2008 The Children of Húrin (Roy Avers)

Release Date: 2008
Reader: Roy Avers
Language: English
Organization: Library of Congress
Copyright: © 2007 Houghton Mifflin
ISBN: n/a
Duration: 8 hours 21 minutes
Unabridged: Yes
Country: USA
Licenced: Yes
Formats: 2 x C-90: analog, 15/16 ips, 4 track, mono, Digital
NLS Book Number: RC 64650, DB 64650

Produced by American Printing House for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled service of the Library of Congress. This reading was made purely for eligible members of this special library service in the USA and not available for commercial release.

Roy Avers died at his home in Sellersburg, Indiana on November 13, 2015, aged 82. Known for his “Everyman” American baritone, he was one of the most prolific narrators in APH history (roughly 25,000 hours of audio) over his 35-year career. A celebration of his life was held at their headquarters on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville on November 21, 2015. A key part of the memorial was a special acknowledgement of Todd Hasson, Roy’s long time studio monitor and friend. The tribute noted that Roy looked forward to their sessions not just for the recording, but for the “companionship and the strawberry milkshakes” they shared.

From his obituary: “His proudest moments and his most fulfilled time were spent in his years as a Talking Book narrator for the American Printing House for the Blind. He loved going to work; he believed in the mission he supported. With over 1,750 books in the Library of Congress, he has had and will have a positive, lasting impact on the blind and physically handicapped community for whom he recorded.“

Christopher Lee’s commercial recording is famous for its deep, operatic, and somewhat “doom-laden” gravitas. Avers, by contrast, provides a much more grounded, storyteller approach. He focuses on the clarity of the tragic lineage without the heavy theatrical weight Lee brought to the role. While not quite as linguistically careful as Erin Jones, Avers was a consummate professional who followed the APH pronunciation guides closely.

This reading includes the Introduction, Note on Pronunciation, Genealogies and the complete List of Names.