Into the Wardrobe

The other day I bought an 'audio book' of 'The Magician's Nephew' read by Kenneth Branagh (unabridged, of course) and have so far listened to 3 of the 4 CDs. I've owned other CON audio books in the past, including pure narrations like this one (the others were read by Michael Horden) or full cast dramatisations. I think Branagh's version is the best i've heard though: he has that sort of mellow english accent that fits the material plus of course he's a very good actor (he does a Scottish accent for the she-elephant and the jackdaw appears to be michael caine!)

Voice recordings, as opposed to the audio/visual combination of tv or movies have their own unique advantages. They have less of a sudden impact than do film versions (i remember being quite transported initially by the aesthetic qualities of the recent blockbuster) but because their appeal lies in the more substantial source of the reader's skill (and the authentic words of lewis-there were no horrendous liberties taken here) i expect my interest in them to last far longer.

This recording of MN is part of a series, btw, and I think the label is Harper Collins. I may well buy them all but I'm particularly interested in 'The Last battle' which is read by Patrick Stewart. Has anybody else listened to these or others they've been impressed by?

I have an old set of LP records with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair. The actors which read the abridged stories are Ian Richardson, Claire Bloom, and Anthony Quayle. Some of the audio clips on the multimedia page of this website are from those recordings. The actors' readings are lively and at times dynamic, but the recordings are each only about an hour long. I like them about as much as the Focus on the Family radio dramas, which are about two or three hours devoted to each book. The actors' readings, however, are well worth hearing if you don't mind the abridgements. It would be nice if they were longer, but they do include some of the highlights of the stories. I think they are still available on CD's and cassettes with readings from all seven books.

Larry W.

I haven't listened to any audio books of the Chronicles, but I did listen to the Space Trilogy on tape, read by Grover Gardner. I think this helped me appreciate these books more, because he reads very well, and I tend to read too fast if the action gets going. The steadiness of his reading helped me absorb the beauty of Lewis' prose. Also, the way he accented words when he spoke helped me see new meanings in sentences I might have passed over without notice if I were reading it on my own.

well I found out the downside to ordering christmas presents in Nov........ I can't believe that not only do I have to wait to give the set, but I have to wait till I get to listen to them
hmmmmm........maybe I should just wrap it up and give it to my hubbie for no other reason except I love him?? or, do you think he will suspect I have cheated and listened to them before him if the package is taped back together??

What a great Christmas present the Focus on the Family radio dramas would make! I bought mine all seperately because after purchasing one or two I decided I wanted the whole set. It was a little expensive, but I never regretted spending the money. So don't be surprised if you want it for yourself-- it's something that everyone who loves C.S. Lewis should own.

Larry W.