Narrator Susie Berneis's high pitch and cries of excitement convey the young characters' wide range of emotions during various holiday predicaments in this installment in Montgomery's Anne series. But by the end of each work, Berneis's voice becomes calm and her pace steady as she reveals the children's goodwill and appreciation for the good fortune in their lives. Berneis's effective regional accent and details of daily routines in Maritime Canada will immerse listeners in the story--although a few dated references to race may be off-putting to some. Though the accounts tend to blend into one another, due to similarity in themes and lack of tonal change or obvious pauses between stories, Berneis effectively brings out the traditional values of sharing and family in these Christmas stories.
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2013
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781624069659
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Stephen Fry delivers a heartwarming and spirited performance in this fresh production on the origins of Christmas rituals. Fry's dynamic narration brings out the humor as well as the heartache in young protagonist Nikolas, who sets off on an adventure to find his father and stumbles upon a mystical elf kingdom. Fry's hearty range of voices expresses not only Nikolas's quiet bravery, anguish, and joy during his journey but also a myriad of animated human and nonhuman characters, including a humorous troll and a sweet elf. Fry's delightful storytelling weaves heartfelt emotion with the magic of elves and the power of goodness, making it easy to believe in Christmas.
(Fantasy. 6-13)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2016
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780735207806
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Charles Dickens loved to read his own words to his audiences. Since he can't do that now, he would possibly settle for someone else doing the narration, and he'd be hard-pressed to find a reader more able than Miriam Margolyes. Her rendering of everyone's wintertime favorite, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, is masterfully done, with a remarkable range of vocal talent capturing this tale of Scrooge and his redemption from a miserly existence. She excels at Marley and the three ghosts, making each of them distinctive according to his role in the proceedings as Scrooge visits his past, present, and future. Margolyes is drama personified, loud, soft, plaintive, frightened, annoyed, sorrowful and, finally, rejoicing. Top marks for this one; Dickens would be delighted.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1999
Duration: 3 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: AudioGo
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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