Wheel of time Audio books

[Pub]

Hi guys My first post here. I've been a long time reader Of dragonmount (though i've only just joined) Also very large Fan of Robert Jordan.

Anyway My question is regarding audio book version of the wheel of time. My eyesight isn't as great as it should be and after welding all day at work i find my eyes get really sore and make it hard for me to read for extended periods. So basically i was thinking the Audio versions would be good for me to listen to my favourite books in the car and on my ipod things like that. Anyway i listened to a few audio versions of other books (forgotten Realms novels) and found they cut out a lot of the story.

Has anyone listened to TWOT ones? Are they full versions? with things not missing?

I find the most important parts of jordans books are not in the dialogue.

Anyway thanks for helping me out cheers Pub

[Ealdur Tinuviel]

Yeah, you can get the unabridged versions. Thats if you're willing to pay quite a bit. I thought I was going to download mine onto my iPOD, because I thought that without all the discs/whatever that I wouldn't have to pay that much. I still would've paid like 50 dollars just to get KoD.

 

And you'd think that at the least, there would be sets of the audiobooks that were cheaper, but I don't think I found any.

[Pub]

Thanks for your reply Ealdur i'll look into prices and see if its worth it

[Darth_Andrea]

I have the fisrt 5 on cd (a friend of mine has been duping his copys for me) and they are remarkablely well done read by Kate Reading and her husband Micheal Kramer. Some of them are as stated quite expencive though. KoD I have seen on Amazon.com for almost $200.00 and as they are large books they are very very long. Fires From Heaven is about 39 hours long to listen to. Also The series is missing 1 unabridged version. Path Of Daggers has only been released in a abridged version so far. But a Unabridged version should be out sometime this fall from what I have been told. Kate and Micheal split the reading up between them Kate taking those places in the books when it focuses on the women and Micheal when its on the men. For example in Eye of The World Micheal reads through nonstop until after Shadar Logath when Nyneave finds Moraine and Lan on the river bank. Micheal takes over in the next chapter and reads the parts following Rand or Perrin and she the Parts following Moraine until they catch up after Rand meets the queen and Alida. It's actually very cinamatic if you have a good imagination you can see the story unfolding in your mind. My self I am a addict to audio books I work alone as a security guard on midnight shifts and they do help pass the time.

 

 

Darth_Andrea

[Pub]

Wow sounds good then i was wondering whether it was done by a man or woman but that sounds great if they take turns it would lend more atmosphere to them when they POV from different sexes. 39 hours isnt too long takes me 3 or 4 days to read one book if i get into it and have the time

Thanks For your Reply Darth Andrea

[Darth_Andrea]

Not a problem hun, I just finished listening to Fires From Heaven yesterday and I have been amazed how Kate and Micheal can transition with out missing a beat in the same chapter. For example In Fires From Heaven when Rand is chaseing Ravine when the PoV changes from Rand to Nyneave they hand off to each other so easily that you almost miss it if your really swept up in the story. I realized while listening to that part that I hadn't noticed the hand off. They comploment each other so well that it dose become seemless.

 

Darth_Andrea

[PrinceOfRavens]

i downloaded em all trough torrents, and they work perfectly! I absolutly love them. The books really come to your mind if you indeed have a good imagination

[The Lost One]

I have mainly listed to the audio books and they are great as long as you stick to the unabridged versions.  As it was said before me, I also think the readers, Kate Reading and Michael Kramer do a GREAT job. 

 

If you are not sure if the audio books will work for you, go see if they have any at your nearest public library.  This way you can check them out for free to try them out.

 

 

[mike2R]

Not worth starting a new thread since I just want to make a small rant, so I'll resurrect this one.

 

A agree that the narrators are generally very good, but there's one thing that drives me up the wall every time I hear it:

 

Take a look at the word "herb".  Do you see the first letter?  That's right it's an 'h'. If the word was pronounced "erb", that is how it would be spelt!

 

I don't normally notice American accents - so much of what you see on British TV is American that they don't really register, but every time Nynaeve reaches for her erbs I get a sudden urge to throw something.

