Plucky Young Wizard Materializes on Tape

I am in love. OK, so he’s only 11, wears thick glasses and rides a broom. Did I mention he is also fictional and that his name is Harry Potter?

Like much of the rest of the world, I cannot get enough of J.K. Rowling’s magical, whimsical creation. In fact, after hearing thousands of audiobooks in this line of work, I will be so bold as to declare the Harry Potter adventures some of the best ever recorded. I cannot recommend them highly enough for you, or your children, as a holiday gift.

The first in the series, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” introduces us to Harry, his unpleasant relatives and his quirky classmates at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rowling takes us on a merry adventure that works on levels that will appeal to both adults and children. Her humor is surprisingly clever, somewhat sophisticated and always charming. (Listening Library; unabridged fiction; six cassettes; eight hours; $33. Also available on seven CDs for $49.95.)

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” picks up the story where “Stone” left off, though it also stands alone as a complete story. (Listening Library; unabridged fiction; six cassettes; nine hours; $34. Also available on eight CDs for $49.95.) The third in the series, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” is due out on audio Feb. 1. Broadway veteran Jim Dale, who has one of the most malleable voices on audio, reads all three.

Matching Rowling’s literary talent with an amazing array of vocal characterizations, Dale is every bit as enjoyable as the material. His British accent works well with these stories, as they are set in an imaginatively alternative English world, and his animated performance is nothing less than sublime.

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What would the holidays be without Stephen King sitting under your tree?

The pickings are slimmer than usual this year, due to King’s unfortunate accident, but what is available is one of his better efforts to date. He’s been branching out in new directions for the last couple of years, and “Hearts in Atlantis” is a subtle and complex collection of five stories set in the 1960s. It is so addictive you may find yourself circling the block to finish a cassette. (Simon & Schuster Audio; unabridged fiction; 16 cassettes; 21 hours; $59.95; read by King and William Hurt. Also available on 20 CDs for $79.95.)

The stories are interconnected, sequential and richly drawn. In the first tale, “Low Men in Yellow Coats,” we meet Bobby Garfield, who learns a few important lessons about life and love the year he turns 11. Bobby figures throughout the stories. The overall production is top of the line and enhanced by well-placed musical interludes that lightly underscore passages and demarcate breaks in the plot. The author, who often insists on reading his own material, is not a talented narrator, though he has been improving over time. His pacing is better than it once was, and he is not without merit, but his voice is nasal and not particularly pleasing.

Thankfully, Hurt reads most of the audio, and he is a joy to hear. His voice is rich, comfortable and well worn. He effortlessly expresses the complexities of King’s characters, from the guilelessness of a little boy to the bitter loneliness of that boy’s mother.

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The play is the thing this year. There have been a number of well-made, full-cast productions to hit the market in 1999, and some of the best are by LA Theatre Works. The company recently acquired the right to release British playwright Alan Ayckbourn’s bitingly humorous trilogy “The Norman Conquests.” Each play, “Table Manners,” “Living Together” and “Round and Round the Garden” is available individually for $18.95, and as a set for $47.95. They are performed with wit and enthusiasm by a lively cast of British actors. (Each is about 85 minutes, one cassette and available by calling [800] 708-8863.)

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If there is a fan of the Bard on your shopping list, check out the four latest titles from Arkangel, a subsidiary of Penguin Putnam that is releasing Shakespeare’s plays uncut in audio. These are fully cast, fully dramatized productions with excellent sound effects, music and performances. Just added to the 20 titles already available are “Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Two Noble Kinsmen,” “The Tempest” and “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” (Each is two cassettes; 2 hours and 30 minutes; $17.95.)

As Shakespeare really is best heard aloud, consumers will be happy to find yet another line of his work put out by Naxos Audiobooks. Not only has the company recently recorded “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Romeo & Juliet,” “Twelfth Night,” “Macbeth” and “Hamlet: Prince of Denmark,” but its catalog contains “The Sonnets” and “Great Speeches and Soliloquies.” The plays are uncut and run from 2 hours and 20 minutes to more than 3 hours. Prices range from $13.98 for two cassettes to $17.98 for three cassettes, and $15.98 for two CDs and $20.98 for three CDs. (Available in stores or by calling [877] NAXOS-CD.)

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That old TV favorite, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss, has been recorded and released with “Horton Hears a Who.” (Rhino; original material; one cassette; one hour; $7.98. Also available on one CD for $11.98.) Both shows were cleaned up and prettily packaged with an accompanying booklet containing an interview with animator Chuck Jones. They work surprisingly well on audio.

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Some of the best audios of the year are still readily available in stores. Fans of rock ‘n’ roll, complex fiction and Salman Rushdie will delight in “The Ground Beneath Her Feet.” Best described as magical realism, the work is a huge tapestry encompassing elements of true love, adultery, desire, music, mythology, political satire, historical drama, life, death, sense and nonsense (NewStar Media; abridged fiction; eight cassettes; 12 hours; $36; read by Christopher Cazenove).

Frank McCourt’s long-awaited sequel to “Angela’s Ashes” was released earlier this year. “ ‘Tis” may not have quite matched the subtle emotions of “Ashes,” but it came close. The two works, heard back to back, make for one heck of a good yarn, especially since the listener knows they are true. (“ ‘Tis”: Simon & Schuster Audio; unabridged nonfiction; 10 cassettes; 14 hours; $49.95; read by the author. Also available abridged. “Angela’s Ashes”: Simon & Schuster Audio; unabridged nonfiction; 10 cassettes; 15 hours; $50; read by the author. Also available abridged. Both available on CD.)

Natalie Angier’s exploration of the female body “Woman: An Intimate Geography” is informed by her biting sense of humor, sharp insights and witty ability to demystify complex biological secrets (New Star Media; abridged nonfiction; four cassettes; six hours; $25; read by Gabrielle de Cuir).

Lastly, if you need something that both adults and children can enjoy, there is a gleefully humorous, charming adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes” (Simon & Schuster Audio; unabridged fiction; 40 minutes, one cassette; $13). It was performed by a full cast that includes Liam Neeson, Harrison Ford, Rosie O’Donnell, Robin Williams, Madonna and many others.