Looking back on the classics we found four recent audiobooks, all narrated by Brits who bring new life to titles that should not be forgotten.
Norse Mythology
Neil Gaiman; read by the author
Harper Audio, six CDs, six hours and 30 minutes, $29.99/www.audible.com download, $23.95
It is not a surprise that the author of “American Gods” would be interested in Norse mythology, but this lively and witty retelling surpasses expectations. The language is modern and the stories are clear and concise, which is not how this listener remembers Norse mythology from college. Gaiman begins with an explanation of the players and then sets the stage with “before the beginning there was nothing.” He reads with a style almost ariose, reminding us that we are, after all, listening to tales handed down through oral tradition. Gaiman is a graceful narrator, easily slipping between humor and tragedy, capturing the heightened drama of the gods without overdoing his performance. Grade: A-minus
Northanger Abbey and the History of England
Jane Austen; read by Alison Larkin
Blackstone Audio, eight CDs, nine hours and 30 minutes, $27.99/www.audible.com download, $19.95
Larkin reminds one of such character actresses as Billie Burke, or to a lesser extent, Spring Byington, from the Golden Age of cinema. She can sound almost effervescent, which works very well with young characters, but changes her tone and timbre for others. In Austen’s first novel, Catherine Morland aches for romance but gets more than she bargained for when invited to Northanger Abbey, a place where appearances are deceiving. This is a particularly enjoyable rendition of an oft-recorded novel because Larkin understands that Austen was sending up Gothic novels and never lets the parody out of earshot. The “History of England” was written when Austen was 15, and while callow, remains surprisingly witty. Grade: A-minus
1984
George Orwell; read by Simon Prebble
Blackstone Audio, 11.5 hours, $20.97, www.audible.com download
Originally published in 1949, Orwell’s classic dystopian novel is finding new life in this new age of Trumpian politics. Thought police, doublethink, Big Brother, constant surveillance, propaganda and never-ending wars no longer seem like fictitious conceits. Winston Smith, our unhappy protagonist, wanders away from Oceania’s party line and must face the consequences. Prebble has a refined, well-trained voice and the ability to express all of those Orwellian nuances woven into a tale rife with paranoia. He softens his voice for women and manages to make the Appendix — the Principles of Newspeak — as entertaining as the rest of the novel. Grade: A-minus
Sherlock: The Essential Arthur Conan Doyle Adventures
Selected and introduced by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat; read by Moffat and Simon Vance
Brilliance Audio, 25 hours and 23 minutes, $29.99, www.audible.com download
Introduced by the producers of BBC’s “Sherlock” and narrated with much élan by Moffat and Vance, this is an excellent starting point for young listeners who have not read the three novels and 16 short stories in this collection. However, if you are familiar with Conan Doyle’s oeuvre, you may be disappointed at the brevity of the commentary preceding each story, as each contains only a few sentences. That said, expect various intonations and a masterful reading by Vance, an experienced narrator with a smooth and lovely voice and the ability to convey all manner of accents. Offering over 25 hours of superb listening, this is a great value compared to most audiobooks. Grade: B-plus
