Abridged Audiobooks

[kev]

Hi everyone!

Does anyone have any opinion on the abridged Tony Robinson audiobooks?

There's a bunch of Discworld books I haven't read yet and I'm thinking of getting them as audiobooks for the car. I'm thinking of getting the abridged versions, basically because (A) I'm a big Tony Robinson fan... I gather he's not many people's favourite narrator but personally I'd rather hear the books read by him (B) I'll get more value from reading the book versions when I eventually do so, what with the book having stuff the audio left out, (C) 10 hours to hear one unabridged book??? There's quite a lot of books I want to hear and at that length I'd be stuck on the same one for months. Give me the 3 hour versions anyday - if I want the full experience I'll read the books (which I will at some point).

But I was just wondering if anyone who's heard them can say how good a job they've done at abridging the books? I realise that to reduce the books to less than half the length they must have cut out a LOT, but do they still stand up as worth hearing?
I've heard one abridged story so far, Moving Pictures, and to me (I haven't read/heard the full version) it seemed like a pretty complete story and I didn't feel it lacked anything.
How do they go about abridging these things? Do they actually hack out entire subplots? Or do they manage to keep everything in by just rewording it more concisely?
Any comparisons from people who've heard/read abridged/unabridged versions of the same story?

 

[Anonymous]

Well, you should ask yourself:

Is mere 'being a fan' worth missing around 7 hours of story? I had the experience that abridged books often miss the best parts, as they get shortened to the main plot (does that mean the UA audibook has any text at all ) while the sidestuff goes missing.
I say get the unabridged stuff.

(in full honesty, i also prefer audioplays bove audiobooks...)

Oh, and welcome to the site

 

[Tonyblack]

Hi Kev and welcome to the site!

To be perfectly honest, I'm not a fan of Tony's narration style as I find his voice too 'whiney'. He's not even close to Stephen Briggs, who reads most of the unabridged ones.

I would say that the abridged versions are ok for a car journey, if you already know the story. If you are reading it for the first time, then you'll miss a HUGE amount by reading the abridged version.

Why not try looking in your local library and see if they have any unabridged versions there to borrow? That's what I've done.

 

[deldaisy]

Hey Kev

I can see how you might not want to sit through a full length version... but you are on a site of DW FANS hun.

I would want to share a DW story with anyone JUST to get them hooked... but there is SO much detail and running jokes and subplots in a TP book it would be shocking if that was the FIRST experience you had with them. After all... its the detail that gets us hooked.

TONY! I LOVE YOU! WHY did I never think to get the audio books out of the LIBRARY!!!!!!!!!!!!! DUH! Guess where I am going tomorrow

 

[michelanCello]

Welcome, kev!

 

[DaveC]

Welcome kev!

 

[kev]

Thanks guys. Think I will pick up at least a couple of the abridged audiobooks as I often make a 3 hour car journey and really want something complete that will fill up the journey. I'll be sure to read the book versions at some point as well though to get the full story (planning to own all the paperbacks eventually anyway).
Not sure what it is about Tony Robinson's voice, but for me there's something about it that just suits Discworld. I thought the was great in the first Discworld PC game as well.. And Terry obviously swears by the bloke.

 

[Anonymous]

I checked some audio-samples on various pages and I can't help it. I don't like him. He makes most older males sound likes teenage girls trying to mockingly imitate their older male teacher

 

[The Mad Collector]

And Terry obviously swears by the bloke.

I just swear at him. Briggsy is so much better

 

[Perestroika]

I dislike abridged audio books on principle. I don't like having it decided for me what I should or shouldn't read.

that said, I do have some of the abridged versions, purely because I like Tony Robinson and wanted to see how he would make them sound, but I would never read one as the first time read of a dw book.

 

[deldaisy]

I love Tony Robinsons voice.

I got the audio books from the library I have now discovered I don't like having a book read to me

Hey Gal? I was talking to my older daughter about you the other day. (in the general scheme of all things DW). We are both promoters (talk for a living) and former radio jocks (talk for a living). She has just gone back to work after more than a year off work due to anxiety attacks and as she is doing part time and I am doing part time, we are sharing her PA equipment so its back and forth from one side of the city to the other. As she is starting back after such a long hiatis she was talking about her voice training (you need to train your voice and diaphram to articulate for four hours or more), and she knows I understand.

In the process of getting the amp I was also raiding her bookshelf (she has just moved into a new apartment and is unpacking) and she was passing some books to me of SF short stories (my passion; though because of a shocking episode years ago where the ex sold off my rare collected books and SF mags for 20c each one I have avoided for a long time). I mentioned you and how you must only be able to access books that HAVE been recorded and how you must miss out on the short stories.

I won't promise anything immediately (I have a monster promo coming up of 6 hours a day for a week... unheard of, and it will take a week to get over it IF my voice lasts for the week).... but would you like me to record some of the stories for you to listen to? Voice overs used to be my trade after all; though they were for radio ads and all bouncy bouncy up up. I have never "read" a story but will give it a go. (as long as I don't have to do any hippopotamus voices )

 

[Perestroika]

omg that would be so awesome! I love short stories, but as you correctly guessed, not too many books of them get done in audio. especially sci-fi/fantasy.

 

[deldaisy]

No problem. Now... I have only ever recorded in recording studios. Ummmm anyone know how I do this? Helloooooooooooooooo..... come on you tech heads.

I may use it as an excuse to go visit my old boss/dear family friend/recording engineer who has the recording programmes on his computers...... then I could get my daughter who is a recording thingie whatsit to process them.... but then that would take ages.... and they never had to do MUCH to process my recordings. I am getting too technical huh. Well sheesh... its my voice! Its my trade. Its like getting a ditsy model to publish photos that haven't been retouched. My darling friend Jim who always did my recording died two years ago. HE would have hid me away for days and done all this for me if he was here.

I will figure something out.

 

[Perestroika]

audacity will probably be your friend here....

I don't really know how to use it though, it's supposed to be easy.

 

[poohcarrot]

No problem. Now... I have only ever recorded in recording studios. Ummmm anyone know how I do this? Helloooooooooooooooo..... come on you tech heads.

Well you get a m-i-c-r-o-p-h-o-n-e. Then you turn it o-n. Then you t-a-l-k into it.

 

[deldaisy]

Silly Pooh... I would have to turn the sound up REALLY REALLY loud if Gal is to hear it in Sydney.

 

[poohcarrot]

Can't you just use SKYPE and just read her a short story?

I'll send you some TP short stories if you want.

 

[deldaisy]

Gal might not feel listening to a short story when I feel like reading one!

Anyways... someone else might want to listen too. Theres a few on here who like audio books, and I am NOT reading the same story for the 27th time at 4:45am because someone in Wolverhampton has a spare five minutes.

p.s. The offer of TP short stories would be appreciated I am sure.

Do you think it woud be okay copyright wise? Not like I am selling them. I mean people sing other peoples songs on youtube all the time.

 

[poohcarrot]

Well obviously I don't want to break any copyright laws.

So don't send me your address again, because I haven't erased it, and I won't send you some short stories. 8)

 

[deldaisy]

Good. I won't look in the mailbox then. 8) Ever!

Oh crap! My electricity bill is due.... they will cut off my power! Oh Crap!