Get starstruck with the best celebrity-narrated audiobooks

These star-studded listens include all-time classic literature, immersive audio dramas, and buzzy contemporary favorites.

Mysia Haight

February 25, 2025

Get starstruck with the best celebrity-narrated audiobooks

Do you have a favorite actor, or several, you can’t wait to see in a new movie or series—the kind where you’ll watch just about anything they’re in? What if that person was also an acclaimed audiobook narrator, and you didn’t even know it?

Consider this a friendly PSA, because we know firsthand how thrilling it can be to find a great story with a famous voice behind the mic. Here, we’re spotlighting outstanding actors who happen to be outstanding narrators. Our collection features some of literature’s greatest stories brought to life by some of Hollywood’s greatest performers, from beloved classics to modern sensations. Grab some popcorn and enjoy!

Note: This post was originally published on Audible.com.

Matt Bomer narrates A Little Life

A heartbreaking story of one small life and the multitude of lives connected to it, Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life is a staggering piece of fiction that explores the nuances of the human experience, from trauma and relationships to struggle and redemption. Following a group of friends from college, this is a four-lane bildungsroman. Each of the young men have their own demons and dreams, but it’s Jude who draws you in and breaks your heart over and over again. You’ll miss them all when you come to the end, but you won’t be alone as Golden Globe-winning actor Matt Bomer’s knockout performance stays with you.

Claire Danes narrates The Handmaid's Tale

Set in a chillingly believable near-future dystopia, The Handmaid’s Tale is the story of Offred, a young woman who is stripped of her personal identity and forced to serve as a surrogate for wealthy, powerful couples unable to conceive a child. Within a gripping thriller, masterful storyteller Margaret Atwood explores themes of misogyny, totalitarianism, morality, and resistance. Emmy Award winner Claire Danes brings this unforgettable modern classic to vivid, eerie reality with her exquisite performance. This listen also features exclusive extended material narrated by Atwood herself.

Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and Tom Hardy narrate George Orwell’s 1984

Interest in George Orwell’s 1984 tends to spike anytime book bans, government overreach, and other dystopian themes make the news. But when Audible released a thrilling new audio dramatization of the classic novel featuring an A-list cast, something else happened: It went viral. Starring Andrew Garfield as Winston Smith, Cynthia Erivo as Julia, Andrew Scott as O’Brien, and Tom Hardy as Big Brother, this ultra-immersive production also features original music by Matt Bellamy of Muse, all mixed in Dolby Atmos spatial audio.

Tom Hanks narrates The Dutch House

Given his talents as an Academy Award-winning actor and bestselling author, it’s no surprise that Tom Hanks excels as a narrator. His emotional range, from childlike wonder to grown-up resentment, complements Ann Patchett’s intricate, intimate, heart-wrenching novel about family and forgiveness. Spanning five decades, The Dutch House centers on Maeve and Danny Conroy, siblings bound by abandonment, loss, and a shared obsession with their childhood home—a stunning mansion in the suburbs outside Philadelphia, which their father snapped up, fully furnished, at an estate sale. Danny, who is several years younger and protected by his strong yet vulnerable sister, tells their story, and Hanks captures his voice in all its bemusement, bitterness, and tenderness.

Rosalind Chao narrates The Three-Body Problem

Even for fans of the acclaimed Luke Daniels narration, this newer recording by Rosalind Chao, who stars as Ye Wenjie in the Netflix adaptation of Cixin Liu’s Hugo Award-winning novel, is cause for celebration. In the aftermath of China's Cultural Revolution, Ye Wenjie is a disillusioned grad student who decides to contact aliens and convince them to attack Earth. As the story weaves between Wenjie’s present and the near future, we’re offered glimpses into the repercussions of her decision. Chao (The Joy Luck Club, Star Trek: The Next Generation) gives a compelling performance, voicing both Wenjie’s intentions and actions as police scramble to track her experiment’s effects.

Laurence Fishburne narrates The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Malcolm X was one of the most prominent and powerful figures of the civil rights movement. A Muslim minister, he was extremely vocal in advocating for equality and opportunity for Black people in America. The Autobiography of Malcolm X chronicles his life, as told to journalist Alex Haley by the civil rights leader and activist himself, over the course of a number of interviews from 1963 until his assassination in 1965. This particular edition, available exclusively on Audible, is performed with a powerful and dignified presence by multi-award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne.

