Ideal for listening to while you cook, on a run or as you laze on the sofa, audiobooks are a great source of entertainment. From a star-studded retelling of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” to a leading war correspondent’s sweeping history of modern Afghanistan, here are our top picks.
The Finest Hotel in Kabul
Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s chief international correspondent, “knows how to make a show with heart”, said Patricia Nicol in The Sunday Times. In last week’s Book of the Week slot on Radio 4, the veteran reporter narrated an abridged version of her book “The Finest Hotel in Kabul”. Over five episodes it tells the story of the Afghan capital’s Inter-Continental Hotel, which opened in 1969 and still endures today, under Taliban control. Doucet places at the centre of this tale the hotel’s staff: Hazrat, the housekeeping king; Abida, the brilliant female chef; Amanullah, the self-taught Mr Fix-It engineer; Mohammad, a waiter who was on shift when the mujaheddin took over the city in 1992. “Through their stories, the extraordinary, enduring plight of Afghanistan’s long-suffering people” is brought “to vivid life”.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I confess to being something of an “Austen refusenik”, said Miranda Sawyer in The Observer. When it comes to “Pride and Prejudice”, I’m with Mr Bennet in being simply exasperated “by the flapping and concerns of the ‘silliest girls in the country’”. So I was surprised by how deeply I fell for Audible’s outstanding new audio adaptation of the 1813 classic. Lulu Raczka’s script is “super-smart”; the original music, by Morgan Kibby, is lovely; the background “noises off” are convincing and evocative; and an extraordinary cast – led by Marisa Abela as Lizzy, and featuring the likes of Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Bill Nighy, Jessie Buckley and Glenn Close – bring it all to life with great charm, wit and skill. Indeed, this version “is so well done, so delightful, that I gobbled up the entire series in a couple of days”.
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The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
"Move over, David Suchet, there's a new Hercule Poirot in town," said The Guardian. Peter Dinklage leads the multi-star cast in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's first novel, narrating the "moustached sleuth" brought in to investigate the poisoning of a wealthy widow at her isolated country home.
So Far Gone by Jess Walter
Edoardo Ballerini is well known as an audiobook narrator, but listening to him read this novel was the "first time I understood the hype", said Marshall Heyman on Vulture. The story follows Rhys Kinnick – a reclusive journalist forced to reconnect with his estranged grandchildren. The protagonist is "one of those great curmudgeonly creations you just want to spend time with, and Ballerini brings him to humorous, relatable life". It's well worth a listen.
James by Percival Everett
Percival Everett's Pulitzer Prize-winning reimagining of Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is told from the perspective of Jim, an enslaved Black man who befriends "teen runaway" Huck and joins him on a trip down the Mississippi river. Narrated by a "wry and charismatic" Dominic Hoffman, Jim is given an "agency denied him by Twain", said The Guardian.
The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine
Acclaimed short story writer Wendy Erskine has written her first novel about a teenage girl's assault and the aftermath. The author narrates the audiobook herself, "but that's only the start of the story", said Alex Clark in the Financial Times. Erskine is a "gifted creator of monologues" and she's brought in over 50 readers to "bring them to life". Most are family and friends with little previous recording experience; a "bold move" but one that "pays off". The novel is "propelled" by the array of different characters; the "naturalistic voices" capture the "intimate friendships" and "frayed family dynamics" that make Erskine's book such a "great achievement".
Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
This "completely fascinating memoir" gives an insider account of one woman's career at Facebook, said Vulture. From Mark Zuckerberg to Sheryl Sandberg, Wynn-Williams "leaves no asshole behind", making the book a "compelling" read. Narrated by the author in her "charming New Zealand accent", it's an enjoyable listen – even when she "takes a few too many diversions or gets on her soapbox".
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
"Margaret Atwood clearly trusts Elisabeth Moss", said GQ. The actor played Offred in the TV adaptation of Atwood's "classic tale of a misogynistic dystopian America" and also lends her voice to this gripping audiobook. She's joined by other actors from the show including Ann Dowd, who plays the terrifying Aunt Lydia.
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
"Long Island" was one of last year's "must-reads", said The Times, and the audiobook is "beautifully narrated" by Jessie Buckley. The sequel to Tóibín's "beloved" 2009 novel "Brooklyn" picks up two decades after Eilis Lacey emigrated from rural Ireland to New York. It's the 1970s and she's in her 40s, living in Long Island and reeling from news of her husband's infidelity. For a "true completist experience" you can also listen to "Brooklyn" (narrated by Saoirse Ronan who starred in the film) and Tóibín's Ireland-set "Nora Webster".
