(no subject)
Okay, quick comment here on the audiobook of Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment:
1. Since when did Raymond Briggs take over from Tony Robinson in reading the Discworld audio books? With the tapes I got from the library, I'm deprived of, at least, Robinson's near-perfect take on Vimes. Briggs makes him far less gruff and has (comparatively) little emotion to the reading. I know I'm surprised just because I'm so used to Robinson's take on the characters. Briggs is most definitely reading the text, whereas I feel Robinson has more variety. Maybe I should borrow another of his audio books, just to see. But the difference isn't what shocked me most....
2. For the man who did the Discworld maps, you'd think Briggs knows where Borogravia is supposed to be. It's around the Uberwald area, a country in the series which is vaguely based off of north/eastern Europe, and specific countries such as Transylvania (well, obviously considering the vampires...)
3. And what do I hear when Briggs takes on the voices of Polly and Jackrum? Something bordering on a Welsh accent. Well, I can't exactly tell what Briggs was going for (because I can't distinguish accents at all well), but it is certainly not what I would have expected. The funny thing is that Maladict and the Zlobenians are given the sort of accents you'd expect - similar to Robinson's take on Wolfgang Von Uberwald and Angua in The Fifth Elephant. Considering that book has Chekov references, of all things, the audiobook got their accents right, the sort of thing I was expecting. I was thinking northern Europe, snow, ice, desolate landscape (which Pratchett, for the type of style he normally goes for, evokes remarkably well)....and an appropriate accent.
4. Briggs' performance isn't bad, far from it, but I prefer Robinson's delivery and characterisation. Briggs' take on Blouse is very good, and Jackrum isn't bad, either. There are a couple of passages, such as the scene with the dead wood-burners, where I just know Robinson would have taken a more sombre tone to Pratchett's words. But Briggs just reads it. His voice is nice to listen to, just not got the atmosphere quite right, I don't think.
1. Since when did Raymond Briggs take over from Tony Robinson in reading the Discworld audio books? With the tapes I got from the library, I'm deprived of, at least, Robinson's near-perfect take on Vimes. Briggs makes him far less gruff and has (comparatively) little emotion to the reading. I know I'm surprised just because I'm so used to Robinson's take on the characters. Briggs is most definitely reading the text, whereas I feel Robinson has more variety. Maybe I should borrow another of his audio books, just to see. But the difference isn't what shocked me most....
2. For the man who did the Discworld maps, you'd think Briggs knows where Borogravia is supposed to be. It's around the Uberwald area, a country in the series which is vaguely based off of north/eastern Europe, and specific countries such as Transylvania (well, obviously considering the vampires...)
3. And what do I hear when Briggs takes on the voices of Polly and Jackrum? Something bordering on a Welsh accent. Well, I can't exactly tell what Briggs was going for (because I can't distinguish accents at all well), but it is certainly not what I would have expected. The funny thing is that Maladict and the Zlobenians are given the sort of accents you'd expect - similar to Robinson's take on Wolfgang Von Uberwald and Angua in The Fifth Elephant. Considering that book has Chekov references, of all things, the audiobook got their accents right, the sort of thing I was expecting. I was thinking northern Europe, snow, ice, desolate landscape (which Pratchett, for the type of style he normally goes for, evokes remarkably well)....and an appropriate accent.
4. Briggs' performance isn't bad, far from it, but I prefer Robinson's delivery and characterisation. Briggs' take on Blouse is very good, and Jackrum isn't bad, either. There are a couple of passages, such as the scene with the dead wood-burners, where I just know Robinson would have taken a more sombre tone to Pratchett's words. But Briggs just reads it. His voice is nice to listen to, just not got the atmosphere quite right, I don't think.