Jane

I really enjoyed this interpretation of Hamlet, which I've never seen or read before. I just finished listening to the commentary version (about 8 hours total), which consists of a full dramatic enactment of the play. Each scene is introduced by a helpful narrator who does a great job of keeping you up to speed with what's going on. She also gives you questions to think about as you listen regarding various characters and themes. Periodically throughout the action, the narrator breaks in to explain some of the important details, which I found to be very helpful and not at all intrusive. Her narration is enthusiastic and compelling, so it blends nicely with the action.

In addition to this commentary version, you also get a non-commentary version (about 4 hours), which I plan to listen to next. Now that I have a good understanding of who the characters are and what's happening throughout the play, I'll be able to enjoy it uninterrupted, as Shakespeare intended. :^)

By the way, this was my first audible.com selection, and I was very happy with the quality and usability of the recording. By usability, I mean the fact that it's broken up into several small chapters, ranging from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. It was easy to rewind a few seconds to re-hear something if I needed to.

Overall it's very well done. I'm looking forward to the next one!