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Bowen Yang, Cynthia Nixon, Jane Lynch, and a full cast narrate Hot White Heist

What if the future of humanity depended on a hidden bunker containing sperm samples from some of history's greatest minds? What if a crew of misfits set out to pull off the stickiest heist ever conceived to help a lesbian cult finance a top-secret project? An all-star, all-queer cast that includes SNL's Bowen Yang, Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon, Glee's Jane Lynch, and The Traitors's Alan Cumming (who also directed the production) brings Adam Goldman’s audacious comedy to life. The second star-studded installment, Hot White Heist 2, is nominated for four 2025 Ambie Awards.

Tim Robbins narrates Fahrenheit 451

Burning books and torching the homes of people who hide them—that’s how Guy Montag makes his living. He takes pride in his job as a fireman, until a young neighbor, Clarisse, introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and a present where reading opens up new worlds of ideas and possibilities. When Clarisse disappears, Guy begins to question everything he has been told and, despite the danger, starts hiding books of his own. Set in a bleak future, Fahrenheit 451 is a classic dystopian novel that feels unsettlingly timely. Academy Award winner Tim Robbins delivers a powerful, measured performance, pausing at the right moments to let the chilling weight of Ray Bradbury’s words sink in.

Sissy Spacek narrates To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee won a Pulitzer Prize for her deeply affecting novel of kindness, cruelty, prejudice, and inclusion in the Deep South. Atticus Finch, respected lawyer and devoted single father, risks everything to defend an innocent Black man accused of a terrible crime. To Kill a Mockingbird is told from the point of view of Atticus’s scrappy young daughter, Scout—and that’s where narrator Sissy Spacek shines. The Academy Award-winning Texas native brings her authentic accent to tell the story in Scout’s voice. To quote The New York Times Book Review: "You forget you’re listening to the voice of an adult, so wholly do Spacek’s Southern rhythms embody the young tomboy as she witnesses the racial injustices of the Depression-era South unfold before her."

Chiwetel Ejiofor narrates Piranesi

British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor may have narrated just a few audiobooks to date, but in this case, it’s quality over quantity. While you might know him best from film (12 Years a Slave, The Martian, The Lion King), his audio profile is on the rise. As the titular general in Othello and the voice of beloved children’s novel The Supernaturalist, Ejiofor had our attention—but it was his performance of Susannah Clarke’s 2020 fantasy Piranesi that really knocked our socks off. You haven’t lived until you’ve been mesmerized by Ejiofor’s exquisite tone, inflection, and interpretation of this spellbinding work, which won the Audie Award for Best Audiobook of the Year in 2020.

Bryan Cranston narrates The Things They Carried

Drawing on his own experience of the Vietnam War, Tim O'Brien's portrayal of soldiers' boots-on-the-ground experience is a modern classic. Three-time Emmy Award winner and Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston delivers an electrifying performance of The Things They Carried, deftly walking the book's hallucinatory line between reality and fiction. Capturing the power and immediacy of the spoken word, this audiobook also includes an exclusive recording “The Vietnam in Me,” a recount of the author’s trip back to Vietnam in 1994, revisiting his experience there as a soldier 25 years before, read by O’Brien himself.

Joe Morton narrates Invisible Man

An Emmy Award-winning actor whose memorable roles include Eli Pope in Scandal and Henry Deacon in Eureka, Joe Morton brings his gifted voice and full range of emotion to Ralph Ellison's National Book Award-winning epic of Black life in 20th-century America. Through its nameless narrator, Invisible Man captures the experience of being deceived, betrayed, and woefully overlooked by others based on the color of your skin—a reality that still resonates, more than 70 years after the book was first published. Morton also brilliantly narrates The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates's searing novel about a magical gift, a devastating loss, and an underground war for freedom.

Nicole Kidman narrates To the Lighthouse

To the Lighthouse, written by acclaimed modernist Virginia Woolf, is the story of a family’s seemingly insignificant vacations to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Spanning more than 10 years, the narrative is told from the perspective of multiple characters, making the mood and tone shift frequently. The plot relies almost entirely on dialogue between characters, putting the focus of the novel on introspection over action. In 2003, Nicole Kidman won an Oscar for her lead role as Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry’s film, The Hours. Her narration of To the Lighthouse is a testament to her understanding of Woolf’s skillful prose and unique manner of presenting characters’ inner struggles.

Emma Thompson narrates The Turn of the Screw

Henry James's enigmatic tale has been sparking speculation and debate since its debut in 1898. Centered on a young governess entrusted with the care of two children at an isolated country estate, The Turn of the Screw is a classic work of both Gothic and horror fiction. It's also a psychological thriller, blurring the line between forces supernatural and delusional. The immensely talented Emma Thompson, an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy winner, brings out the human emotion and passion in James's exploration of life, death, evil, madness, and the unknown. Her performance will keep you riveted and leave you haunted.

