Audiobooks: looking for fantasy suggestion to improve my English

[Moak]

Hello Playground

Trough some gift that I've got, I have 3 audible credits to spend, and I'd like some suggestion about good fantasy audiobook to listen to in English.

I usually listen to audiobooks while driving from/to work (~20 minutes travel) and I was looking to something that:

a) Is a good boook
b) Has a good diction, because I have some problem with strong inflection

Also, I prefer fantasy/science-fantasy as genre. I don't care about re-listening to something that I've already read or listened to in Italian, but I'm pretty "dated" and out of touch about good books/must have story from after ~2000, so, maybe, I can also expand my horizon.

So, can the Almighty Playground help me with my search for knowledge?

Thank you!

[Murk]

I have heard good things about the audiobook of The Name of the Wind, which is a must-read anyway. The language flows easily but is still of high quality, so it seems like it'd fit with your needs.

[Kitten Champion]

The Viriconium audiobooks narrated by Simon Vance, Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast series narrated by Robert Whitfield, the various Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson books done by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer, the vast collection of Diskworld books mostly narrated by Stephen Briggs, and Neil Gaiman narrating his own works are ones I can recommend off the top of my head as well performed and generally quality fantasy.

[Corlindale]

I don't really have the patience for audiobooks, but I listened to a bit of The Golden Compass off Audible recently, after a podcast recommended it. They use a full cast to play the various different characters in the book, which I think works pretty well.

The book itself is a fantasy classic that you might already be familiar with. The full trilogy is a bit divisive with many not liking the last book (I thought it was ok, although strange), but the first one is really good.

The language shouldn't be too tricky, as the books are written for children. The Amber Spyglass was one of the first novels I ever read in English, back when I was trying to improve.

[Eldan]

The Dresden Files. Featuring a wizard who is also a private detective in Chicago. A bit mediocre at first, but gets incredibly good once the author has found his stride after two or so books (They are really short, quick books.) The audiobooks are some of the best I've ever heard, read by James Marsters, who you may or may not know as Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He's really good as a voice actor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr3jcWG12Ow Free sample here.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Harry Potter, read by Stephen Fry is probably one of the best read audiobooks (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/20-best-audiobooks-of-all-time/). And it seems they have recently been added to Audible (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/harry-potter-audiobooks-download-audible/) (except in America, Canada and the Philippines).

Grey Wolf

[Red Fel]

I recommend the Harry Potter series, narrated by Jim Dale. Not because the series is necessarily high quality, although it is iconic (and there's a strong likelihood that you've read it in your native tongue already), but because Jim Dale is amazing. His diction is excellent, but more importantly, he does the voices, and it is delightful.

[Moak]

Wow! Thank you everyone..

so, to recap:

The Name of the Wind
--> that also have the plus to have saved Fumbles from some arrows. I think this will come. It's some time that I think to read it.

Viriconium
--> I know jack about this. But from what I got from the comments, is right into my alley.

Gormenghast
--> on audible I can found it only by another reader ( Saul Reichlin ), so... pass?

Diskworld
--> too many books to start here, sorry. Unless, the first book is self-contained?

Harry Potter
--> Already got and readed in English, I binge-read section of it a lot, so, I'll go with something different, for now.

Golden Compass
--> I loved the series, even if I was upset by the ending. But the second book... I simply love it. I think I can think about this.

Dresden Files
--> That sample is amazing. But... also? It's a long series. For this experiment I prefer to go with some self-centered book. It's the first book self-contained?

Again, thank you!

[Eldan]

First book is absolutely self-contained, yes.

[Kitten Champion]

Gormenghast
--> on audible I can found it only by another reader ( Saul Reichlin ), so... pass?


Reichlin's a more than capable voice talent in his own right and Peake's is simply one of the better Fantasy works - both in general and in using the English language in particularly - so I'd still recommend it.

[Velaryon]

I second the Dresden Files. James Marsters' narration is unparalleled. They ought to use it in acting schools in the "how to do audiobook reading" classes. The first book stands alone pretty well, though it feels more like a pulp detective novel with a few fantasy elements than a primarily fantasy series. A lot of folks seem to feel that the first two books are mediocre, though I enjoyed them well enough. The meta-plot doesn't really start to come online until book 3.