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I really enjoy audiobooks - I realize that a certain words per minute ratio is almost inescapable when it comes to the read word, especially when a narrator is recounting a longer book, but I wanted to put feelers out in the forum, in case somebody knew of a collection of short stories, or a novel, read a slower pace.

Even in the mp3 era, when audio cd no longer cause books to be abridged, the time constrictions of the listeners are probably taken into account when commissioning a work to be recorded - and a lot of books are read really fast. (not at a breakneck pace, mind you, just not in a unhasty way).

I don't really mind but sometimes I'd like to luxuriate in a book read at a leisurly pace, nothing absurdly slow, just, you know, reasonably enunciated words, something to listen to in the evenings to slow down.

ANy suggestions are welcome!
I have found some children's narrative that fits the bill (Roald dahl stories which are terrific at any age : ) )
So I thought that maybe other short fiction (short novels, short stories) might have been created with the same spirit.

I'll look into ghost stories (they seem to require a dose of gravitas to make an impression) maybe some sprawling bucolic classics like the wind in the willows.

Should anyone else be looking for the same thing I have a suggestion about something I found in another medium in the past.
I used to listen to a podcast: Miette's Bedtime stories when the mood struck me - she had a warm, calm voice, that really hit the spot for me.

let me know if you have any ideas!

This is refreshing. SO many people who listen to audiobooks like to speed things up! I am definitely in the 'slow readers' camp!

John McDonough reading the Mitford books are a favorite!
You might also like "The Story Girl," by L.M. Montgomery on Audible.

I don’t have a specific narrator recommendation but I did want to offer that there are some audio players that can slow the narration below 1x. Scribd will go down to .8x for instance.

I just checked and Audible goes down to .5. To me it sounds funny but maybe better than trying to limit yourself to a handful of slow narrators.

Smart Audiobook Player goes down to .5X as well if you're an android user.

Overdrive goes down to 0.5x as well if you are a library user.

I agree, I listen to mostly non fiction and I need a slower pace to absorb the info. Also, on YouTube there's a channel called The French Whisperer - he is wonderfully relaxing. He has dozens of interesting videos that you can just listen to without watching too.

Last but not least - Robertson Dean reading "Chatter" was very relaxing. I don't want any unpleasant imagery in case I fall asleep while listening. And Librivox has many long long free books from previous centuries that are very calming. And hundreds of readers to pick from too.

Thank you very much for the suggestions! I think that slowing down the recording would feel strange - I suspect that pauses, intonation and rhythm are probably as important as the narrative, and it would simply not be the same thing, sadly. (I'll still experiment - you never know).
There are really strange techniques to make fast-ish reading clear and easily absorbed by the listener out there, have you noticed?
Some readers speak in a very bizarre fluctuating almost sing-song voice - if someone were to address one on the street talking like that people would almost certainly cross the street and give them a wide berth - after having ascertained through a prudent second look that they weren't having a stroke if they happened to wake up in a particularly humanitarian mood, I suspect.

I personally found Craig Wasson's diction to work - it isn't exactly slow but he has a raucous voice that somewhat dilates the sounds, and I a love for Stephen King who writes very long novels and is very often read at a lively pace.

I do not think it works well to reduce the speed--it sounds stilted then! I like best narrators that simply read in a slow manner, so I have time to think and suck on the lines.

Craig Wasson is great! He reminds me of Rusty Nelson and early R.C. Bray.

I have personally found the narrator Rebecca Lowman’s work to seemingly take on a slower pace, and she has narrated many wonderful audiobooks. If you aren’t familiar with her, I would suggest checking out a sample or two of her narration(s)—hope you enjoy! :)

Vittoria wrote: "I really enjoy audiobooks - I realize that a certain words per minute ratio is almost inescapable when it comes to the read word, especially when a narrator is recounting a longer book, but I wante..."

I too like audiobooks, particularly no-fiction ones, to be read a t a slow, measured pace. I need time to think and glue into my head what is learned.

I just listened to a non-fiction audioook where the reading pace was absolutely perfect. You seem to be like me, so I am highly recommending the narrator T. Anthony Quinn. I also highly recommend John James Audubon: The Nature of the American Woodsman by Gregory Nobles, which he narrates.

Margaret Hilton I think would please you too. She does fiction. Her narration of The Virgin and the Gipsy was fantastic. Now I am listening to her narration of The Ladybird by D.H. Lawrence and it is extremely well read too.

Chrissie wrote: "Vittoria wrote: "I really enjoy audiobooks - I realize that a certain words per minute ratio is almost inescapable when it comes to the read word, especially when a narrator is recounting a longer ..."

Thank you! (ty all)- every contribution was very much appreciated and I now have many interesting new books to listen to : ) - many in genres that I wouldn't normally check out to my loss but that seem really interesting as well!
I'll be sure to come back to the forum should I discover other "slow" readers to share - we are more numerous than people think : )

Victoria, here is another good narrator , one that I think you will enjoy as musch as I do-- Peter Joyce. He is the narrator of the book I am currently listening to--Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett. There are very funny lines. A person needs time to suck on the lines and this narrator gives you the time to think and laugh.

I have listened to bits of books at 0.95 or 0.90 when I need a repeat and the narrators' voices don't sound distorted. On other, less weighty, books, 1.20 is just as perfect in terms for speeding the listening without distorting the voice. Rather than limiting yourself in other ways, first play with speed options. I would guess that 0.5 is too slow for a voice to sound natural, so, slight tweaks might help!

Anything read by Neil Gaiman is always a treat.

Also, as a narrator who bristles every time I hear a listener confess to speeding up playback, I want to thank you for your very thoughtful request for performances that are more liesurely-paced.

Also - I've worked for several publishers, and recorded books longer than 30 hours (my personal record is 61 hours) and have never been advised to speed up my delivery to accommodate listeners' needs.

some apps let you lower the speed of the playback