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Audio books vs Reading

20 Mar, 2019
2019-3-20 10:42:12 AM UTC

Hi, I just wanted to get peoples opinions on Reading or listening to Audio books. It's that time of the year when I re-read Tolkien and I love Martin Shaw reading the Silmarillion and the Hobbit, although his version of the Hobbit is abridged I do prefer it to Rob Inglis. Rob Inglis reading the Lord of the Rings is an amazing experience but I just wanted to know what others thought :)
20 Mar, 2019 (edited)
2019-3-20 12:15:51 PM UTC
Reading the books is the best, but my favourite audio version of The Hobbit is the Nicole Willamson version, though it is abridged. It is regretful that he did not have a chance to do The Lord of the Rings.

You can listen to this on archive.org, https://archive.org/details/NicolWilliamsonHobbit
20 Mar, 2019
2019-3-20 1:38:12 PM UTC
Cheers, I never Heard of Him! I seem to get more in my head with listening, obviously I'm here because I collect the books and I've read them but there's something about listening, I seem to remember more.
20 Mar, 2019
2019-3-20 1:48:24 PM UTC
This is a very good article from John D. Rateliff of audio recordings of my favourite book The Hobbit

https://sacnoths.blogspot.com/2012/11/listening-to-hobbit.html

I commented that Tolkien had recorded Roast Mutton in this post and you could hear it on a specific Kindle version of The Hobbit, you still need to look out for this to hear Tolkien read this chapter, only a couple of minutes were included on the CD for the Deluxe facsimile Hobbit
20 Mar, 2019
2019-3-20 2:19:31 PM UTC
Ahh now I'm glad you mentioned that, you have many copies of the Hobbit, I got a couple of the facsimile one with the cd, one in just the slipcase, however I noticed that the facsimile was larger in size than the rest of my Hobbits, I think my earliest is 1959 but was the 1st edition larger than the later ones?

Its great hearing Tolkien read his works, I only wish he'd have done the lot. Maybe CRRT will???

Thanks for the link :)
20 Mar, 2019
2019-3-20 2:29:06 PM UTC
Yes, the UK 1st/1st and 1st/2nd impressions were larger than later UK Hobbits, up until 1975. After 1975 they were resized to be the same size as The Lord of the Rings.
20 Mar, 2019
2019-3-20 2:35:09 PM UTC
Ah that's interesting. I have the pre and post 1975 but never had the good fortune to see or hold the 1st/1st or 1st/2nd. So is the facsimile the same size as the 1st/1st?
I love the way the facsimile feels, real cloth bound, pages stained green, its a nice edition, especially with the riddles in the dark chapter, the cd is a nice touch, especially if you have an affinity for audio books as I do. Also i think it depends on the narrator.
20 Mar, 2019 (edited)
2019-3-20 2:53:37 PM UTC
Yes, It is also the same size as the 1st/2nd.

You can see a comparison here of my copies, the two top editions are the facsimile editions, original and deluxe and the bottom two are the 1st/1st and 1st/2nd UK editions.

10_5c9253c8e99eb.jpg 1080X1440 px
20 Mar, 2019
2019-3-20 2:58:37 PM UTC
Many many thanks for that photo, that's actually answered a question that been bugging me for a while. Well he's to hoping for a lucky find at a carboot :)
20 Mar, 2019
2019-3-20 3:08:48 PM UTC
I did not get my copies of the 1st/1st and 1st/2nd at a car boot, good luck on finding them
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