Audio Books
October 7, 2017To The Lighthouse
“It’s wondrous to listen to a fine reading of a long-loved novel. Leishman makes masterly use of volume, timbre and resonance to distinguish between characters and draw us into the emotional swings and vibrations of the internal musings of each… Leishman also draws our attention to Woolf’s poetic prose: her rhythms and images, her use of hard consonants in monosyllabic words in counterpoint to long, soft, dreamy words and phrases… This is a book that cannot be read—or heard—too often.”
(PUBLISHERS WEEKLY)
The Great Fire
“Virginia Leishman’s narration, precise and thoughtful,….shimmers with an implicit energy. Though not really a war novel, this 2003 National Book Award winner is probably the finest study ever made of its aftermath, and Leishman’s narration replicates the almost imperceptible movement from postwar hollowness to hope reborn.”
(AUDIOFILE EARPHONE AWARD)
The Moorchild
“Virginia Leishman’s richly cadenced voice imbues this tale of a changeling child, caught in a hostile human world, with poignance, dignity, and magic.”
(BOOKLIST: EDITOR’S CHOICE 1998)
“Anyone requiring a demonstration of Leishman’s ability to knit words into melody need only listen to her description of Saaski’s discovery of the bagpipes; each word is given its own lilt, each phrase its own register, each sentence its due rhythm, creating a music as wild and strange as the tunes Saaski herself plays from the depths of her ancient being. Leishman is equal to this extraordinary book; no higher accolade is needed.”
(ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN’S RECORDINGS 1999)
The Railway Children
“Leishman has a British accent, appropriate to a novel set in England, and reads with a voice that is formal, yet sweet and appealing without being cloying. Her timing is impeccable, and her voice adds beauty and elegance to a lovely story … an absolute listening pleasure, and worth listening to again and again.”
(AUDIOFILE EARPHONES AWARD)
Elementals
“Leishman, a master of her art, has a beautiful voice, beautiful diction and a fine ear for tones. If you already like Byatt, you’ll find this audio a treat.”
(KLIATT)
Possession
BEST AUDIOBOOKS OF 1999 selection (Library Journal)
“Reader Virginia Leishman handles the foursome–today’s critics, yesterday’s writers–with intelligence and grace and does great credit to the sometimes demanding manuscripts Byatt includes in the story…. an outstanding audiobook.”
(AUDIOFILE)
“The movie version of A.S. Byatt’s Possession may have received mixed reviews, but the unabridged recording is cause for audio elation. … I had trouble reading the novel, but found listening to Virginia Leishman’s reading a 23-hour pleasure.”
(BOOKPAGE AUDIO REVIEW)
The Brass Dolphin
“…narrator Virgina Leishman excels. Her fine, textured reading turns an enjoyable, yet predictable, novel into a wonderful listening experience. Her intelligent use of inflection and shaded changes of tone keep the listener involved and committed to the characters… Leishman is a captivating talent.”
(AUDIOFILE)
Mourning Ruby
“Leishman’s soft, skillful reading holds this complex work together. Her direct and forceful narration, with its rich, precise intonations, weaves Rebecca’s fragments into an emerging tapestry.”
(AudioFile)
The Matisse Stories
“A.S. Byatt offers three stories that tantalize the senses… In narrator Virginia Leishman’s oral interpretation, each of the sensory references becomes even more striking. Leishman is able to project the careful flow of conversation between characters with unusual subtlety. She uses inflections and pauses to reveal much about human nature. Through this sensitive narration, Byatt’s stories are both soothing and provocative… ”
(CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR)
The Thrall’s Tale
“Despite the relentless suffering of Katla, Leishman voices her so well that listening is irresistible, even in the darkest moments.”
(AUDIOFILE)