Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Narrated by Stephen Fry)

De: J.K. Rowling

Narrado por: Stephen Fry

Duración: 8 h y 25 m

Resumen del Editor

Stephen Fry brings the richness of these magical stories to life in the original British recordings, available for the first time in the United States and Canada.

Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms: a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'.

Treat your ears to a performance so rich and captivating you'll imagine yourself in the halls of Hogwarts. Wherever you listen, the unmistakable voice of Stephen Fry is guaranteed to guide you ever more deeply into this magical story and transport you to the heart of the adventure.

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

Theme music composed by James Hannigan.

Having become classics of our time, the Harry Potter stories never fail to bring comfort and escapism. With their message of hope, belonging and the enduring power of truth and love, the story of the Boy Who Lived continues to delight generations of new listeners.

©2015 J.K. Rowling (P)2024 Pottermore Publishing

Finally!

Several years ago I purchased the Stephen Fry narrated HP CD set. As soon as I saw the SF version was finally available on US Audible I added the audiobooks to my library immediately. Rather than writing a new review, here is the one I left on Amazon explaining why it was worth the $$$ investment to be able to listen to SF:


Coming in very late to the party here. I read the Harry Potter books years ago (and saw the movies), but I never explored listening to the audiobooks. Here in the US the only narrated version available is Jim Dale's. Listening to the audio samples hadn't inspired me to try them. I kept getting the strong sense I wouldn't enjoy it. The performance sounded like the voice characterizations were targeted for a child's humor.

Now, there's nothing wrong with children's audiobooks being made for young listeners, but unfortunately that also limits the appeal for adult listeners. Happily there are some YA/children's audiobook gems out there where the narrator's performance makes the content entertaining for anyone listening to it. The story's communicated with depth and dimension, populated with vivid, well rounded characters and, weird as it sounds, it's also realistic. I know, I know, magic and all that, but still, it's like I'm listening to real people in a fantastic adventure.

Tim Curry's performance on Garth Nix's Old Kingdom trilogy is a great example of this. I'd tell friends to check it out, the story's fascinating and has the best talking cat in it. If a cat could talk, _this_ is what it would sound like. Sardonic. Condescending. Soft, purring trills added to some dialog and screeching yowls when angry or alarmed. It's really, really good. The second book has a dog in it and it's voice is perfect too. Earthy. Pragmatic. The whole trilogy is a seriously fun listen with death, dire consequences and excitement. And every friend reacted: Um, yeah, talking animals? Is it a kids book? I don't know...sounds kind of young for me.

So I've gifted Sabriel to several of them to overcome the 'kid's book' stigma and I can always tell if they've listened to it. Months (years) go by and suddenly they're OMG THAT WAS FANTASTIC! Do you have the next book? I point them to the recordings that are, thankfully, still available and haven't been redone by someone else. (A couple of other gem audiobooks in the children's genre in my audio library are Ironman: The Gauntlet, by Eoin Colfer, narrated by Ari Fliakos and The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill, narrated by Christina Moore. I highly recommend giving them a listen.)

Now back to the Harry Potter CDs. Before I sank $$$ into getting this CD set I researched the whole debate about who the fans thought did it better, Jim Dale or Stephen Fry? Listening to audio samples from both audio versions (and then exact section comparisons when the CDs arrived), imho it's SF, because his performance captures not only vivid realism he also adds dimension to the story, enriching the content and making it so much more than I could imagine.

I'm going to pick Mr Durnsley to illustrate the difference between JD's interpretation of the character and SF's interpretation of the character.

It was immediately apparent JD voices Mr Durnsley as a comical buffoon. From the first book he's a big meanie in Harry's life. Scary, but not that scary. Not immediate. He's like a cartoon. I think this is why I never pursued listening to the audiobooks. I couldn't articulate it at the time, but it feels like the story's been limited. Like this is something a parent would want for their young children. A non-threatening villain. Something that doesn't cause nightmares. (Which is probably a great thing for them. My parents regretted letting me watch The Wizard of Oz with my older sisters when I was four, because the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys disrupted both our nights for quite a while afterwards.)

SF, on the other hand, voices Mr Durnsley as a large, domineering, angry man as soon as the character's introduced. He's a three dimensional person with no softening or funny caricaturizations. Listening to the story I was surprised at being aware of his size compared to Harry. The menace of him just sitting at the kitchen table. It connected with long forgotten personal experiences as a kid, when I had to sit near an adult that intimidated me. In book 2 when Mr Durnsley bursts into Harry's bedroom after Dobby makes too much noise? Wow. Mr Durnsley looming over Harry and raging at him put me right there on the bed beside him being screamed at. Serious unpleasant flashback to my childhood. Something I hadn't felt in decades. I could totally identify with Harry's trembling after Mr Durnsley left the room, and the overwhelming sense of helplessness to do anything to stop Mr. Durnsley's actions.

I was seriously psyched! If SF made every book in the series this vivid the purchase was worth every penny. His performance was definitely enhancing the story beyond my imagination, because I don't remember experiencing any of this when I read the books. I think I was impatient Harry wasn't figuring out how to escape from his bedroom. As an adult I missed what it was like to be a child in this situation. I was all, just blow this guy off and get out of there already! But listening to SF? I was eleven again, overmatched and helpless to change things, with the belief that I had no say and adults could do whatever they wanted to me.

