The Phantom Tollbooth

Norman Dietz, an active audiobook narrator, has a deliberate manner of speaking which seems painfully slow with certain texts and meshes well with others. Here, in this children's classic, he shines. His expressive deliberateness conveys a sense of open-mouthed wonder. His deep and friendly voice sounds like a favored uncle reading to a circle of children. The listener is carried into the story and becomes the jaded Milo, encountering bizarre characters and peculiar places. The text is unadorned by sound effects or music, but it's no impediment to pleasurable listening. D.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


David Hyde Pierce delivers an imaginative narration of this unforgettable family listen. Milo is unenthusiastic about life until he receives a mysterious gift--a tollbooth that becomes his portal to strange lands. The fantasy journey kicks off as Pierce presents the Whether Man, who speaks so quickly that listeners, like Milo, won't know whether they're coming or going. Switching pace, Pierce and Milo next steer listeners into the Doldrums. There, Pierce stretches out each word, punctuating his reading with yawns until listeners, like Milo, are too sleepy to function. Throughout the story Pierce provides superb characterizations and faultless timing, transporting listeners with wordplay, steering them through slapstick, and thrilling them at every twist and turn of Milo's adventures. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine