The late Alexander Scourby’s voice is so resonant with images of the past that now when we hear his artful interpretations (at least, we older folks), we feel we are traveling familiar roads. After all, he helped define the audiobook age. As with all great narrators, Scourby has an actor’s sensibilities. His rendition of Fitzgerald’s most popular novel, recorded many years back, thus has been lauded, and rightly so. Scourby understands Nick Carraway’s sympathetic telling of the inescapability of the past and the improbability of finding love and honor, even for the privileged classes, a truth that has assured Americans for decades that the wealthy suffer, too. Still, a latent sadness pervades this narration: Somehow Scourby makes us feel that we all have lost Daisy, and that Gatsby deserved better. This CD version is very handy with chapters broken down into enough track numbers to make bookmarking and relistening easy and with excellent production values.
(Graphic fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2008
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Michael Sheen's return to the Book of Dust series gives it the spectacular ending it deserves. His versatile skills bring to life daemons, griffins, witches, and humans alike. Twenty-year-old Lyra is searching for her daemon, Pan, who is the physical manifestation of her soul. In chapters that shift viewpoint, Sheen's emotional range and mastery of accents keep listeners anchored to the story--even during rapid dialogue. Sheen excels at pacing, transitioning smoothly from quiet philosophical scenes to tender moments and to gripping action. This satisfying audiobook concludes with an hour-long interview between Sheen and Pullman, which reveals their devotion to the series, admiration for each other's work, and careful attention to characters.
(Fantasy. 13-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2025
Duration: 22 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217172504
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Sarah Agha's narration is a marvelous match for this parable, which takes place in an alternate 21st-century London ruled by tyrants. Agha deftly expresses the questioning nature of a young ghetto dweller named Adam Alhambra, who is used to being mocked for his Muslim faith. When he escapes a robber through a hidden doorway, Adam meets a Tyger, who sends him on a mission to discover guardians who can save his world from hate and oppression. Agha excels in her depiction of Adam's helpmate, the more confident Zadie. Agha's gentle reading works well for the layered quality of this production, which combines a fast-moving plot, hateful villains, and admirable heroes with philosophical considerations of creative imagining and finding true power.
(Fantasy. 12-14)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217072712
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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