One of my favorite audiobook narrators is Stephen Fry, whose version of the Harry Potter series is one I’ve heard about from the very first time I tried a Harry Potter novel back in August 2007. (Interestingly, Jim Dale’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was the first audiobook I ever ‘read’, and featured here in 2010.) As much as I like both, I figured the pair would be winsome indeed. For the most part, Fry delivers a lovely performance, drawing on his long-proven ability to voice a large cast and keep the ear tickled. One weakness, though, is Fry’s ear for music. I don’t know if he’s tone-deaf, as YouTube comments allege, but the singy-chanty bits aren’t delivered with any musicality at all. His Voldemort was also very underwhelming, but I’m so used to Fiennes’ delivery I suspect anyone but Jeremy Irons would fail to meet my expectations. (There’s a recasting idea for you. Jeremy Irons as Voldemort!) I found The Philosopher’s Stone as charming as every time I’ve read it, although reading it as an older adult I was more skeptical of the plot. If the Philosopher’s Stone was so dangerous, so in need of being guarded by a series of traps, why did most of the traps have keys and clues? It does make for a fun story, though.

On the balance, I think I prefer Fry to Dale.