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What Makes a Great Narrator?

Have you ever been excited to start a new audiobook, only to find that you didn’t have the stamina to endure listening to the narrator speak for eight hours? We’ve all been there. Narrating is an art. A good voice actor can put you in the book, making you feel like you’re in the orphanage with Jane Eyre or the Chamber of Secrets with the “Boy Who Lived.” When you download audio books with great narrators, you may even find that you enjoy pulling weeds or commuting to work. But what makes a great narrator?

Authentic
A good narrator is true to the characters. This includes gender, accents, and time-period. Does the male narrator reading Anne Shirley’s dialogue sound out of breath? This is a trap that many male narrators fall into when voicing female characters. Anne’s character is anything but weak, but yet a breathy voice can undermine her vibrant personality and make her seem timid.

Everyone loves a good accent. Good accents can make the character more authentic and take you to the place and era where the book is set. But a bad accent can completely ruin a book. A good narrator knows when to, and more importantly, when not to use an accent.

Consistency
As I’m sure everyone reading this knows, audiobooks are not narrated in their entirety in one sitting. Narrators will take bathroom breaks, eat lunch, and run to the grocery store halfway through a book. While necessary, this can sometimes cause distracting variations in volume, pitch, tone, etc. Narrators don’t always remember how close to the microphone they were before lunch. But a good narrator will try to maintain a certain set of guidelines that are consistently followed.

Additionally, if you’re going to do an accent or gendered voices, commit to it. Narrators should maintain consistency in dialects, voices, etc. throughout the duration of the book.

Engaging
Have you ever listened to a narrator and thought maybe they loved their job a little too much? And on the flip side, have you ever thought the narrator hated everything about the book they were reading? When a narrator enjoys when they’re doing, changes in volume, pitch, and tone feel natural. When there’s emotion behind the narrator’s words, the book feels real.

In the end, a bad narrator is distracting. If you download audio books and the narrator is taking away from the book, rather than adding to it, they aren’t doing their job. In contrast, a good narrator can take a yawner and make it engaging, exciting, and leave you sobbing in your car in the office parking lot. At Audiobooks Now we understand the importance of good narrating. Browse our collection today.

Taking the Reading to the Edge of Horror…”The Outsider”, by Stephen King

Once again, the “King” of horror and mystery author, Stephen King, has given his fan base another hit book in The Outsider. It has mystery, but also subject matter that will seem over the top for some readers. But, that is what the author thrives on……providing such subjects that take the reader to the edge of horror, then snapping them back to a sort of literary reality. When the victim is an eleven year old boy, that gives an indication of how distasteful the crime is.

There are several characters that are woven together in The Outsider. Some are victims, some appear to be perpetrators, but aren’t, and then some complete the stories. Oh yes, there will be no mention of the actual villain……the reader can find that out as they go.

The Outsider has been added to the top five Stephen King novels by some reviewers. One such review gave this order: (1) The Outsider; (2) Bag of Bones; (3) Revival; (4) Pet Semetary; (5) It
They add……that is how good this book is.

“King constructs a propulsive plot, and a race against time to uncover the identity of a terrifying and diabolical killer who has left victims…..and “perpetrators”……and across the country, and who is on his way to his next horrific act”.

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Accomplishing What His Predecessors Could Not, “Three Days in Moscow: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Soviet Empire by Bret Baier

Three Days in January, Fox News anchor and author, Bret Baier, gives an enlightening description of the leadership style of President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the beginning of the Cold War. In Baier’s new book, Three Days in Moscow, he gives a detailed look into the previous and post view of the Soviet Union, then Russia. President Ronald Reagan was able to accomplish what his predecessors could not.

On May 31, 1988, Reagan was the first American president to stand on Russian soil with thousands of people listening to him talk about human rights and freedom. He begged the Soviet people to join him in completing his new vision for the future. Less than a year later, the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union began disintigrating. That end to the Cold War was a defining historical moment not to be forgotten.

Baier’s writing style is easy to read, and his research is very detailed without getting in the way of presenting the picture of Reagan and his accomplishments. It also shows the change made in American reporting of the news. It was with Reagan that news media started putting their own interpretation of the events happening in the Reagan administration. Prior to that time, the media sheltered Presidents from negative reporting and covered mostly positive situations. But, with Reagan, they all but ignored his great accomplishments and many times made him out to be an aging old clown. Of course, he was anything but that fraudulent description. Many would say that the “fake news” sources are doing the same to President Trump now. And they did the same to President George H. W. Bush. They always made their readers and audience think that he was not very intelligent. A very sad commentary for the importance of the truth.

President Ronald Reagan brought down a murderous, debilitating, and horrific regime without bombs or huge numbers of human lives being lost. It has been said that for that, he can never be given enough credit.

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Following Leads Wherever They May Take Her…”The 17th Suspect”, by James Patterson

Has something gone terribly wrong within the San Francisco Police Department itself? That is what Sergeant Lindsey Boxer is beginning to suspect as she investigates another methodical, but unpredictable murder. Once again, she gets too wrapped up into the current murder case, developing nasty medical symptoms and taking her queries outside of her jurisdiction, which is not sanctioned by her department. The Women’s Murder Club urges her to not get so personally involved in the case. With more lives at stake, she does not have the luxury of heeding their advice…….she must follow leads wherever they may take her.

The main characters, Yuki Castellano, and Boxer are racing against time to try to bring a murderer to justice. The homeless population is in extreme danger. Could their desperate situation have anything to do with the murders? That is what Boxer is trying to determine, so that the case can be successfully prosecuted by Yuki. Again, Lindsay’s Murder Club friends beg her to just let it go. But, they already know that doing so is not in her nature.

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Showing Compassion and a Sense of Humanity…”Wonder”, by R.L. Palacio

“It’s okay, I know I’m weird-looking, take a look, I don’t bite”…… and such is the story-line for author, R. L. Palacio’s newest book…Wonder. It has always been a mystery to me why anyone can be non-compassionate, when it comes to treating others who have challenges or frailties. If you are fortunate and blessed to be what we think of as “normal”, then that should make it compulsory to be kind and sympathetic to those who were not so fortunate. The story of August (Auggie) Pullman shows the kind side of kind people, and the cruel side of cruel people……with not all cruelty coming from his child peers……hard to believe that adults would ever be as cruel as they sometimes are.

Auggie is just 10 years old, and is starting in a private school for the first time. He has a very severe facial deformity that causes others to feel very sorry for him, or very cruel to him. He has a great attitude, as evidenced by the first sentence of this review, but even with the best attitude, his everyday life is full of very high moments as well as those dreaded low ones. Author Palacio captures the story of Auggie’s personal growth as well as others who surround him each day. It is a complicated web of emotions among family and friends as they cheer for him as he learns some of life’s hardest lessons.

Whether author Palacio had intended it or not, the book has spurred a new discussion of showing compassion and a sense of humanity when interacting with those who through no fault of their own, have physical or mental challenges. Hopefully, those who read the book, or see the movie, will either reinforce their current sensitivity toward those like Auggie, or will have a change of heart and develop the sensitivity they should have as a human being.

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The Miracle Of Dunkirk, “Dunkirk”, by Joshua Levine

We have all heard about the battle of Dunkirk with the Allied troops against Hitler’s Nazi army. It was truly a miracle that 400,000 Allied troops were trapped against the coast of Dunkirk, and sure to perish. However, 338,000 of those troops were rescued, and within eleven days were evacuated into England. Many wondered how that was possible against such a forceful army as Nazi Germany.

Author, Walter Lord took on the task of laying out the happenings of May 24, 1940 in the same methodical, deliberate method with which he wrote his most famous, acclaimed book, Titanic: A Night to Remember. It is said that he is so precise in his detail that he documented the sound in Titanic by counting the number of plates, cups, and pieces of glass that were breaking all at once. Some have said that had Lord only written that one book, he would still be the favorite author of many.

The Miracle of Dunkirk is a fast paced novel, with no explanations of how the Allied troops got themselves into that position in the first place, but jumps right into the rescue. Lord’s “in the weeds” perspective is focused on individuals, not a chain of events leading up to the battle, which some critics find to be problematic. But many wholeheartedly agree with the author’s method because he introduces interesting characters, from the soldier waiting to be rescued, to the captains dodging German torpedo boats, even including civilian day-sailors crossing the Channel to lend assistance. This rescue of so many by non-military transports surpasses any other similar attempt. Lord was totally immersed into the experiential aspect of the situation.

The Miracle of Dunkirk will be adapted to screen by Dark Knight director, Christopher Nolan. The film will be called Dunkirk and was shot in IMAX, and is a big budget film, retelling the BEF’s remarkable escape.

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Master of Military Strategy and Lethal Warfare…”Thrawn”, by Timothy Zahn

Even though Thrawn seems to be one of the most iconic villains in the history of Star Wars, many avid readers find themselves rooting for him and The Empire in the book by Timothy Zahn. Of course, they are not the good guys, but his character development is the best of any of the main characters. Author Zahn chronicles the fateful events that gave the blue-skinned, red-eyed, master of military strategy and lethal warfare his rise into the highest levels of power……and infamy.

