4 Audiobook Narrators Who Could Make the Dictionary Compelling

There comes a time in every commuting driver’s life when you’re tired of talk radio and bored of music, but still need something to drown out the sound of you grinding your teeth and muttering angrily at the other cars around you.
That’s where audio books come to the rescue. Listening to a great story while driving can turn a dreadful commute into an enjoyable and relaxing experience. It is also a great way to multitask, especially for those of us who can’t read a paperback book or do a crossword puzzle while behind the wheel (so, all of us.)
Since first discovering the wonderful world of audio books, I’ve listened my way through countless great stories, falling in love with new authors and narrators along the way. In fact, I’ve grown to appreciate certain narrators so much that at this point I choose my audio books based mainly on the narrator. It takes a high level of talent, an appealing voice with a wide dramatic range, serious acting chops and a deep understanding of the story and characters to narrate an audio book in a compelling way. (Just think of the last time you tried to read a funny book passage aloud to a friend or loved one. It was probably a disaster, wasn’t it? Or is that just me?) A good narration can improve on a mediocre novel, while a bad narrator can make even a fascinating and well-written story unlistenable.
Here then for your enjoyment is a short list of audio book narrators my ears have a crush on:
Simon Prebble
This acclaimed British voice actor’s narrations are especially effective in British novels, as he brilliantly depicts an impressively wide variety of regional accents and dialects. I first encountered Prebble’s voice when he narrated Minette Walters’ excellent mystery novel The Ice House—one of the main characters, the sexy Detective Sergeant McLoughlin, had such a delectable Scottish brogue that the first time I heard it I almost drove into a ditch. Call me, Simon!
Suzanne Toren
I picked up the audiobook version of Diane Johnson’s Le Divorce on a whim, and as it happened, it was the perfect book to listen to instead of reading. Set in Paris, it was peppered with French names, phrases and places—all of which, in my limited understanding of the language, I would surely have butchered in my own mind had I read it in print. As it was, narrator Suzanne Toren, who has a degree in French Literature and an impeccable accent, pulled me in completely to the setting and characters of the novel without my having to struggle over the pronunciation of the many French words and phrases. It was a fantastic book—and it was made even better by Toren’s dry, witty narration.
Ron McLarty
McLarty actually narrated the audio book version of his own novel The Memory of Running, which also happened to be the first audio book I ever listened to. What a treat it is to hear an author read his own work—it brings a deeper level of meaning to the whole experience. I liked to imagine that I was hearing this novel the way McLarty himself heard it in his own head as he was writing it—and it was a terrific story. McLarty’s narration of Thomas Pynchon’s psychedelic detective novel Inherent Vice was also wickedly groovy. He has a distinct, laid-back every-man’s voice that draws you into the story and makes even challenging material engaging and accessible.
George Guidall
I had been meaning to read a book by Anne Tyler for a long time, so when I saw an audio book copy of The Accidental Tourist at the library, I had to check it out. I’m so glad I did. Listening to George Guidall’s narration made what was already a beautiful, poignant and hilarious book into an unforgettable experience. I still remember how riveted I was while listening to it as I drove. It actually made me excited to be in the car—which is a pretty amazing feat. Since then, I have sought out other books that are narrated by Guidall, including Philip Margolin’s thriller Ties that Bind and Upton Sinclair’s masterpiece The Jungle, and I have never once been disappointed. His voice is spellbinding, and his ability to inhabit the characters whose dialogue he reads, no matter who they are, is astounding. You won’t believe how perfectly he is able to imitate a believable woman’s voice (without sounding ridiculous) and then switch immediately back to a man’s—it’s uncanny. He makes you truly get lost in a story. With over 900 books narrated, chances are he’s recorded a book you’ll love.
What books have you read via audiobook?