Does this audiobook exist?

March 15, 2023 1:07 AM

Did George Guidall ever narrate Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, or am I misremembering?

Circa 2006 I used to combat my insomnia by listening to audiobooks on my iPod. One of my go-to's was Heart of Darkness, which I swear was narrated by George Guidall, via some sort of free audiobook site which I believe I found on metafilter.

I lost the file years back, and currently cannot find any evidence that this recording ever existed.

Am I misremembering? If not Guidall, any idea who the narrator might have been? Older sounding man with pleasant vocal fry.

posted by rustybullrake to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

It seems there is a Guidall version: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Darkness-Typhoon-Joseph-Conrad/dp/1402511485 but I can't seem to find confirmation. He read other Conrad for Audible but not HoD.
There are free versions from Librevox, but not by Guidall. Here is one on YouTube, read by Bob Neufield, whose voice, while not as rich as Guidall's, is in a similar register, : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wExK37zBmX8
posted by chavenet at 2:32 AM on March 15, 2023

I have a similar misremembrance of Guidall narrating The Buried Giant. David Horovitch is the true narrator. I just checked Audible and there is a version of HoD with Horovitch narrating. Perhaps that’s it?
posted by scantee at 5:17 AM on March 15, 2023

Here is the Horovitch version with a sample to tell if it’s the right one.
posted by scantee at 5:33 AM on March 15, 2023

Response by poster: Thanks, but Bob Neufield and David Horovitch don't sound familiar to me.

That Amazon listing is the most I could find as well. I had hoped there'd be a master list of works Guidall had recorded but I couldn't seem to find that either, just a defunct (fan?) website that isn't easily navigated on the internet archive.
posted by rustybullrake at 6:09 AM on March 15, 2023

A search of the ISBN-13 in that Amazon record (9781402511486) turns up a few eBay listings for a cassette tape that includes two Conrad books - Heart of Darkness narrated by Michael M. Thompson and Typhoon narrated by Guidall. Here's one. The cassette is said to be published by State Street Press, which I think was (is?) a division of Recorded Books.

It looks like Guidall also narrated a couple other Conrad novels that are available digitally (also published by Recorded Books) - here's Victory and here's Under Western Eyes.
posted by meghanagain at 7:28 AM on March 15, 2023

Searching Audible.com and overdrive.com, I found three versions dating before 2007 that may be what you remember:

Narrated by: Scott Brick (Release date: 09-29-06)
Narrated by: Ralph Cosham (Release date: 09-20-02)
Narrated by: Michael M. Thompson (Release date: 12-16-99)

Couldn't find a Guidall version. I'm currently enjoying the Walt Longmire audiobooks he narrates, so a version of Heart of Darkness would be worth a listen!
posted by bCat at 10:33 AM on March 15, 2023

Response by poster: I appreciate the help! Unfortunately none of these sound like the narrator I remember. I'm nearly certain it was Guidall, despite all evidence to the contrary.

For a moment I thought perhaps I was just misremembering which book it was, but I have the distinct memory of the narrator saying "du calme, du calme" which a quick search shows me is from Heart of Darkness.

I am not sure what to make of this! I am very comfortable with the idea of my memory being unreliable, but none of the available narration samples stir any sort of recognition, and I listened to it so many times when falling asleep I'm very confident I would recognize it if I heard it.
posted by rustybullrake at 11:44 AM on March 15, 2023

Response by poster: I FOUND IT!

I was wrong, it was not George Guidall, it was someone named David Kirkwood (I think. I think Tom Franks is the one who starts off the recording).

Similar vocal fry and timbre, I'm not surprised I confused the two of them.

Thank you all for taking the time to help!
posted by rustybullrake at 11:59 AM on March 15, 2023 [1 favorite]