Post by Kieran on Nov 17, 2011 13:09:50 GMT 2
So I see there are numerous available of which some are in open domain. Of Peter Pan, I mean. Peter Pan in Kengsinton Gardens I found only one audio copy of, in english.
Warning; I'm not a big fan of audio books and it shows in the following.
In my search for a spoken line of Peter telling what happened with his mother, so that I wouldn't have to type it into my fan videos anymore, I went through samples of the audio books. Even just a narrated line by an adult would've done fine. But all I could find were either read by a horribly unpleasent voice (and I don't understand why were they allowed to read or how anyone can listen them go on for hours...), or/and read in the reading-to-a-child way that I could not possibly use any of them for a serious video.
This is the problem with most audio books I know in general too; the narrator's voice is either unpleasent, monotonious, or both. Or alternatevily over-dramatic. I guess it's a bit harder to convincigly read out loud than it is to read silently to yourself but it can't be that hard?
So I looked into some of the dramatized versions. In hopes to hear what Peter's voice sounds like in each. Unfortunately most samples did not include him but just the Darling parents and with a little luck, also Wendy. Which is idiotic. If you're gonna give a sample of a dramatized audio book, would you please pick a part that includes as many voice actors as possible?!
There was one dramatized version which sample bit was of Peter trying to find his shadow. It was nightmaeish. His voice was that of a human's but gender unregognnizable because the way he spoke was unnatual. He sounded like either a totally insane child, or a goblin. He was über-creepy! "I wasn't crying about mothers." - the way he said that, he might as well have said 'I killed her with an axe and I enjoyed it and I'm utterly amused with how you don't know that and thought I was crying for her MWAHAHAHAA.' And his way of speaking sounded unnatural all the time. I don't know how anyone could stand listeining to it through. I know Peter does not feel himself completely human and that he is insane to some degree, but not like that. I don't think he's supposed to speak in insane tones and as if he wasn't hunan at all, not even about his mother. The sound of his voice made me strongly suspect that version actually means him to be an elf/goblin even more than the Disney cartoon did. Unfortunately I don't remember which audio book this was so I can't point it out to you. I'll link to it in a later post if I come across it again.
Another dramatized version, narrated by The St. Charles Players, I gave semi-blind shot. The ratings for the over-all story and performances were 4-5 stars and there were quite many ratings, and the sample included the Darling parents and they were very fine, and the narrator was very natural and pleasent sounding. So I payed 7 euros for it, just hoping beyond hope that the child actors would be good too. Most were not. For a dramatized version they weren't very passionate about their lines. I liked some of the Lost Boys but Wendy and Peter were somewhat blaah. Especially Peter. And I dont' even know if it was a boy as his voice was unisex. But the bigger problem was the lack in performance passion.
A big plus for that version is that they included the final chapter "When Wendy Grew Up". But it falls flat with a bigger minus for that they did not even cast a woman but had the same kid say the adult Wendy's lines. WTF?! And the biggest minus of all: they changed the ending line!!!!! It ends "...to be his mother in turn, so long as children believe in the magig that is Peter Pan." AHHHH, my heart bleeds! That made it so...Disney. Why oh why couldn't they just read what the novel really says; "...to be his mother in turn, so long as children are gay, innocent and heartless." *cries for his 7 euros*
It seems I'm not even able to ripp the audio off of the file to use in a video in case I could use some bits of it for something. f**k this. I hate audio books. -.- Maybe I should get a microphone and read the book myself and see how it turns out.
When I began, I had hopes and trust for audio books, because I'd heard a fairly fine narrated audio book of Twilight, (side note; I hate Twilight), and a great radio dramatisation of Stephen King's Pet Sematary that did not cut too much out and didn't even change the ending. But all those beautiful hopes have been quite well shattered for Peter Pan by this journey I had.
If anyone knows of a good audio book or dramatisation with good samples (or entirely free), please let me know. I probably won't be using anything in videos but I'd like to have a listen to at least one enjoyable audio book. Of both, Peter Pan and Peter Pan in Kengsinton Gardens. The one Kengsinon Gardens audio book that I found was narrated by some guy at LibriVox...but as said, he was reading it to a child and I don't want to listen to those. Well, I do realize there may not be any Peter Pan audio book narrated to a grown-up. But let me at least dream.
