Good Point, Well Made!!

Again, the only reason why I scored it so high was because I kept the audiobook at a faster speed, instead of the normal speed. If I kept it at the NORMAL speed, I think I would have been pissed and seriously would have wanted my $$ back. However, keeping at a FASTER speed did the trick. I was still captivated, is it possible to have that much sex? Holy Crap!! CRAZY!! Yet so intriguing. KEEP IT ON THE HIGHER SPEED TO GET THROUGH IT!! THAT IS THE ONLY WAY!!

122 people found this helpful

Random House trick me! Shame on ME for purchasing

Even so I told myself I wasn’t purchasing the 2nd or 3rd one I felt I should after the note posted regarding Random House “re-mastered” copy. For those that had anything to do with the producing or decision makers of this audible, this section is for you:

Re’mas’ter =(Noun) a new master copy of earlier recorder / (Verb transitive) make better quality copy of old recording. To make a new copy of a recording using new technology in order to improve its quality.

Well the 2nd book is not better and no new technology that improve the quality. Same narrator and yeah it lost the child inflection and fast marathon narration that Becca Battoe gives to the first one but its terrible when it come to the voices for the male characters. The inflections leave a lot to be desire too, pauses and emphasis on sections that doesn’t make sense and just confuse the listener. Also sometime she forgets to change voice inflection and I didn’t even know which character was speaking. I’m still blaming the producers or decision maker for the narration choice.
You really can’t ask more from the narrator when her only experience on narrating books is over teens (6 books) and children’s books (4 books). Look her up, I did. After listening to over 480 audio books I know what I like and don’t like from a narrator. I increase my review to 2 stars from the first book, just because she lost the "bubble gum" voice.
The love story between Christian and Ana is so intense, and so many unanswered questions from the first were answer on this one. The adult content take a second stage to their story.

95 people found this helpful

BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL NARRATION! "UN" REMASTERED

What did you like best about Fifty Shades Darker? What did you like least?

I am only into the first 10 minutes and I cannot stand the narration. YOU HAVE RUINED CHRISTIAN!!

If you’ve listened to books by E L James before, how does this one compare?

I LOVED Fifty Shades Of Grey, Ana sounded young but SHE IS! I loved Christian's voice, strong but sexy. I am happily married for 16 years but this book captues perfectly the feeling and the excitement of falling in love. I am anixous to see how their relationship evolves and I am rooting for them both. SO far, in this book all I keep thinking is about how bad they screwed up the voices.

Did Becca Battoe do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Becca did a great job in the first book but again the male voices are horrible in this version. I don't think this is Becca's fault but how Random House altered the version. Christian and all the men sound DOPEY and OLD. Ana is so listless she sounds like she is taking too much Prozac.

Was Fifty Shades Darker worth the listening time?

As I said, I am only into the first 10 minutes but I am worried I will not be able to enjoy the rest due to the "remastered" version!!! After being a member of Audible for years now, for the first time I am seriously considering buying and reading the book because I don't want the story to be ruined by listening to the horrible sounding male voices.

Any additional comments?

I could not wait until Darker came out. Counting the days until today and then I heard Christian's voice. Now I am not sure I will finish the book. AUDIBLE-tell Random House to offer the UN-remastered version to those who fell in love with Ana and Christian in Fifty Shades of Grey.

68 people found this helpful

Great story but bad narrator for male characters.

Would you try another book from E L James and/or Becca Battoe?

I love the story so yes i would be another book from E L James.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fifty Shades Darker?

How much Christian grow as a character.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I think Ana's voice improved, however, I can not stand Christian's voice. What's ashamed b/c I love this story.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

The fatal attraction b/c Ana & Christian

Any additional comments?

Please redo with better narrator.

60 people found this helpful

Narrator better, and worse....

Where does Fifty Shades Darker rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's definitely a different type of story than I usually listen to

What did you like best about this story?

The personal journey Christian undertakes to make a better life for himself and Ana.

What aspect of Becca Battoe’s performance would you have changed?

Where to start? She does better in sounding more mature in regards to Ana's character, losing the "valley girl" intonations, but Christian and Jack Hyde sound absolutely ridiculous! Who talks like that? I didn't have a problem with those characters in book one....

And she definitely hasn't learned to correctly pronounce several words....

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listen to books constantly as I don't have time to sit down and read them myself.

Any additional comments?

I really think the author should be consulted when choosing a narrator to insure that the audio comes off the way she meant it to when she wrote it....

60 people found this helpful

New Narration is Horrible !!!

Becca's ORIGINAL narration is MUCH better !! It perfectly fit Ana ... who is afterall , 21 yrs old and innocent . It perfectly fit her personality and character .
This new narration doesnt even sound like her character at all !! A 21 yr old doesnt have a deep sultry voice and it doesnt even sound natural . I feel that those who wrote bad reviews couldnt have listened to the whole book before making their opinion . It totally fit ANA !

PLEASE bring back the original narration !! I am very dissapointed in the new voice and want Ana back :(

42 people found this helpful

i like her younger sounding voice

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The book nothing...A great book, my favorite of the series, but as an audio, it is painful to hear. i know there were many complains about Becca, but it now sounds as if someone slowed the recording to make her sound deeper. It is a drag. Please, as much as i hated the valley girl voice, it is still better than this.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fifty Shades Darker?

i love the entire book.

What didn’t you like about Becca Battoe’s performance?

the male voices, and lack of emotion

Any additional comments?

Make her sound the way she did in the first one.

34 people found this helpful

The First Book/Narration was the better of the 2!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would change nothing about the book!

What did you like best about this story?

The conflict and Love Story!

How could the performance have been better?

I would prefer the original narration to the new one! The Male Voices are HORRIBLE! I think that the first narration actually sounded better; like a typical 21 year old. Absolutely HATE the new version!

Do you think Fifty Shades Darker needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

YES! LOVE the Midnight Sun/Fifty point of view.

30 people found this helpful

Dear Abbey, my girlfriend keeps exploding.

I was not a fan. I couldn't get through it. I've heard so much about these books, I decided to give them a try. Anna is a dead fish. My last review was deleted for extrapolating just how much of a dead fish she is.

The e-mails between Anna and Grey are unbearable, since the narrator has to voice out the to/from, message title, p.s.'s and signatures, between each and every message body. And the e-mails are used frequently during the book, as a major plot progressor.

When I first heard Becca Battoe's version of Grey, I thought she was kidding, and I started to giggle, until I realized she was serious.

E.L. James should be rationed on her uses of the words; mutter, murmur, whisper, gasp, explode, inner goddess, and Holy ____.

The Inner Goddess thing makes Anna sound schizophrenic. The plot and dialogue were weak. The ... scenes... were weak.

Perhaps this would be right up other people's alleys, and worth every penny, but for me, it wasn't even a lukewarm read.

25 people found this helpful

grey

this book was actually good. I had to roll my eyes at the end. like I wish he would go away. I know part 3 going to be something . I can feel it because of how this book ended.

15 people found this helpful