2020: The Best And Worst Audiobook Narrations I Heard
Almost 82 percent of my reading this year was done through headphones, but you don’t need to be an audiobook all-star to recognize a good narration from a bad one. The best narrations helped elevate already great stories, while the worst ones further emphasized shortcomings in the story.
From fiction and nonfiction to young adult and science fiction, here are the 10 best -- and three worst -- narrations I heard in 2020.
BEST: Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow
Narrated by Ronan Farrow
Solid production and narration by the author further amped up the tension in this nonfiction takedown of Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer. Given Farrow’s background as television journalist, it’s not surprising he brought gravitas but most chilling was the actual audio of Harvey Weinstein coercing an actress up to his hotel room. It made my blood run cold and almost made this feel like a true crime podcast.
Dates read: January 22 – 26, 2020
BEST: A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
Narrated by Richard E. Grant, Richard Cordery, Nina Sosanya and Laurence Kennedy
Sometimes a full cast of narrators can be distracting, but it fit the structure of this novel well. Each “part” follows the deliciously manipulative Maurice Swift at various points in his life. The intimacy of the narration — usually a back and forth between Maurice and another character — made each section almost feel like a standalone novella and amplified the intelligence of Boyne’s human observations.
Dates read: February 3 – 9, 2020
BEST: Open Book by Jessica Simpson
Narrated by Jessica Simpson
Simpson laid bare the failings of her parents and herself, openly discussed self-doubt, sexual abuse, body dysmorphia, addiction and shaking off baggage from a Southern Baptist upbringing. If "Newlyweds" made her seem accessible, then "Book" has made her real. Her narration is candid, emotional and feels like chatting with an old friend.
Dates read: March 25 – 28, 2020
BEST: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Narrated by Stephen Hogan
Hogan brought humor and empathy to Cyril Avery, which helped anchor a few of Boyne’s more far-fetched and hard-to-stomach plots. He also gave each of the roughly half dozen main characters a unique voice and personality, which is no small feat. Read the full review.
Dates read: May 7 – 15, 2020
BEST: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Narrated by Robin Miles, Alma Cuervo and Julia Whelan
This was one of my most surprising reads of the year, and it was elevated by the phenomenal narration of the three voice actors, but especially Alma Cuervo who made me believe that Evelyn Hugo truly was larger than life. Read the full review.
Dates read: June 12 – 18, 2020
BEST: Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
Narrated by Judy Greer, Kate Mulgrew, Steven Weber, Terry Gross, Jeff Daniels, Max Brooks, Nathan Fillion, Kimberly Guerrero, Mira Furlan, Kai Ryssdal
This cast of film and television stars — plus NPR’s Terry Gross! — added a level of realism that you wouldn’t expect to find a story about Sasquatch. It was like listening to a radio serial from the 1940s, which was a welcomed escape. Easily my favorite narration of the year. Read the full review.
Dates read: June 19 – 22, 2020
BEST: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Narrated by Tom Hanks
Who would doubt that Tom Hanks would deliver a stellar narration of Patchett’s generation-spanning story about siblings Danny and Maeve? Read the full review.
Dates read: June 23 – 28, 2020
BEST: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
Narrated by Dan Butler
This classic was my favorite read of 2020 and that’s thanks in large part to Butler who channeled the pain of Baldwin’s lush and raw prose into, David and Giovanni. I was hypnotized by one particular section in part two — Giovanni’s confrontation of David — that I had to listen to it twice to ensure I was gathering all the details the characters throw callously at one another as the undercurrent of passion still hums beneath the scene. It was masterful and tense and breathtaking; I will think about it for years. Read the full review.
Dates read: July 20 – 24, 2020
WORST: The Running Man by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman)
Narrated by Kevin Kenerly
Sometimes strong narration can elevate even the most dreadful stories, but that wasn’t the case here. Kenerly’s bravado and machismo made Ben Richards’ racism, misogyny and homophobia even worse, making this nearly eight hour tale almost unbearable. Easily one of my worst reads of the year – along with the entire “Bachman Books” collection. Read the full review.
Dates read: August 30 – September 2, 2020
WORST: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Narrated by Nicholas Guy Smith
About once a year I come across an audiobook that simply doesn’t work in the format, either due to subject matter or story, and Towles epic took the trophy this year. Smith gave Count Alexander Rostov a pretentious voice that made it difficult to connect with him, and it was only amplified by Towle’s flourishes with style and language. The whole thing felt incredibly pretentious. Read the full review.
Dates read: October 3 – 18, 2020
WORST: Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass
Narrated by Daniel Henning
The story itself is hot garbage with poorly paced, one-dimensional characters and tired stereotypes. The narration is comically bad, with Henning giving Connor a sassy, overexaggerated Southern accent that isn’t fully explained until halfway through the book. Every format should be a hard pass. Read the full review.
Dates read: October 19 – 28, 2020
BEST: Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
Narrated by Dale Dickey
Dickey, an actress with Appalachian roots, came to fully embody the characters and gave each a level of emotion that fit the narrative perfectly. Had it not been for her stellar narration, I may have given up on McDaniel’s beautiful but tragic story. Read the full review.
Dates read: November 21 – 29, 2020
BEST: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Narrated by Carey Mulligan
Not that Haig’s story needed much elevating, but Mulligan brought out Nora’s humanity and sold even the more unbelievable alternate lives. I hope that if there is an adaptation, she is the lead. Read the full review.
Dates read: December 20 – 24, 2020
Explore more of my 2020 reading and listening:
