"Bad narration can ruin the best book"
A different narrator. I read these books years ago & was looking forward to the audio version, but was only able to make about 20 minutes into the audiobook before bagging it. I found the narration unlistenable.
Inappropriate and omnipresent emphasis, like every single phrase has a secret meaning. It's annoying as hell. This is the second worst performance I've heard on an audiobook. (The worst was Victor Bevine's performance on _This Immortal_.)