When the Weasley brothers show up to free Harry afterwards? I was suffused with relief and felt joy and uncoiling tension during The Burrow section, making me very aware of the Weasley's genuine kindness. When Harry gets bitten and hurls the gnome out of the garden? There's no description of its travel time or huge projection arc. Fred and George's comments, delivered with perfect timing and just the right amount of surprise and pleasure makes that image incredibly vivid. And hilarious. (I also had a much greater appreciation for JK Rowling's wry wit and deft turn of phrase while listening to SF.)

The fear and repression experienced at the Durnsley's versus the laughter and relief at the Weasley's really highlighted the subtlety and depth of SF's performance for me. In the later books SF's nuanced changes to Harry's dialog reflected his growing maturity and developing attitude (cockiness) due to the many ordeals he'd survived at school. Being yelled at by Mr Durnsley? Pfft. He'd experienced worse. _Now_ Mr Durnsley comes off as a buffoon during their exchanges.

SF's narration has Mr Durnsley gradually transform through the books, showing us a man who enjoys terrorizing the weak, to being powerless when faced with a boy that can't be bullied and then how he's always been perceived in the adult world; as a blowhard that tucks tail when challenged. That's some spectacular voice work by SF!

Ron was much more well rounded too, surprising me. Again, SF presented him as a person from the first word, capturing how a younger brother would act and feel at home and at school following in the footsteps of his older brother's achievements. The enhancements SF made to his dialog, showing his shallowness and resentment as well as his depth of character made Ron very 'real'.

SF does this with everyone in the books. They're changing and growing through each story, instead of being the same from book to book. I love when a narrator captures this kind of dimension in their performance. Like...in Book 6's opening. I was caught completely by surprise to be up close and personal with the UK Prime Minister. As the scene progressed it had me grinning, then laughing out loud. Omg. SF's performance is _fantastic_. He deftly adds layer upon layer to the scene, not only recapping what's occurred in the story so far, but also lampooning the very full of himself PM. I had to recollect who was in office at the time these books were published and it made what was happening even more hilarious as the witty, pointed, unable to extricate himself from the public evisceration progressed. I'd even go so far as to say this is my favorite scene in all the books and that's saying something, because there are many, _many_ fabulous moments throughout the stories, but this one, with SF's oh so dry delivery, subtle and scathing, taking the PM to task, pinioning him and slicing away till he's left filleted by the close was an absolute joy to listen to!

JD's version misses all that, presenting a straightforward comical interaction without sly digs or political undertones. Of course everyone's tastes are different and certain things are more appealing to listeners. During my research I read a concise description of the difference between the two versions: JD's better for the funny parts and SF's better for the serious parts. That pretty much sums it up. I liked that the Durnsley household was a grim situation for Harry, that I felt it when a character died, was frustrated when injustice triumphed or experienced an involuntary clench of my stomach when Bellatrix corners Snape at the party. I was very, very aware of the fine line Snape was treading during her interrogation; admiring his nerve, understanding his motivations and hatred...yet still not liking him very much.

Like I said earlier, the characters have depth and dimension. They come off as real people, warts and all. If you're into that? I strongly recommend getting SF's narration, because you'll have a seriously vivid listening experience from the first word to the last. SF's subtle, touching, nuanced performance not only puts you right there in the midst of the action, feeling fear and pain (or heartache), it's also filled with dry wit and superb comedic timing that will have you laughing out loud.

Love Stephen Fry

Have always loved Harry Potter! have always loved this Stephen Fry version but could never get it. Respect to Jim Dale, but truly my favorite is the Stephen Fry version so excited to do all the rest of the books happy face happy face, clap clap clap lol

Stephen Fry is fantastic!

so glad to have Stephen fry version in the US. I'll be listening to all of them

Masterful narration, as well expected

Off to buy book two narrated by Mr. Fry. Brilliant, I actually enjoyed this audiobook as much as the movie.
Sincerely, a 47yo artist

Stephen Fry!

So very happy to have this version in the US, finally! We'll be collecting all 7.

Different, but in a great way

Some emotions were lost in Jim Dale's reading, to which Fry hits the mark better. The voices were good, especially the centaurs, but I do miss Dale's McGonagall voice.
Still a great story, and I think both readers have their merits. I'm definitely enjoying the differences between the two.
Looking forward to more!

Heard it before and love the variety between Dale snd Fry!

Realluy enjoyed this as I had heard Fry do the stories earlier and I guess I thought “they were lost”. But they’re not! I love the HP stories, always have. This just makes it easier to listen again (for the thousanth time).

Awesome NARRATOR!

I HAVE THIS BOOK IN HARD COPY! On audible with a different narrator. And now I have this new AUDIOBOOK WITH STEPHEN FRY AS NARRATOR! AND LET ME TELL YOU JUST HOW MUCH BETTER THE STORY COMES ALIVE WITH HIM READING IT TO YOU! I AM A HUGH HP FAN GO TO UNIVERSAL AS MUCH AS IM ABLE TO! BOUGHT DOUBLE BOOKS WHEN THEY CAME OUT SO BOTH MYSELF AND SON COULD READ THEM AT THE SAME TIME! BECAUSE NEITHER OF US COULD WAIT ONE MORE DAY!

Fry Gang!!!

Now I’m normally I very mild mannered person… but I’d just about commit criminal activity to anyone who thinks to choose Jim Dale over Stephen Fry. Get that NASTY sorcerer’s stone out your mouth! WE ALL PHILOSOPHERS HERE BABY!

FINALLY!!!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been waiting forever to get the Stephen Fry versions. I love this version just as much as the Jim Dale version. Wonderful performance. It's refreshing to go through the whole series again with a new performance. Love it so much!!