Fry-ed is better

Much has been praised and much has been written about Jim Dale and his audiobook versions of the Harry Potter books, including today's Mokoto Rich story in The New York Times.

Jim Dale's are perfectly fine, but frankly, for my money, you'd do better to get the British editions with Stephen Fry. They are much droller, livelier, more whimsical. I think the difference may be that while Dale is a fine actor and mimic and voice talent, Fry is Fry -- meaning we get a touch of his impish comic spirit.

July 17, 2007 9:13 AM | Permalink

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THE REVIEWS:

Pat Barker, Frankenstein, Cass Sunstein on the internet, Samuel Johnson, Thrillers, Denis Johnson, Alan Furst, Caryl Phillips, Richard Flanagan, George Saunders, Michael Harvey, Larry McMurtry, Harry Potter and more ...

ESSAY:

Big D between the sheets -- Dallas in fiction

ESSAY:

Reviewing the state of reviewing

ESSAY:

9/11 as a novel: Why?

ESSAY:

How can critics say the things they do? And why does anyone pay attention? It's the issue of authority.

The disappearing book pages:

Papers are cutting book coverage for little reason

Thrillers and Lists:

Noir favorites, who makes the cut and why