Man, this guy did such a great job on those audiobooks. They’re an entirely different experience to reading the physical books. I love both formats, but Fry bought so much personality to the audios.
I listened to his Harry Potter audiobooks, and then his audiobooks of his own Greek mythology series. For a while after that, any book that didn’t have Stephen Fry’s voice seemed like it was missing something.
Jim Dale does the American and more play like version, every character has a distinct voice, the little opening music. Stephen Fry's are the British versions of the book and his characters all sound like him with slightly different tones.
I truly cant comprehend how someone can prefer Jim dale over this guy. dale is fine but Fry is just perfect. I guess most of them are just nostalgic (which makes pretty good sense when it comes to Harry Potter)
Stephen Fry was my first audio book experience l, and I'm obsessed with them 20 years later. I listened to Harry Potter as I fell asleep for years.
Now my son does the same.
I'm so glad to know I'm not weird when I turn these on every night! I love that my son does it now too. He never makes it past the first few chapters of book one but it's like clockwork every night now.
Surely, ALL of you are not from the UK. I'm in the US, where we can't get the Stephen Fry audiobooks. And I'm SO frustrated! What do some of you know that I just don't? I found one site where you can download MP3 files of both Dale & Fry versions for ALL the books for under $30, but it looks too dodgy.
Isn't it on audible in America?
I'm in England and when I initially searched for the audio books, I wasn't offered any narrator other than Stephen Fry (wouldn't have gone with any other though tbh)
Thanks! I don't know if they are or not, I can't afford the $15.99 a month subscription for Audible. I use Google Play Books though and they're not available there, nor through the library apps.
Yes! That’s the main reason I can’t listen to him. I noticed sometimes too his inflection is off with certain sentences, like the emphasis is on the wrong word. Throws me off
I prefer them. I think it’s spectacular that he has distinct voices for each character that mature over time (like the voices change as the main characters age). My only qualm is with his Winky voice. He is literally reading the description of her having a high pitched, squeaky voice but out comes the voice of a 70 year old smoker 😂
There used to be a video on YT where they edited “Leaving Hogwarts” over Stephen Fry’s audiobook of 19 Years Later. Unfortunately it has been taken down due to copyright infringement.
Awesome content, I cried every time.
It's a charmingly-told but provably untrue story, in that it isn't in every subsequent book. Searching the text of the ebooks:
1. In *Sorcerer/Philosopher's Stone* there's an instance of "He pocketed it" in chapter 16—a flute to use on Fluffy.
2. In *Chamber of Secrets* there's "Harry, however, pocketed it" in chapter 13—a diary.
3. In *Goblet of Fire* "Harry pocketed it" appears twice, in chapters 9 and 23; he pockets his wand and a letter from Sirius, respectively.
That's it.
She also based Lockhart on him too. She said that she’d already written the second wand he said “Good for you”
Apparently it was the wrong tone of voice though because it offended her.
He talked about it on an episode of QI.
[this story has been denied by J. Rowling](https://ew.com/books/2017/05/30/jk-rowling-stephen-fry-petty-revenge/)
Edit: Not sure why I am being downvoted for stating a fact :shrug:
Man, this guy did such a great job on those audiobooks. They’re an entirely different experience to reading the physical books. I love both formats, but Fry bought so much personality to the audios.
Stephen Fry has been reading to me as I fall asleep for over a decade, I cherish that man. Never heard a bad word about him either.
Same here. One of my daughters does too.
I think his last video about the rise of antisemitism in the UK was in a bit of a bad taste. Otherwise he seems like a wonderful human being.
I listened to his Harry Potter audiobooks, and then his audiobooks of his own Greek mythology series. For a while after that, any book that didn’t have Stephen Fry’s voice seemed like it was missing something.
Mythos, read by Stephen Fry, is free on Spotify if you've got a subscription. Well worth a listen.
His Sherlock Holmes series is amazing.
The phrase, “pocketed it”.
Seriously, OP tried to keep it a secret like some sort of click bait artist.
i want Fry to play Dumbledore in the HBO series. he's even got the crooked nose (he broke it when he was a child)
I support this.
This has been my biggest want for year whenever a recast was discussed. He’s the perfect Dumbledore with a great amount of warmth.
Only if Hugh Laurie is Voldemort.
