
Gather ‘Round the Sound
Holiday Stories from Beloved Authors and Great Performers Across the Globe
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About this listen
Gather 'Round the Sound: Holiday Stories from Beloved Authors and Great Performers Across the Globe
2017 has been a monumental year for Audible, having just celebrated our 20th anniversary, a milestone that would have never been possible without our wonderful and loyal listeners. One of our major commitments is bringing new and diverse audio experiences to our members, so this year, as our gift to you, we pulled together a collection that reflects a little bit of everything we've been up to recently: a surprising and heartwarming documentary, a selection of stories from our partners around the world, and even some improvised comedic carols we hope will make you laugh as much as they did us.
The lineup includes:
Zip Code 12345
This mini-documentary centers around a peculiar holiday tradition at General Electric's headquarters in Schenectady, NY. For two decades, GE has been receiving thousands of letters from kids - children who think they're reaching Santa Claus. And every year, a handful of GE employees give up their December lunchbreaks to respond to each and every letter.
An Aussie Night Before Christmas, by Yvonne Morrison, performed by Magda Szubanksi
This rollicking rewrite of the famous old poem 'Twas The Night Before Christmas gives the original version a hilarious Aussie twist. Magda Szubanski, Australia's most trusted personality, caries this incredibly fun romp. Kangaroos pulling the sleigh, a beer for Santa, and all the over-the-top Australian lingo, it's everything you'd expect.
The Music Coming from the House, by Paulo Coehlo, performed by Daniel Frances-Berenson
In this magical story from the author of The Alchemist - the master of the modern parable - a disguised king visits a poor village, and what he sees through the window of a house changes his life, and those of the occupants.
The Signal-man, by Charles Dickens, performed by Simon Callow, Dan Starkey, and John Banks
For literature lovers, the holiday season needs a little Dickens. We dug up a story of his that you may not be familiar with, originally published in the Christmas edition of a Victorian short story periodical. Of course, ghosts are involved in this 19th century work told by Simon Callow (Outlander) and Dan Starkey (Dr. Who).
A Very Improvised Holiday Musical
What would the holidays be without some carols? Vern, a New York City-based improv troupe, performs a few improvised holiday songs.
©2017 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2017 Audible Originals, LLCRelated to this topic
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Hitchhikers
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- Narrated by: Therese Plummer
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Annie has always had high hopes for her future. But the reality of her life just isn’t measuring up. She loves her fiancé, Greg–doesn’t she? She’s going to get her degree and open her own business–won’t she? Then, a strange old woman shows up outside her house, and she seems to know a lot about Annie. An awful lot. Annie could tell the old woman to get lost. Yet there’s something about her Annie just can’t shake. And what she learns could change her life forever–but is it the life she envisioned?
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The ever present battle between past and future.
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The Honeymoon
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- Narrated by: Rose Robinson, Sean Burke, Leena Makoff, and others
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Timothy and Jonah, wealthy entrepreneurs with a spoiled son, hide sins from their past—one involving a death on a cruise, the other a crime in Bali. Nathan and Samantha, the hot ex-nanny turned trophy wife, grapple with infertility and a shocking paternity secret. Bartosz and Angelika (he’s a chef, she’s a former sex worker) carry debts to the other couples they don’t even realize they owe. Over fourteen days, the couples bond—but their pasts are too deeply intertwined to stay hidden. The sly concierge, Putu, knows more than he lets on.
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So many twists and turns
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George Orwell’s 1984
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- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
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It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
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A Revelation!
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The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
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The Answer Is No
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Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone? Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.
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Narrator doesn’t get Backman’s satire or rhythm
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Say No More
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- Narrated by: Anna Skellern
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
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Performance
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Who is Audrey Hoedemaker? It's a question her sister Maureen has heard more times than she can count, and she doesn't know what the short answer would be. Little sister, troubled teen, backpacker, musical theatre coach, con artist, childcare worker. Murderer. A tragic, traumatic childhood casts a long shadow on the Hoedemaker sisters. Maureen has worked hard to move beyond the violence of the past and build a good, honest life for herself. Audrey, however, just can't seem to do the same, careening from one state of chaos to another.
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Seriously, that was the ending?
