An old and much loved favorite

Lately audible has started offering up some of my favorite books. I was delighted when I found September by Rosamunde Pilcher. But the narration! Oh My!!! When the narrator speaks in her normal voice it’s fine. She has a very nice voice. But when she tries to do voices or accents it literally makes my teeth hurt. I’m not going to return this book because I love the story too much but I thought about it.

46 people found this helpful

LOVE this book. HATE the narration.

I've heard this book before with another narrator (abridged, I think) and loved it, but this narrator is horrible. So shrill on the child and several female characters, and the male characters all sound drunk or like they have learning disabilities. I couldn't finish it because it wad so bad! Such a shame.

36 people found this helpful

Great story; horrible audiobook.

Would you try another book from Rosamunde Pilcher and/or Jilly Bond?

Pilcher - yes
Bond - NO

What did you like best about this story?

I love Rosamunde Pilcher's four novels. This is my least favorite of the four, but I still enjoy it. I was so excited when I discovered an unabridged audiobook was being released. Then I listened and by the time I hit Chapter 2, I wished it had never been recorded.

What didn’t you like about Jilly Bond’s performance?

I don't enjoy trashing anyone, but the narrator made me hate this story. The cloying voice she uses for Henry, the little boy, made me wish he got sent to boarding school and never came back. The Scottish accents were also twee and grating. Lisa Burkett narrates Pilcher's "Winter Solstice" to much better effect. Her children's voices sound like normal, thoughtful, intelligent people. Her Scottish accents are charming and don't sound like Groundskeeper Willie. To add insult to injury, there's a singsong quality to this narration that makes the story sound trite. I wish I had never listened to this audiobook. For the record, I have enjoyed other audiobooks Jilly Bond has narrated...this was just an awful performance. Again, I am sorry to trash anyone, but I'm very disappointed.

What character would you cut from September?

The narrator.

Any additional comments?

If anyone considers rerecording this book, please give Lisa Burkett a call. She did a marvelous job with "Winter Solstice" and could do this book justice.

17 people found this helpful

Afraid I agree with the other reviews

Like the other reviewers, this is one of my all time favorite books and I snapped it up the moment I found it was available on Amazon. But, oh my, the narrator does her best to ruin a beloved story. Her Scottish accents are awful, the 8 year old boy has the harsh voice of his 78 year old grandmother, and the men all sound like 4 pack a day smokers. So disappointed!

14 people found this helpful

Disappointed

Would you try another book from Rosamunde Pilcher and/or Jilly Bond?

I love Rosamunde Pilcher, but I would seriously think twice about getting another book from this narrator.

What didn’t you like about Jilly Bond’s performance?

Her narration was distracting and overdone. Especially the male voices and Scottish voices, which were ridiculous.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Very disappointed. I have loved this book for many years and I was so excited to have an unabridged, audible version. The narration ruined it for me.

14 people found this helpful

Very disappointingly read - sent it back

Have to agree with the other reviews - 20 hours of listening to that reader would have been purgatory - so disappointing as I was greatly looking forward to the book. What is Audible playing at?

10 people found this helpful

Narration unbearable

I would rate the story as outstanding I am sure, I love anything by Rosamunde. I tried several times over a five day period to listen and could never get past chapter one of the book, the narrator makes this truly one that I cannot listen to at all. Sad truly, I'm sure Jilly Bond has great accolades but reading this book would not be one of them. I am returning the book and am very sad that I did not get to experience the wonderful story of September.

6 people found this helpful

One of my favorite books; but poor narration

What didn’t you like about Jilly Bond’s performance?

The voices the narrator uses are way off - the children sound like old men, and the older women sound like crones. She has a lovely voice when she's reading
background, but her voices when reading dialog are poor. I've waited a long time for this title to be available in unabridged form, and was very disappointed.

Any additional comments?

The narrator who read the unabridged cassette version was Penelope Dellaporta, and her narration was excellent.

6 people found this helpful

Still a Great Book

Any additional comments?

September is one of my all-time favorite Rosamunde Pilcher books. I started listening to audio books in the 1990s and Rosemunde Pilcher was one of my favorite authors. Listening to this story again 20 years later, I find that the book has not become dated and it it was just as enjoyable the second time around (with one small exception).

The characters are well developed and you feel as if they are people you have always known and have always liked in spite of their weaknesses. The descriptions of the landscape of Scotland and the various homes of the many characters made me feel as if I were there seeing them for myself.

When listening to an audio book that has many characters, such as September, I sometimes make a written list of the characters as a reference to keep me from becoming confused about who is in the current scene. But there is no need with this one---or any of Ms. Pilcher's books for that matter. She does such a fine job of slowly introducing and developing each character that there is no need to make a list. Each character is fully developed, memorable and easy to recall in every scene throughout the book.

Beautifully written, enjoyable to ready, and ever entertaining, September is a book I will revisit again and again.

My one dissatisfaction with this audio version of September was the reader. After listening to the first recorded version I had a certain expectation of excellence from the reader and this version definitely does not measure up. The voices the reader uses for the older women and the young boy became so high pitched and somewhat "schreechy," that in the beginning I almost gave up and went looking for the original version that had been recorded on cassette tapes. But I was so eager to hear this story again that I stayed with it and after a while I stopped cringing when I heard those voices and overlooked this weakness.

All things considered, I still highly recommend this book!

10 people found this helpful

Good Story, Great Characters!

I am becoming a fan of Rsosamunde Pilcher. I have really enjoyed the way she develops her characters! The reader makes a strong and emotional connection to all of them.

3 people found this helpful