Norman

This is an epic story. An epic series. Everything a person could want in this genre of fiction is in these books.
Sadly, the reader is everything I hate in a recording. His voice drips out of the recording. His every character representation is someone seemingly taken from the drawing room of a very stuffy Edwardian upper class party. Every character, from 15 to 90 is a variation of Great British from cockney to Scottish brogue, with insipid nasal dandy the most frequent. The voice for Bron is horrible, For Varys simply wrong. For Jorah Mormont, instead of a exiled sellsword, he sounds like a someone's tired old grand dad. The only ones even half right are Tryion and Robert Barathion.
I tolerate this reader because I love the story. I had hoped they had dumped him (surely I can't be the only won who hates this guy as a reader), but no.
sigh...

Okay, what is the deal with two productions one read by Lee the other Dotrice? I did not know there were two, nor how I ended up with the Lee reading, but it really doesn't matter, they are equally horrible.

Dotrice makes Davos sound like Popeye and all others are overplayed stereotypes. Old people talk like they have a tongue the size of a catfish that they are talking around, slobbering. Warriors are all gruff. The Lannisters are apparently from the highlands and each speak in the lower class patois of Edinburgh. Mellasandra is channeling Garbo and everyone else is either cockney or stiff upper lip aristocracy. The only tolerable characterization is Dolorous Ed. Many of the characters are 10 and 6 but they speak like they are 55.

Lee on the other hand is apparently a foppish dandy, fond of imitating the rhythm of Lord Byron in the tones of Richard Burton at his overacted worst.

I don't get it. These books are raking in money. Can they not afford to find readers somewhere else than from Bob's School for Dinner Theater Actors in Cleveland?

I have read the book, loved it. Haven't listened to the Audible version yet, but I basically wanted to say that I am pissed that I ended up with the abridged version. I *never* do abridged books, and am so used to getting unabridged that I didn't even check - I mean what is the point in having both. (What is the point of abridging period.) So before you by this one *Check* and make sure you are getting the version that you want. I didn't and I didn't - now I have something my library I will never listen to.