Warning; I'm not a big fan of audio books and it shows in the following.
In my search for a spoken line of Peter telling what happened with his mother, so that I wouldn't have to type it into my fan videos anymore, I went through samples of the audio books. Even just a narrated line by an adult would've done fine. But all I could find were either read by a horribly unpleasent voice (and I don't understand why were they allowed to read or how anyone can listen them go on for hours...), or/and read in the reading-to-a-child way that I could not possibly use any of them for a serious video.
This is the problem with most audio books I know in general too; the narrator's voice is either unpleasent, monotonious, or both. Or alternatevily over-dramatic. I guess it's a bit harder to convincigly read out loud than it is to read silently to yourself but it can't be that hard?
So I looked into some of the dramatized versions. In hopes to hear what Peter's voice sounds like in each. Unfortunately most samples did not include him but just the Darling parents and with a little luck, also Wendy. Which is idiotic. If you're gonna give a sample of a dramatized audio book, would you please pick a part that includes as many voice actors as possible?!
There was one dramatized version which sample bit was of Peter trying to find his shadow. It was nightmaeish. His voice was that of a human's but gender unregognnizable because the way he spoke was unnatual. He sounded like either a totally insane child, or a goblin. He was über-creepy! "I wasn't crying about mothers." - the way he said that, he might as well have said 'I killed her with an axe and I enjoyed it and I'm utterly amused with how you don't know that and thought I was crying for her MWAHAHAHAA.' And his way of speaking sounded unnatural all the time. I don't know how anyone could stand listeining to it through. I know Peter does not feel himself completely human and that he is insane to some degree, but not like that. I don't think he's supposed to speak in insane tones and as if he wasn't hunan at all, not even about his mother. The sound of his voice made me strongly suspect that version actually means him to be an elf/goblin even more than the Disney cartoon did. Unfortunately I don't remember which audio book this was so I can't point it out to you. I'll link to it in a later post if I come across it again.
Another dramatized version, narrated by The St. Charles Players, I gave semi-blind shot. The ratings for the over-all story and performances were 4-5 stars and there were quite many ratings, and the sample included the Darling parents and they were very fine, and the narrator was very natural and pleasent sounding. So I payed 7 euros for it, just hoping beyond hope that the child actors would be good too. Most were not. For a dramatized version they weren't very passionate about their lines. I liked some of the Lost Boys but Wendy and Peter were somewhat blaah. Especially Peter. And I dont' even know if it was a boy as his voice was unisex. But the bigger problem was the lack in performance passion.
A big plus for that version is that they included the final chapter "When Wendy Grew Up". But it falls flat with a bigger minus for that they did not even cast a woman but had the same kid say the adult Wendy's lines. WTF?! And the biggest minus of all: they changed the ending line!!!!! It ends "...to be his mother in turn, so long as children believe in the magig that is Peter Pan." AHHHH, my heart bleeds! That made it so...Disney. Why oh why couldn't they just read what the novel really says; "...to be his mother in turn, so long as children are gay, innocent and heartless." *cries for his 7 euros*
It seems I'm not even able to ripp the audio off of the file to use in a video in case I could use some bits of it for something. f**k this. I hate audio books. -.- Maybe I should get a microphone and read the book myself and see how it turns out.
When I began, I had hopes and trust for audio books, because I'd heard a fairly fine narrated audio book of Twilight, (side note; I hate Twilight), and a great radio dramatisation of Stephen King's Pet Sematary that did not cut too much out and didn't even change the ending. But all those beautiful hopes have been quite well shattered for Peter Pan by this journey I had.
If anyone knows of a good audio book or dramatisation with good samples (or entirely free), please let me know. I probably won't be using anything in videos but I'd like to have a listen to at least one enjoyable audio book. Of both, Peter Pan and Peter Pan in Kengsinton Gardens. The one Kengsinon Gardens audio book that I found was narrated by some guy at LibriVox...but as said, he was reading it to a child and I don't want to listen to those. Well, I do realize there may not be any Peter Pan audio book narrated to a grown-up. But let me at least dream.