Reviewers generally seem to approve of Thrawn more in Zahn’s book much more than in the Legend series, and much better than he is portrayed in the Rebels film series. A definite plug has been given to the audio book format. Reviewers feel that the narrator, Marc Thompson is so good that he is by far the choice to narrate all Star Wars books. Lucasfilm does a great job in creating the perfect mood with the appropriate music and sound effects. One critic says it is more like listening to a radio drama, than an audio book.

As one reviewer adequately stated: “This is a perfect character study. It’s the Thrawn we always wanted but never got in Legends, and finally, he’s in all his glory, in the Star Wars canon”.

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Follow the Evidence Before Time Runs Out…”Burial Hour”, by Jeffrey Deaver

American novelist, Jeffrey Deaver, is a number one bestselling author who has published another (the thirteenth) book in his Lincoln Rhyme thriller series. Rymes and his partner Amelia Sachs, are investigating a kidnapping that occurred in broad daylight. The only “evidence”, or calling card as some would call it, was a tiny noose left lying on the street. Then, a bizarre recording surfaces with the sound of the victim being strangled, gasps being heard, as an eerie piece of music plays in the background.

Regardless of how they made every attempt, the perpetrator got away. To their chagrin, another similar kidnapping occurs in Naples, Italy. They immediately head to Italy to combine efforts with the Italian officials, which can prove to be very complicated. They can only follow the evidence before their time runs out to find the killer, who has identified himself as The Composer.

Some critics were not so thrilled with Deaver’s insertion of his political views into The Burial Hour, which has not been done in previous installments of the series. Not sure why he would choose to alienate at least half of his readers. Usually, accomplished authors are able to avoid such personal controversy in their literary works. The readers can evaluate for themselves whether they think the addition of political ideology is pertinent or immaterial to the success of the book.

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From The Bravery on the Battlefield, to Their Journey to Recovery…”Portraits of Courage”, by George W. Bush

President George W. Bush has published a new book (Feb. 2017) that is a beautifully done tribute to some soldiers that he had to send in harm’s way after 9/11. It has been described as a vibrant collection of oil paintings depicting 66 of the soldiers, and a four-panel mural. President Bush painted the portraits, then gave the story of each soldier written in his own words.

It is a very daunting job, as President of the United States, to have to ask our military to travel into harm’s way for months, sometimes years at a time. President George W. Bush has made it his mission to create an initiative, The Military Service Initiative, to help post 9/11 veterans and their families in making a successful transition to civilian life. They also address issues such as veteran wellness, post-traumatic stress, and traumatic brain injury. Readers can see the faces of those who answered America’s call to service, and learn life lessons from their bravery on the battlefield, but also from their journey to recovery and the contributions they are making as civilians.

Net profits from all books will be donated to the Bush Institute Military Initiative, through the George Bush Presidential Center on the Dallas campus of SMU. The exhibit is open from March 2 to October 1, 2017.

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Acting as Computers….”Hidden Figures”, by Margot Lee Shetterly

Only when she was grown and married, did author Margot Lee Shetterly discover the amazing people with whom she shared a neighborhood as she was growing up. Margot grew up in the Hampton, Virginia area, with Langley Air Force Base just miles away. Langley was the headquarters of the Aeronautical Research and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). NACA had the mission to transform flying gadgets into war machines. They were dissolved as an agency in 1958, and was replaced by the agency we all know today, the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA). At that point the race for space superiority gained speed. In this fertile environment is where author Shetterly found a most miraculous story.

On the cusp of the beginning of World War II, with no computers or technology to speak of, the government needed help with their aeronautical advancement and number crunching. The solution was to hire women to shoulder the burden ……… they acted as computers, freeing the engineers to focus on their trained profession. The women were extremely successful and sharp, carrying out the task with excellence.

The author described the chosen women as both ordinary and extraordinary, as she shines a light on the women’s lives and accomplishments. The African-American women were called the West Computers, after the area to which they were assigned. Author Shetterly decided that books have been written about the astronauts, the engineers, and now it was the women’s turn to have their story told. They were at the heart of all achievements accomplished by the Center. They crunched numbers for every function of a plane, contributing to the constantly changing designs, making the flying machines of war, faster, safer, and more aerodynamic. Katherine Johnson worked on computations for Mercury and Apollo missions, and Christine Darden’s work advanced supersonic flight. In the 1970’s new technology advances made the job of the Western Computers obsolete. It is not known exactly how many women participated in the Western Computers project, since social customs of the era dictated that women could only work until they were married and had children. After that occurred, their careers were over, and they became full time homemakers and mothers.

The book has been adapted for screen, starring Octavia Spencer and Taraji P. Henson, and is now in theaters. “Langley was not just a laboratory of science and engineering…….in many ways it was a racial relations laboratory, and a gender relations laboratory, says author Shetterly.

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