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Hitchhikers
- By: Ben H. Winters
- Narrated by: Therese Plummer
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Annie has always had high hopes for her future. But the reality of her life just isn’t measuring up. She loves her fiancé, Greg–doesn’t she? She’s going to get her degree and open her own business–won’t she? Then, a strange old woman shows up outside her house, and she seems to know a lot about Annie. An awful lot. Annie could tell the old woman to get lost. Yet there’s something about her Annie just can’t shake. And what she learns could change her life forever–but is it the life she envisioned?
-
-
The ever present battle between past and future.
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By: Ben H. Winters
-
The Honeymoon
- By: Jane E. James
- Narrated by: Rose Robinson, Sean Burke, Leena Makoff, and others
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Timothy and Jonah, wealthy entrepreneurs with a spoiled son, hide sins from their past—one involving a death on a cruise, the other a crime in Bali. Nathan and Samantha, the hot ex-nanny turned trophy wife, grapple with infertility and a shocking paternity secret. Bartosz and Angelika (he’s a chef, she’s a former sex worker) carry debts to the other couples they don’t even realize they owe. Over fourteen days, the couples bond—but their pasts are too deeply intertwined to stay hidden. The sly concierge, Putu, knows more than he lets on.
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So many twists and turns
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By: Jane E. James
-
George Orwell’s 1984
- An Audible Original adaptation
- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
- Narrated by: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
-
-
A Revelation!
- By wotsallthisthen on 04-07-24
By: George Orwell, and others
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Nemo71 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
The Answer Is No
- A Short Story
- By: Fredrik Backman, Elizabeth DeNoma - translator
- Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone? Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.
-
-
Narrator doesn’t get Backman’s satire or rhythm
- By joey1603 on 12-01-24
By: Fredrik Backman, and others
-
Say No More
- By: Caroline Overington
- Narrated by: Anna Skellern
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who is Audrey Hoedemaker? It's a question her sister Maureen has heard more times than she can count, and she doesn't know what the short answer would be. Little sister, troubled teen, backpacker, musical theatre coach, con artist, childcare worker. Murderer. A tragic, traumatic childhood casts a long shadow on the Hoedemaker sisters. Maureen has worked hard to move beyond the violence of the past and build a good, honest life for herself. Audrey, however, just can't seem to do the same, careening from one state of chaos to another.
-
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Seriously, that was the ending?
- By alicia in athens on 02-13-25
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He Who Fights with Monsters 2
- A LitRPG Adventure (He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 2)
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
But Jason Asano is settling into his new life. Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone to compete for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer. While the young adventurers are caught up in competition, the city leaders deal with revelations of betrayal as a vast and terrible enemy is revealed. Although Jason seems uninvolved, he has unknowingly crossed the enemy’s path before.
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Contrary to common reviews
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Starship Troopers
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Johnnie Rico never really intended to join up—and definitely not the infantry. But now that he’s in the thick of it, trying to get through combat training harder than anything he could have imagined, he knows everyone in his unit is one bad move away from buying the farm in the interstellar war the Terran Federation is waging against the Arachnids. Because everyone in the Mobile Infantry fights. And if the training doesn’t kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to finish the job.
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The definitive version!
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Fahrenheit 451
- By: Ray Bradbury
- Narrated by: Tim Robbins
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family."
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Wish I Hadn't Cliff Noted This in High School
- By Joel on 03-27-17
By: Ray Bradbury
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Brain Damage
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Megan Tusing
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
As Charly struggles to recover from her brain injury, she begins to realize that the events of that fateful night are trapped in the damaged right side of her brain. Now, she must put the jigsaw pieces together to discover the identity of the man who tried to kill her...before he finishes the job he started.
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Who Else Laughed, Cried, and Shuddered?
- By Jennifer Chichester on 09-16-22
By: Freida McFadden
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The House on the Water
- A Novella
- By: Margot Hunt
- Narrated by: Taylor Schilling
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Every year, Caroline Reed takes a trip with her best friend, Esme Lamont. They’re usually accompanied by their spouses - but this year, everything’s changed. Esme has just gone through a bitter divorce, and Caroline's wondering if her own marriage is reaching its breaking point as she and her husband, John, cope with the discovery that their son has been abusing drugs. Still, the inseparable duo books a weeklong stay at a beach-front home in Shoreham, Florida, inviting Esme’s brother, Nick, and his new husband. After a blissful first night in the vacation home, tragedy strikes.
