Audible original production: Unseen Academicals

[BobtheDrog]

I checked through to see if I could find a thread about this an couldn't see one but apologies if it is out there. Has anyone else listened to this? It's terrible, truly, truly abysmally done. It bears very little resemblance to the book. Mostly seems like somebody read a brief synopsis and made up the rest. Very disappointing.

 

[Tonyblack]

No that's new to me. I'm assuming that it was a dramatised version? Funnily enough, I was listening to a podcast today, an interview with Terry regarding Unseen Academicals. He was talking, in part, about the amazing job that Stephen Briggs did in adapting the book for the stage. Sounds like Audible could have done a much better job.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

I have this one read by Stephen Briggs, he has a different style for this just listened to the first chapter again and found something I missed in the book A Yogi Bear type phrase

but it's done with the usual Briggs'y class just a bit understated, maybe due to the style of the story and subject matter.

 

[RathDarkblade]

I've listened to Stephen Briggs read many of Terry's books. He never fails to do less than a superb job.

I haven't listened to anything from Audible, but if the "Unseen Academicals" one is as bad as you say, and if it's anything to go by, then I don't want to listen to Audible...

 

[Dotsie]

It's OK for what it is, which is essentially a radio play (that's never been on the radio). They are always much shorter than the original. I liked it because it was exactly the right length for me to drive to my mum & dads and back (4 and a half hours round trip). But when it had finished I did feel a bit disappointed about some of the things they missed out.

 

[Tonyblack]

It's like listening to the abridged audiobooks - okay, but somehow unsatisfying (and with Tony Robinson's whiny voice trying to do the characters).

 

[RathDarkblade]

Hmm. The last time I listened to Tony Robinson reading Pterry's books, I think it was "Eric". It struck me that "Eric" was just the right length for Tony's voice: the book is short and doesn't have too many characters, so it doesn't challenge Tony too much.

Unfortunately, with many of the other books, Tony comes across as being out of his depth. Stephen, OTOH, doesn't. Neither does Nigel Planer, by the way (who does a fantastic job with books like TLF and CJ).