Michael Crichton "Congo" Audiobook Read by Bob Askey

Anyone into audiobooks? These days I actually very much adopt "reading" books via this way, especially when outdoors walking. I get to do two things at once! And what I especially like is when I happen to find a good narrator, some of whom really brand the experience twice as fun and virtually like listening to a dandy motion picture! Especially if they make an endeavor to give personal voices for the characters. Unfortunately there are non many narrators out there that qualify for that, you know majority is just kind of "meh" and seemingly just doing it for the money, but there are diamonds in the rough..

So Crichton'southward catalogue in audiobooks, accept you listened to any of them? And if so, which version/narrator?

I've gone through the following novels, all unabridged of course as abridged audiobooks are poison:

Airframe (read by Frances Cassidy)
Congo (read by Bob Askey)
Eaters of the Dead (read by Victor Garber + "Commentary" & Introduction by Michael Crichton)
Jurassic Park (two different versions: read by William Roberts & Scott Brick)
Micro (read by John Bedford Lloyd)
Pirate Latitudes (read by John Bedford Lloyd)
Prey (read by George Wilson + Introduction past Michael Crichton)
Sphere (read by Bob Askey)
Concluding Man (read past George Wilson)
The Lost Globe (read by George Guidall)
Timeline (read by John Bedford Lloyd)

Furthermore I am currently listening through State of Fear (read by George Wilson), and am planning to do these one-time subsequently this year: Next, the Andromeda Strain, the Swell Train Robbery, and Travels. The rest I endeavour to become hold on afterwards.

Many of these books are of course available in dissimilar narration by different visitor, and/or in abridged form.

Rather than really say anything about the novels itself (other than that Crichton is my favorite writer and of the titles Timeline and JP are at my top), I just want to express few words well-nigh the audiobooks itself. Or rather I estimate, the way of which they are conducted by narration since that is the obvious talking bespeak here isn't it? Of course if y'all desire reply, yous may talk in detail about the books themselves if you so wish, just I'm sticking to the audiobooks here. And particularly the specific versions I listed above.

Permit's get-go with 'Jurassic Park' every bit that's what this forum is all nigh, right? So I've gone through ii versions, both once more entire of course. Showtime is narrated by William Roberts and second by Scott Brick. The Roberts version is a solid ane throughout. He performs couple of variations in character voices here and in that location (mainly Hammond, Lex, Tim and couple of others) and his reading vocalism is very stable and clear. He handles action scenes with emotion, the Nedry & Arnold death scenes in item are very fast paced and tense in his voice. I like it for what it is, though I can empathise if someone finds especially the impersonation of Lex chip annoying here! He really makes her sound like an annoyed footling girl, near to the point you get annoyed!

And I must say that his Jurassic Park performance is infinitely improve than Scott Bricks! Which is strange equally I've liked Brick in some other stuff, mainly recordings from the 90's and early on 2000's. I wonder if something has happened to him in the concluding few years since this 2022 recording does really, really not suit him. I wouldn't say he sounds bored, only his tone is really strange. Too serious. Weirdly conducted sentences. Brick's never actually attempted to practice voices for his characters which I've been okay with as it's otherwise been rather professional person and pleasant, but hither it just doesn't seem to work. When Malcolm goes into his long monologues I'g just rolling my optics listening to Brick's uneven voice, uneven sentences. At least Roberts sounded enthusiastic, fifty-fifty if non perfect. I'g afraid this is bit of a letdown, thank god it's not the only version.

'The Lost Earth' by George Guidall is once once again "pretty proficient". In fact, remarkably similar to Robert's Jurassic Park in most aspects. It's once more quite pleasant to the ears in normal reading tone and he attempts few different dialogue voices, including castilian impersonations for the side characters and kid voices for Kelly & Arby. However he makes sure characters such as Malcolm sound downright irritating. I hateful, Malcolm's already pretty annoyed at everything and peculiarly Levine in this novel, merely with Guidall's voice information technology almost makes it seem like he's ready to shoot his brains out on every page? I don't know information technology's both interesting and weird at the same fourth dimension.

So now to the other novels and readers. Allow's starting time with the worst of the audiobook representations, 'Congo' narrated past Bob Askey. This is a god damn horrible production. First off, for some reason they decide to make the narrator read everything in that location is in the book. And when I hateful everything, I mean everything. Summary, table of contents, pages, footnotes, all the piffling crap in add-on to the bodily text. Information technology's all very unnecessary, and the footnotes especially in the middle of paragraphs just bring confusion. In that location'southward a reason why you axe these out from your audiobooks, even if they are unabridged. But I guess this is how some of these audiobooks were done in the 80's or whenever this was released. Just the second reason for the unpleasantness of this audiobook is the fact that Bob Askey is a god damn dull reader, at to the lowest degree in this novel. He has a very monotone phonation and not very much joint to anything. He doesn't do any specific character voices, except for the guerilla Amy he performs a balmy 'dummy' variant (which to be honest is pretty decent). Listening to this makes me want to go to sleep. Very depression audio quality of the version just adds in frustration.