 

Not only do the narrators use it when telling the story, every single character that I've heard so far - and some effort is generally made to hint at different accents - also drops the 'h'.  I mean what's the chance of that? An entire damn world of people who can only manage 75% accuracy when reading a 4 letter word.  ???

 

Anyway.. I feel better now.  :)

[vinay87]

I loved the WoT Audio books. Im still at SR though. Its completlely different in the auidobooks, the experiance I mean. Its lmost like I cant miss a single word ever. So I take in more. Its unavailable here, though, sadly. And I've only had to get them through a torrent, but if they really are that pricy, no wonder I couldnt find them in a store!

[eflynn]

Not worth starting a new thread since I just want to make a small rant, so I'll resurrect this one.

 

A agree that the narrators are generally very good, but there's one thing that drives me up the wall every time I hear it:

 

Take a look at the word "herb".  Do you see the first letter?  That's right it's an 'h'. If the word was pronounced "erb", that is how it would be spelt!

 

I don't normally notice American accents - so much of what you see on British TV is American that they don't really register, but every time Nynaeve reaches for her erbs I get a sudden urge to throw something.

 

Not only do the narrators use it when telling the story, every single character that I've heard so far - and some effort is generally made to hint at different accents - also drops the 'h'.  I mean what's the chance of that? An entire damn world of people who can only manage 75% accuracy when reading a 4 letter word.  ???

 

Anyway.. I feel better now.  :)

 

Well, if you go to any online dictionary or find one lying around and look up "herb", you'll see that Americans pronounce herb without the "h" sound, like "urb".  The British pronounce it with the "h" sound.  They're both right depending on where you live.  The readers on the CD's are American so it would make sense that they pronounce it the way they do. 

 

BTW - I love the audio books.  I'm usually stuck in the care 2-1/2 hours each day commuting.  They make the drive bearable. 

[mike2R]

lol I know, and I know I shouldn't complain about pronunciations in an American recording of an American author...

 

Doesn't stop me wanting to shout at the speakers "it has a bloody aitch you fools" though.  :P

 

It just bugs me because it's jarring - the only time I'm likely to hear 'erb is in an advert for some American food, voiced in a thick accent that just sounds contrived. I'm sure RJ also thought of them as 'erbs, but I've been reading these books for about half my life and they'll always be herbs to me :)

[vinay87]

What makes it funny, though is when they pronounce Lan's name as LAN and not as LAAAAN. I used to make that mistake too. I think it was even featured on one of the podcasts.

[DemandredFO]

Well Path of Daggers is out in unabridged format on audible at least and audible has a number of programs to pay for and they give a certain number of audiobook credits.  The address is www.audible.com

[Darth_Andrea]

Yeah but digital downloads don't work for some of us. Myself for example, I live way out in the sticks, use dial up internet cause I don't have access to any high speed conection, and don't like the high cost of a Satelight conection. (Isn't worth it if a mild storm can kill it like it dose my tv signal) and currently the best speed I get is 26.4bps so trying to download a 23 and a half hour audio book is kinda out of the question. a 5 meg file takes near enought a hour and a half to download. Needless to say I don't download alot of files. So ya know there is reason for some complint to Tor and AR about PoD and WH not being out on CD Unabridged.

 

 

[glow=green,1,500]Darth_Andrea[/glow]

[CUBAREY]

Quote:

 

Not only do the narrators use it when telling the story, every single character that I've heard so far - and some effort is generally made to hint at different accents - also drops the 'h'.  I mean what's the chance of that? An entire damn world of people who can only manage 75% accuracy when reading a 4 letter word. 

 

Its the influence of spanish, italian (latin languages in general) on American spoken english. The "H" is silent in spanish.

[bjclinton]

bittorrent is the way to go. took about a week to download the entire series, unnabridged. its awesome. a lot easier than rereading for the 8th time :)

[Guest leebarr]

Most libraries carry books on cd and tape or the two I visit do. You may want to check that out.