This is the second in a regular weekly series (every Wednesday) of 4 Audible reviews, broken down into the categories, which I selected for my first Audible blog (Dan’s Top 5 Reasons to Start Listening to Audible.co.uk) and subdivided, where helpful.
So, this latest one is ‘Brilliant Narration’, subdivided into ‘Modern Fiction’. Links to where you can purchase each of the titles for yourself (via Audible) are available by clicking the relevant title or photograph. Enjoy!
‘The Alchemist: A Fable about Following Your Dream’ by Paulo Coelho
Read by Jeremy Irons
This has a particular resonance for me because I will (at the time of writing) shortly be making my own personal journey to Egypt and The Alchemist explores one boy’s plans to journey to that ancient kingdom.
On the surface, the novel is a simple story of a young shepherd boy who sets out to find buried treasure. The fable bears a resemblance to that other classic ‘quest’ novel, The Wizard of Oz, in that the characters the protagonist meets are far more important than the treasure itself – it is the quest, then, not the goal which is compelling.
I am happy to lavish praise on Jeremy Irons’ narration, which you probably won’t be surprised to hear is exemplary. His words wrap around you like a warm blanket.
The Alchemist prompts some difficult questions from its readers. You might find yourself asking how often you have diverted from what you really want out of life? How often have you given up on your dreams and how might you be enriched by seeking those dreams out again and pursuing them? The Alchemist is one of those books, which is more than the sum of its parts – let it into your heart and, as some of the other Audible reviews attest, it might just change your life.
‘The Dead Zone’ by Stephen King
Read by James Franco
I have long been haunted by a key scene in the film of The Dead Zone where Johnny Smith takes the hand of Senate-hopeful, Greg Stillson, and experiences a vision of Stillson, as President, launching a devastating nuclear strike. It used to amuse me that Stillson was played by Martin Sheen who went on to play the wonderful President Bartlett in The West Wing. Amusing, because, where Bartlett is intelligent, compassionate and shows great integrity, Stillson is practically his polar opposite.
When Trump announced his candidacy for president, however, this scene kept re-playing in my mind, believing that we didn’t need Johnny’s prophetic visions to see disaster ahead, perhaps even apocalyptic disaster. Listening to the novel, I was struck by how much greater the similarities were between Stilton and Trump than even the film indicated. Stillson’s ruthless salesman-turned-politician begins as a joke but thrives on his eccentricity, whips crowds into a frenzy and revels in his anti-establishment credentials – sound familiar? Considering King was writing almost 40 years ago, he’s clearly had a few prophetic visions himself. Let’s hope real life has a happy ending, huh? (Btw, if you want some laugh out loud moments, take a look at Stephen King’s Twitter feed. He noticed these similarities himself and takes great pleasure in regularly calling the President to task).
You’ll have to forgive my little diversion there, because there is much more than the Trump harbinger to discuss. Stephen King is a true master of horror whose imagination astounds. His 54 novels have sold more than 350 million copies. Read some of his early stories in Night Shift to see just what a precocious young talent he was.
The Dead Zone is the tale of a teacher, Johnny Smith, who wakes from his coma to find that, not only is his life dramatically altered, but he appears to have developed some nascent precognitive powers.
I really enjoyed James Franco’s narration. He’s not always the most expressive of performers but his Californian drawl pulls you in and lulls you into a false sense of security as he ratchets up the tension.
‘The Humans’ by Matt Haig
Read by Mark Meadows
When I was thirteen years old, one of my favourite teachers, the late, great Mike Lapage, read ‘A Martian Sends a Postcard Home’ (by Craig Raine) to my English class. Mike then set us an assignment to write our own version of what a bemused alien might make of us, if he were to observe our everyday life.
Matt Haig has, essentially, taken the premise of the poem and run with it but, boy, what fun it is! I genuinely loved this book. I feel particularly guilty that its physical counterpart had sat unloved on my shelves for years, the earnest recommendation of a bookseller friend. I’m so glad that I finally gave it a go on Audible.
The Humans is about an alien who takes over the body of a Cambridge University Professor, Andrew Martin, in order to prevent a mathematical breakthrough, which might lead to our pesky species sailing out into the cosmos before we are quite ready for that responsibility. The novel is very funny, as you might expect, as the alien comes to grips with our absurd customs and our, at times, irrational language. The novel is also surprisingly tender – the love story between the alien and Martin’s wife and the compassion, which he has for Martin’s son, is beautifully rendered.
Unusual, funny, heartbreaking. Recommended!
‘Ready Player One’ by Ernest Cline
Read by Will Wheaton
In a future in which most citizens escape the real world for a utopian ‘virtual’ one, our hero embarks on a cosmic treasure hunt. The virtual world’s recently-deceased founder has left clues, which will lead to the control of his empire (as well as fame & fortune) to one lucky competitor. Rooting for the underdog on his perilous quest, we are drawn into an adventure, which never loses its grip.
This is a compelling science fiction romp, expertly narrated by a former ensign of the USS Enterprise. The film of the novel, directed by Spielberg, looks wonderful (see trailer below) and is out soon but I urge you to try the book first, so that you can conjure up your own version of the virtual world it depicts.
If you were a teen in the 80’s, then Ready Player One is particularly fun, as the clues are often references to films and video games of this era. Will Wheaton is obviously passionate about the genre and this shines through in his narration.
A real page-turner, even if you’re not a fan of the genre, give this ago!