Askey besides performs 'Sphere', which is not quite as atrocious as Congo. First off, he doesn't read literally everything there is, which is an immediate comeback. However, he still reads aloud a very irritating portion of the book: the numbers. If you've ever read through Sphere, you know what I'thou talking about. There are couple of sections in the book where there are pages after pages of mere numbers. And Askey reads them. All. Every unmarried number. And yes, he starts getting really, really, really actually annoyed/bored by the finish of it where you lot tin can most hear him starting to snooze off. What the **** were they thinking? CUT It OFF. But you know other than that I didn't have really any other problems with the audiobook. Askey is still rather monotone throughout just he seems to put a little more than attempt into in this time. Perhaps he had has hid morning coffee. Well-nigh of the graphic symbol lines are done in more emotion and the "Amy audio" from Congo is back again on unlike character. All in all, it'south a better listening feel than Congo, although still flawed.

"Airframe" past Francis Cassidy is pretty straightforward bargain, pleasant female voice that is gentle to your ear and very non offensive. She only does few character voices and most of them are skillful, specially that of the main character. Few of the male voices stop up sounding unintentionally hilarious but you can't really fault her for trying. All in all, solid audiobook for solid novel, not more much to say.

"Eaters of the Expressionless" with Victor Garber is a very enjoyable experience. He does fantabulous middle eastern emphasis for the principal character likewise as authentic sounding nordic expressions with the vikings and other northerners. On acme of that you lot take Michael Crichton himself providing introduction every bit well as extra information here and in that location as sort of "commentary". Dissimilar with Congo, the commentary bits really don't damage the overall experience (partly because information technology's not Askey boredly reading them I guess) merely it all flows pretty naturally. Information technology'due south always nice of audiobooks to take the extra stride and get the actual writer to work in the process.

George Wilson provides voice for "Terminal Homo" and "Prey" (also equally "State of Fear" I'thousand currently going through), with Prey also containing another introduction bit by Michael Crichton. Both of these novels are done pretty much the same way, using similar vocalisation palettes from Wilson. Very professional person, very slick, very calm. Calm, that'due south pretty much the manner I would depict information technology. He's like your lx year old uncle reading a newspaper for you, very steadily, very chill. Again, merely few unlike vocalisation impersonations, but it'south all skillful. His female impersonation is very convincing as is he "cranky grandpa" voice. Out of all the names on this list, I would say he is my 2nd favorite. And that's bit surprising because the first time I heard him, I didn't really think much of it. Simply his vox definitely grows on you lot.

Finally, John Bedford Lloyd is my favorite reader of all time, all media included. I've searched and listened through many many fictional titles by other authors I have nil interest in just because I've wanted to hear his god damn amazing voice work. This way I've also found my way into Dean Koontz and his great Frankenstein series, and so I very much thank him for "introduction". So why is he so skilful? Well different most readers, who either don't practice character impersonations at all (or even if they do it's only couple of main characters), JBL gives virtually every character possible unique standout voice. He can not only perform all sorts of authentic sounding accents (British, French, Castilian etc) but also spot-on comedic, horror and female impressions. The female voices almost sound similar they really were coming from lady across you, I honestly mean that! And of course his 'normal' reading vocalization is just perfect, it enhances the source fabric immensely. As for these iii Crichton books he'southward done, "Timeline" & "Pirate Latitudes" & "Micro", he's of course excellent in all of them but especially in Timeline and Pirate Latitudes. The medieval characters in Timeline come up to life in a fashion I never envisioned when reading the paperback, and in Pirate Latitudes I'm pretty sure he has similar xxx unlike voices??? How does he do that and remember all of them? Unbelievable. Now, for Micro he for some reason doesn't actually seem to bother doing many voices, merely couple of them, instead but using his normal narration for the most of fourth dimension. Which you know is 'fine' and certainly all the same far more enjoyable to me than with whatsoever reader, merely all the same, I would accept notwithstanding wanted for more. Guess I'm little spoiled with most of his other fictional work. But since I don't really care for Micro that much anyway I suppose information technology doesn't matter that much every bit the other two much better books are and so very multi dimensional.

And then those were of course just my opinions and as with all things you don't have to concord with any of them. Would be squeamish to hear some other opinions likewise also

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Source: https://jurassicmainframe.forumotion.com/t908-michael-crichton-audiobooks

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