Georgette Heyer Fans discussion

I'm new to Heyer. I just read "Arabella" and am now reading "The Unknown Ajax". I have some audible credits and I'm interested in listening to some of her stories as well. Have any of you downloaded any of her audiobooks? And if so, could you recommend some for me to listen to? My first love is reading the book, not listening, but there is only so much time in the day. Any advice would be appreciated!!

After posting I realized I may have listed this under the wrong topic... I'm not sure how to change that! Sorry!

Cheryl, I've listened to a lot of Heyer on audiobook. Rather than recommending a particular book, I'll recommend a narrator: Eve Matheson. I think her narration is wonderful. One that I would avoid listening to on audiobook is The Reluctant Widow: the narrator made the hero sound unbearably pompous and the heroine unbearably whiney. Also, you may want to avoid listening to The Black Sheep. It's narrated by Barbara Leigh-Hunt, who played Lady Catherine in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice and listening to the audiobook is like having Lady Catherine read to you.

ETA: Just went to Audible to check. Phylida Nash is another good narrator. I think that I would recommend, in no particular order: The Talisman Ring, Cotillion and Friday's Child. There seem to be lots of abridged versions and I'd stay away from them, even when they're narrated by Richard Armitage. *sigh*

I have only listened to Richard Armitage reading Sylvester, and I am so grateful I have. He has a wonderful voice, so soothing. True, he does not play that well female voices but just listening to him is a pleasure.

I'd listen to Richard Armitage read the bus timetable, but not an abridged version of one of my favourite Heyer novels. Only because i hate abridgments.

As a general rule, I prefer female narrators, as they tend to do a better job with male voices than male narrators do with female voices. One of my very favourite narrators is Juliet Stevenson, who has narrated Austen's novels. Although I also loved listening to Alan Rickman read The Return of the Native and Jeremy Irons read Lolita, even though their female voices weren't that great.

Is Alan Rickman the actor who played Snape in the Harry Potter movies? I love that guy!

Cheryl wrote: "Is Alan Rickman the actor who played Snape in the Harry Potter movies? I love that guy!"

He is and so do I! If you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend watching "Truly Madly Deeply" with Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson.

I couldn’t resist the idea of Richard Armitage reading Sylvester (even abridged), it’s always been a favourite of mine, so I bought it from Audible…

I haven’t listened to a story read like that since I was a small child and I should, of course, have heeded your warnings.

I spent the first half hour giggling over a grown man trying to sound like an old woman and a young girl. Once I got past that though I did enjoy it, but I’d still rather be reading it for myself where my imagination can supply the voices.

I found his emphasis of the speech didn’t really match what he was describing and I’m too familiar with the book not to notice where it had been cut. Unfortunately I was aware that a lot of the subtleties had been lost, several of them I think showed the growing closeness between Phoebe and Sylvester.

As I said, I still enjoyed it and my mind filled in the gaps but maybe if I try another one, I’ll look for an un-abridged version of something narrated by a woman.

I just finished The Quiet Gentleman , narrated by James MacCullum and released this year (April 2021). It was amazing! I listened to it on Audible.

I have also listened to Sylvester and Venetia read by Richard Armitage, Cotillion read by Phyllida Nash, and Sprig Muslin read by Siân Phillips. They were all fantastic as well. For these I listened to the old-fashioned CDs. All of them except Cotillion I have only listened to and not read the physical book.

I have to say MacCallum is my favourite so far and I'd love to see him do some more Heyer.

I got an email from Audible today showing Frederica released and read by Joe Jameson. The sample sounds promising.