One of the joys of listening to audiobooks is what the narrator can bring to the experience. Listening to an audiobook at all is, in a way, a translation—yes, the narrator is starting with what’s written on the page, but those words are filtered through the narrator’s voice and performance choices. When it’s a work that has been translated from another language into English, that adds yet another layer, incorporating the translator’s interpretation as well. Through the use of authentic accents, a narrator can take us to far-flung locales and cultures that may be unfamiliar to us, and they can ground us in a specific place with the flawless pronunciation of non-English words. But a skilled narrator also sets the mood, no matter where a story is set.
Macmillan Audio has begun releasing Belgian author Georges Simenon’s entire Inspector Maigret series on audio, read by British actor James Faulkner. Faulkner delivers the narrative sections in a British accent, and when performing dialogue, he tinges the characters’ voices with a French accent. Our review of Book 14, The Flemish House (Macmillan Audio, 2025), originally published in 1932 and translated by Shaun Whiteside, notes that “Faulkner captures both the French detective’s quiet authority and the suspicion with which the residents of a small border town regard him. A compelling, atmospheric portrayal of the much-loved Maigret and his world.” You could catch up with the recent PBS streaming series and then settle in with the Maigret audiobooks for an extended trip to the Continent.
Performing Turkish author Yiğit Karaahmet’s Summerhouse (Recorded Books, 2025), translated by Nicholas Glastonbury, veteran narrator George Guidall also evokes a very specific mood—one of resentment and obsession. The action is set on the isolated Turkish island Büyükada, where Fehmi and Şener have spent 40 years in love. Despite having an intimate group of friends, the men have hidden their marriage, living as “retired companions” with bitterness bubbling under the surface. Our reviewer makes an excellent case for listening: “This thriller is a bomb just waiting to go off, and Guidall deftly delivers the spark.”
Narrator Greta Jung creates a compelling listening experience with Bora Chung’s Midnight Timetable: A Novel in Ghost Stories (Hachette Audio, 2025), translated by Anton Hur. Jung also narrated Chung’s story collections Cursed Bunny and Your Utopia, so she’s well acquainted with the South Korean author’s work and knows how to draw listeners in. Jung can pronounce a Korean name perfectly, but she’s also attuned to Chung’s particularly wry and unsettling style. In one story here, a night-shift worker at a research institute catalogs the supernatural histories of various objects and people. Objects and events overlap across stories, forming a richly interconnected narrative. As our review notes, Jung’s narration “lends a deliciously eerie quality to these quirky tales.”
A unique creativity emerges when you combine text, translator, and narrator. Choose a locale—maybe a place you’ve been and loved, maybe somewhere you’ve only dreamed of visiting or learning more about—and choose a mood; you can travel the world in the company of a winning audiobook performance.
Jennifer Dowell is the audiobooks editor.