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Wonderful Story
- By David M. Wilcox on 12-04-20
By: Margot Hunt
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The Pearl and the Onion
- By: Brittany K. Allen
- Narrated by: Anna Chlumsky, Jasmine Cephas-Jones
- Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When our story begins, Julia Child is an eager but inexperienced codebreaker longing to prove herself in the male-dominated world of intelligence, and Josephine Baker is, well, Josephine Baker—a world-famous entertainer who is now leading a double life as a spy for the French Resistance. When a golden opportunity arises to infiltrate a high-stakes Nazi gala in Vichy France, Julia must put aside her by-the-book mentality to assist her unorthodox new partner.
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Excellent
- By Ticked Off on 03-30-25
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Holiday Greetings from Sugar and Booze is a music-filled holiday comedy starring Ana Gasteyer and Maya Rudolph, with a jolly cast including Patti LuPone, Rachel Dratch, and Richard Kind. In this heartwarming story of love and friendship, we follow the journey of “Sugar” and “Booze” as they go from inseparable college buddies to busy working moms who mostly keep in touch with each other, and their close friends and family, through annual holiday letters.
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Story
When Kate wins an item at her children’s elementary school auction - an all-inclusive trip to SeaView at Sandpiper Bay - she thinks it’s just what her family needs after a decade of career disappointments and a marriage on its last legs. She has no reason to believe that said trip is a Fyre Festival-level fraud and, in fact, the catalyst to her unraveling. But it is. Oh, but it is.
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Christina Applegate is everything
- By Julie on 03-21-21
By: Matt Boren
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A Mind of Her Own
- By: Paula McLain
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 1 hr and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Marie Sklodowska, 25, is studying science at the Sorbonne—one of the only universities in the world that has begun to admit women. A thousand miles from her native Poland, with no money and the odds stacked against any woman daring to pursue a career in such a rigorous field, Marie throws herself into her studies. She’s certain that to succeed in a man’s world, she will have to go it alone.
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Based on a true story
- By Kingsley on 03-01-19
By: Paula McLain
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The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: Michael Maloney
- Length: 55 mins
- Abridged
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Michael Maloney reads Daniel Defoe's timeless tale of a man who has to use all his own skills to survive alone on an island. Robinson Crusoe has a great desire to see the world and, against his father's wishes, goes to sea. After surviving a terrible shipwreck, however, Robinson Crusoe discovers he is the only person on a deserted island, far from any shipping routes or rescue.
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NOT whole book
- By Amazon Customer on 11-18-20
By: Daniel Defoe
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Lady Chatterley's Lover
- By: D. H. Lawrence
- Narrated by: Lydia West
- Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Constance Chatterley seeks to escape from the confines of a loveless marriage and the upper class surroundings that suffocate her. When she meets the gamekeeper of Chatterley mansion, Oliver Mellors, she is mesmerised and infatuated by his no-nonsense demeanour and passionate touch. The two soon forge a profound bond as a result of their sexual compatibility and sociopolitical views.
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A Reader Worthy of D.H.L
- By Sandy McCall on 12-07-21
By: D. H. Lawrence
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Maktub
- An Inspirational Companion to The Alchemist
- By: Paulo Coelho
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 2 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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From one of the greatest writers of our age comes a collection of stories and parables unlocking the mysteries of the human condition. Gathered from Paulo Coelho’s daily column of the same name, Maktub, meaning “it is written,” invites seekers on a journey of faith, self-reflection, and transformation. As Paulo Coelho explains, “Maktub is not a book of advice—but an exchange of experiences.”
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Coehlo read by Ballerini = perfection
- By Kenneth Powell on 03-05-24
By: Paulo Coelho
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Marie
- By: H. Rider Haggard
- Narrated by: Shelly Frasier
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Allan Quatermain, hero of King Solomon's mines, tells a moving tale of his first wife, the Dutch-born Marie Marais, and the adventures that were linked to her beautiful, tragic history. This moving story depicts the tumultuous political era of the 1830s, involving the Boers, French colonists and the Zulu tribe in the Cape colony of South Africa. Hate and suspicion run high between the home government and the Dutch subjects.