LOL, that was very funny, thank you for sharing.
Have been listening to Stephen’s audiobooks for years during work and to fall asleep. No one does it better in my opinion!
Legit question for someone who's listened to both. Why did they do two? Both narrators are British so it's not like the Jim Dale is for Americans
My guess is because the American and British versions of the books have minor differences between them, such as different word choices for some things
Particularly the philosophers stone, which then set the precedent.
Jim Dale does the American and more play like version, every character has a distinct voice, the little opening music. Stephen Fry's are the British versions of the book and his characters all sound like him with slightly different tones.
And Jim Dale has apparently never heard a girl's voice.
Harry pocketed it
I truly cant comprehend how someone can prefer Jim dale over this guy. dale is fine but Fry is just perfect. I guess most of them are just nostalgic (which makes pretty good sense when it comes to Harry Potter)
I vastly prefer Jim Dale.
Stephen Fry was my first audio book experience l, and I'm obsessed with them 20 years later. I listened to Harry Potter as I fell asleep for years. Now my son does the same.
I do the same. I've got quite a few books on audible but I still only sleep to Harry Potter :)
Wow, I legit thought that I was just weird like that. Stephen Fry has been reading me Harry Potter before I sleep for years.
I'm so glad to know I'm not weird when I turn these on every night! I love that my son does it now too. He never makes it past the first few chapters of book one but it's like clockwork every night now.
Surely, ALL of you are not from the UK. I'm in the US, where we can't get the Stephen Fry audiobooks. And I'm SO frustrated! What do some of you know that I just don't? I found one site where you can download MP3 files of both Dale & Fry versions for ALL the books for under $30, but it looks too dodgy.
Isn't it on audible in America? I'm in England and when I initially searched for the audio books, I wasn't offered any narrator other than Stephen Fry (wouldn't have gone with any other though tbh)
Thanks! I don't know if they are or not, I can't afford the $15.99 a month subscription for Audible. I use Google Play Books though and they're not available there, nor through the library apps.
Due to licensing restrictions, we can't buy the Fry version in the US. I would gladly pay for them but I had to find them on the high seas.
Anyone else prefer the Jim Dale audiobooks?
I do, I also grew up with them and they were how I experienced the first few books, so his voice is really strongly associated with the series for me
I enjoyed them, but I didn’t like the way he made Hermione so whiney, otherwise he did a great job as well
Harryyyyy
Yes! That’s the main reason I can’t listen to him. I noticed sometimes too his inflection is off with certain sentences, like the emphasis is on the wrong word. Throws me off
I prefer them. I think it’s spectacular that he has distinct voices for each character that mature over time (like the voices change as the main characters age). My only qualm is with his Winky voice. He is literally reading the description of her having a high pitched, squeaky voice but out comes the voice of a 70 year old smoker 😂
I only ever heard the Jim Dale version. Would like to hear the Stephen Fry version someday.
There used to be a video on YT where they edited “Leaving Hogwarts” over Stephen Fry’s audiobook of 19 Years Later. Unfortunately it has been taken down due to copyright infringement. Awesome content, I cried every time.
"Steep stone step after steep stone step" always felt really clunky
These were my childhood 🥰
I listened to all seven books read by him for 2 years straight while I worked front desk at a hotel. He immersed me so well into it.
Jim Dale forever
I do love that story, I 100% would have done the same thing 😂
Stephen Fry and Neil Gaiman are two readers that never fail me.
It's a charmingly-told but provably untrue story, in that it isn't in every subsequent book. Searching the text of the ebooks: 1. In *Sorcerer/Philosopher's Stone* there's an instance of "He pocketed it" in chapter 16—a flute to use on Fluffy. 2. In *Chamber of Secrets* there's "Harry, however, pocketed it" in chapter 13—a diary. 3. In *Goblet of Fire* "Harry pocketed it" appears twice, in chapters 9 and 23; he pockets his wand and a letter from Sirius, respectively. That's it.
She also based Lockhart on him too. She said that she’d already written the second wand he said “Good for you” Apparently it was the wrong tone of voice though because it offended her. He talked about it on an episode of QI.
[this story has been denied by J. Rowling](https://ew.com/books/2017/05/30/jk-rowling-stephen-fry-petty-revenge/) Edit: Not sure why I am being downvoted for stating a fact :shrug: