The Compleat Enchanter

I've loved this book since I was a kid (which was a long time ago). Always hoped it would be turned into an audiobook. It's about nerds before the term was invented, who manage to find a way to travel to mythologies through mathematical and logical constructs. There, they encounter the Gods of Myths and have great adventures. Exciting! Wondrous!

Not with this narrator. He doesn't mumble, every word is clearly enunciated. But you get the feel that he thinks he's reading the phone book. They're words that he is reciting. Shea talking about the woman he's involved with, creating the syllogismobile, and fighting giants - and all in the same tone, the tone as in "I went to the market, got some eggs, got some bread".

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No, unfortunately. Though The Compleat Enchanter books are fantastic to read they do not at all come off well under the reigns of Ray Chase. He has a habit of making whatever he reads sound like laundry detergent. His voice is boring, dull, gray and unimaginative. He killed this work. I wish someone like Jim Dale, Frank Mueller or Bronson Pinchot would re-record it as they would bring it to life. Bronson for his tongue in cheek timing, Frank for his truer than true voices and Jim for his believable portrayal of almost any storyline he reads.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Compleat Enchanter?

How much I loathed Reed Chalmers in this reading of the book. He was a pompous, overspoken jerk who needed to be told to "Shut UP!" a lot. I've dealt with academics like him and he wasn't all that great from the get go.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Voice variability. Inflection. Tonality. Pace. Lose the melodrama, in his case it read like the stock pages. I listened to about five things which Ray Chase contributed to. Unlike previously mentioned readers who only get better over time he NEVER IMPROVES. He has the same flat, monotonous painful reading style. He has less variation in his voice work than Wil Wheaton and that's saying something. Wil is actually a pleasure to listen to in comparison to his man's irritating monotone.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Math can take you anywhere.

Any additional comments?

Please, god, get someone else to take this great classic read and re-record it. I don't like George Guidall but even he would do a better job than Ray Chase. Please stop using this reader, his voice is painful to listen too. I'm saddened that so many people miss the wonderful narrative of this story because of poorly executed reading.