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Confusing narration!
- By Browsing on 02-22-14
By: H. Rider Haggard
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The Chocolate Tree
- By: Dina Gregory
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Charlie and her friends are avid video gamers. But when they spot a huge chocolate bar growing from the top of a tree—then another, and another—it is the beginning of a real-life, outdoor quest!
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Delicious morsel before nap time
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 09-30-23
By: Dina Gregory
What listeners say about Gather ‘Round the Sound
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- JEYCEE
- 12-10-17
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas season - the birthday of Jesus . Great time to celebrate with families and friends.
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7 people found this helpful
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- KeziaLivesLegendary
- 12-13-17
Good christmas cheer. Easy listening.
Really sweet, will definitely have another listen this December. Recomended it to friends already. Christmas cheer
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1 person found this helpful
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- sharonme
- 12-11-17
Fun
Very nostalgic. Terrific holiday treat. A sweet taste of old favorites mixed with a dash of something new.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lauren Cutrera
- 12-13-17
So disappointing after last year's holiday magic!
What disappointed you about Gather ‘Round the Sound?
After last year's The Most Wonderful Tales of the Year, I was eagerly anticipating this year's holiday offering from Audible. Alas, this haphazard production was a let-down. The part about Santa and the kids was interesting, and I enjoyed the story based on n Indian tale and the Aussie Night Before Christmas. But the Dickens story seemed out of place, and the improv piece at the end was truly awful. Perhaps next year we'll be treated to a more well-written, cohesive, well-performed collection!
What do you think your next listen will be?
Alan Furst's Mission to Paris
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
I found it uneven. However, I found the entire thing to be disjointed.
What character would you cut from Gather ‘Round the Sound?
Improv section at the end
Any additional comments?
Last year's Audible holiday work was excellent. Great stories, great narration, and great flow. I'd love to see something like that again next year!
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- G. Parish
- 12-13-20
Not a winner
I recently listened to Gather Round the Sound written by Paulo Coelho, Yvonne Morrison, Charles Dickens and narrated by Angele Masters, Daniel Frances Berenson, Magda Szubanski, Simon Callow, Dan Starkey, John Banks, and Vern.
This is a short collection of holiday tales put together by Audible for Christmas in 2017. Some of the stories are quite good, though some are not. One of the best, in my personal opinion, is a tale by Charles Dickens called the Signal Man. It's more appropriate to Halloween than Christmas, but 'tis still quite good.
The narration was solid on this throughout. Some stories had a single narrator and others were full cast, but it generally was well done.
Conclusion: This was a halfway decent collection of stories. Some weren't quite as good and others didn't match the intended theme, thus I would say it's one to avoid unless they give it away for free in the future.
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- Damian
- 12-01-20
In the holiday spirit...
I gave it a “2”...because it seems desirous of expressing the season, but “a very improvised...etc” is exactly that...improvised...and not well, managing to be disjointed, silly, pretentious and strident all at the same time. Glad it was free.
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- kcm booklover
- 12-13-17
Glad it was free
Two of the five stories -- 12345 and Australian Night Before Christmas -- were enjoyable. Paulo Coelho story was meh. No idea what the Dickens story had to do with the holidays. Vern improv bit was lame.
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- zandperl
- 12-10-17
A very appropriative Christmas
I was disappointed how the first story included a caricature of Chinese people, and the second took an “Indian” folk story (unclear if South Asian Indian or Native American Indian) and turned it into a Christmas parable. The Dickens story was a cute winter ghost story though, and the improv caroling was entertaining.
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- Richard
- 12-16-17
first half great second not so much.
loved the kids stories but the last one with the "improv" group was utterly boring and had zero thought put into it.
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- Matthew Quinton
- 12-16-17
Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but...
I really appreciate Audible's annual gift to us, and last year's was pretty much spot-on in terms of content worth listening to. But this piece was just way too muddled, starting off with the This American Life style reporting and going to some uneven book performances followed by an absolutely unfunny singing improvisational troupe. Just go back to having the narrator's tell us their holiday experiences. That really seemed to do the trick.
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