Edited beyond recognition!

Don't make the mistake of downloading this version when the full version, narrated by the author, is available for 1 credit. This version is (badly) edited to around 1/4 of the length of the original, is not particularly well acted and is so truncated that the story, at times, just does not make sense.

5 people found this helpful

not the real book

not the real book. dramatised and the real one is not available in all regions . look elsewhere to find

21 people found this helpful

Hmmm

Very abridged and a bit disappointing. After the Belle Sauvage read by Michael Sheen I guess it was a tall order. I now feel I have to go back and re read the book to pick up on the subtleties. I read the book a few years ago and wanted a refresher. Come on Audible get the trilogy re recorded in Michael Sheen fashion.. kindle and whisper sync... one of the classic stories of our time!

6 people found this helpful

Not the Audio Book

I thought I was downloading the audio book but it’s not. This does not read the book, it has been rewritten feels more like having audio description on TV.

10 people found this helpful

The Subtle Knife (Dramatised)

Absolutely gripping and stretching your imagination beyond the realms of reality. At times the plot was a little far fetched and confusing, but it made you think different worlds. A big tip is to listen to the books in the correct order as I started Amber Glass before Subtle Knife and realised something was wrong! Brilliant book and excellent production very believable. Loved it loved it!!

3 people found this helpful

Did not realise was dramatised and abridged

In error downloaded when the full unabridged version was not available. I couldnt listen as it was just too odd.

This is not the book

Very disappointed with this as I thought I was buying the audiobook which was originally showing as “not available”
This is a very abridged (under 3 hours) radio play version of the story, the book version is 8 hrs. I have used one of my credits to buy this. Strangely, the audiobook version is now available to purchase for £15 but I have used my credits for this month and also I know how the story ends.

Too Short - due to no background narration

As this was my first ever Audible purchase, I should have read the full description more carefully, comparing it to the other Audible version available. If I had done this, I would have seen that the total running time was only 2 hours and 26 mins, compared to the other version which was around 12 hours. The difference was that this version of The Subtle Knife was entirely dramatised, missing out all the narration that was not speech. It also meant missing out on all the amazing descriptive words of Philip Pullman which beautifully tie everything in this story together.

Without any visual aid it can be difficult to appreciate and fully immerse yourself in the story as it’s hard to imagine locations or the mood and thoughts of the characters. I still enjoyed the story and the actors provided the voices of the characters were great, but when it finished I felt rather unsatisfied and that I had missed out on certain elements.

For the next book in the series, The Amber Spyglass, I made sure I chose the version that was narrated by Philip Pullman himself together with an excellent cast of voice actors. This book lasted around 18 hours and was stunningly good!

Only 2 hours long!

I love Philip Pullman and had previously read all of his books. My mistake but when I bought this I thought it was a talking book narration. Instead it was a radio play. Better to get the other version. Very disappointed.

Better for kids than grown-ups

I read this as a child and was captured by Lyra's world - so similar to our own, yet so fantastic.

It's still a marvel, and I didn't mind my time with it, but I'd forgotten just how much of a children's book it is. The whole world revolves around Lyra, and everything she tries seems to work out. In some ways it's the kind of story a child might tell - "I went here, and there were mean people doing evil things, but I said this and they believed me"

I'm glad to have revisited it, but it's not quite what I remembered from all those years ago.