! I just never think of there for spoken word.
 
seabiscuit said:
That might be the version narrated and acted by Nicol Williamson. A friend of my dad's had the records of that, and I used to love listening to it. Would be fantastic if it were ever released on an oficail CD or digital service, rather than dodgy uploads that then vanish with copyright claims.
edit.. So apparently it is available on Amazon digitally. Brilliant!
edit 2... And Spotify (although they list him as Nicole Williamson??)! I just never think of there for spoken word.
Click to expand...
Just messaged him, apparently it is this version of the Hobbit https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Hobbit-Dramatised/dp/B002SPZ7SA/ He further added "Apparently, it was deleted from the BBC archives and was saved by an amateur with a tape recorder, which is apparently why little sections are missing when he turned the tape around"


Edit: the Nicol Williamson one also appears to be on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msbnY24FH2A
 
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