Narrator Jasper Britton is spirited and enthusiastic in the latest rendition of the eighteenth-century travelogue to nonexistent lands of Lemuel Gulliver. The story is essentially plotless, but Britton keeps the satirical inventiveness rolling along. We all remember Lilliput, with the tiny people, and maybe even Brobdingnag, with the very large people; but how about the angular folks of Laputa, with their bizarre, useless experiments, or the enlightened Houyhnhnm horses that never lie and that practice birth control? Gulliver shares stories of England with his various hosts, and Britton is adept at translating Gulliver’s outrage and disbelief at obstructionist lawyers, crooked politicians, needless wars, lack of education for girls, and everything else. The whinnying, horsey voice of the Houyhnhnms that Britton adopts is particularly noteworthy.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2010
Duration: 11 hrs
Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henry's parents are kidnapped while they travel the world. Henry is confused and lost when he's sent to his aunt, uncle, and cousins in Kansas. His bewilderment increases when the plaster of his bedroom walls cracks to disclose 100 strange cupboards that are portals to odd places. Vivid descriptions of fascinating lands hold listeners' attention through the story's many unexplained facts as does the steady, solid narration by Russell Horton. Horton accurately modulates the characters' up-and-down emotions, adapting his pace quickly to the changes. Listeners are able to keep up with the rapidly introduced characters because of Horton's stand-out portrayals.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2007
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780739362778
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A cast of narrators shares these stories, each told from the point of view of a supporting character from Riordan's Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. We hear from Halfborn Gunderson, Samirah al-Abbas, Alex Fierro, and more. In "So's Your Face!" narrator Sile Bermingham gives fiery einherji Mallory Keen an Irish lilt, and in "I Play with Fire," Bahni Turpin gets to pull out the stops creating voices for a meeting of immortals in Muspellheim. Riordan's signature humor is here--Thor makes a guest appearance in each story, running through the nine worlds in his leather short shorts. The characterizations might not quite match what listeners heard in earlier installments, but diehard Magnus Chase fans can still enjoy this collection.
(Fantasy. 8-14)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525641834
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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