Thandiwe Newton narrates Jane Eyre

Thandiwe Newton’s narration of Jane Eyre is a stunning testament to the power of a magnificent story paired with the perfect performer. The plot follows its heroine all the way from childhood to marriage in the English countryside, all composed in Charlotte Brontë's sprawling complex prose. Newton breezes through the Victorian storytelling, making the language digestible and the characters all the more relatable. Her deft narration of the complicated, multifaceted Jane is gorgeous—but it’s no surprise when you look at her resume. With roles in critically acclaimed films such as The Pursuit of Happyness and an adaption of Toni Morrison’s Beloved directed by Jonathan Demme, Newton is a masterful performer with an enviable skillset. She also narrates an Audible exclusive, unabridged edition of Leo Tolstoy's epic War and Peace.

Meryl Streep narrates Heartburn

Nora Ephron is perhaps best known as the screenwriter of rom-com sensations like When Harry Met Sally… and Sleepless in Seattle. She also a gifted novelist, evident in her publishing debut, Heartburn. When Rachel Samstat, at seven months pregnant, finds out that her husband is in love with another woman, complications follow. Throughout the story, Rachel teeters between wanting to win her husband back and wishing for his untimely death. The one constant is Rachel’s love of food and belief that a good recipe can solve any problem. Heartburn is a hilarious novel, made even better by the endearing narration of Meryl Streep. A living legend who holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations of any actor, Streep performs Heartburn with the perfect combination of heartbreak, agony, and self-deprecating humor.

Jeremy Irons narrates Lolita

In his most famous and controversial novel, the great Vladimir Nabokov brings a blend of biting wit, heartbreak, and horror to the story of the aging Humbert Humbert's obsessive, devouring, and doomed passion for Dolores Haze, a vivacious, flirtatious 12-year-old. The distinguished multiple award-winning Jeremy Irons brings his distinctive English baritone to narrating this twisted tale of obsession, cruelty, and innocence destroyed. Irons also dazzles as the narrator of Evelyn Waugh's epic Brideshead Revisited and Paulo Coelho's beloved fable about following your dreams, The Alchemist.

Rosario Dawson narrates Artemis

Imagine a heist set on the moon. That's the premise of this out-of-this-world near-future thriller by the bestselling author of The Martian, Andy Weir. Artemis is told in the first-person by its heroine (or perhaps villain), Jazz Bashara, a brash, whip-smart survivor who seizes on the chance to commit the perfect crime. Marvel sensation Rosario Dawson captures Jazz in all her bravado and contradictions. As a narrator, Dawson also pulls off the feat of delivering sarcastic Weir-ian one-liners and sarcastic wisecracks in the face of death.

Taraji P. Henson, Tracee Ellis Ross, and a full cast narrate Stranded

Seeking a quick, fun escape? Led by Taraji P. Henson and Tracee Ellis Ross, Stranded is the best buddy comedy set on an uncharted Caribbean Island we’ve ever heard. Take it from your fellow listeners, like Aleta and Robin, whose reviews proclaim, “The ladies delivered!” and go on to rave about this “super quick and captivating story.” Written by Chris Bruno and David Howard Lee and with appearances from Blake Griffin, Whoopi Goldberg, Taye Diggs, Nicole Byer, Tim Robinson, Keith David, Mikey Day, Ashley Nicole Black, Larry Wilmore, and Phylicia Rashad, this star-studded production is fast, fun, and sure to linger with you longer than the two-hour run time.

Lin-Manuel Miranda narrates Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle is an angry teen with a lot of questions and a brother in prison. Dante is unlike anyone he’s ever known. When the two meet one summer at a swimming pool, they strike up a friendship that allows them to help each other through their awkward, painful teen years. But their relationship goes deeper than friendship, and it might mean something much more—if they can find the courage to face their feelings and live their truth. Benjamin Alire Saenz’s tender novel has won multiple awards, including a Printz Honor, the Stonewall Book Award, a Lambda Literary Award, and the Pure Belpre Award. The audiobook is narrated by the inimitable Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tony Award-winning actor and playwright behind hits like Hamilton and In The Heights.

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Anne Hathaway narrates The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is so treasured that it’s recorded in the Library of Congress as "America's greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale." Dorothy is a small-town girl from Kansas, who is swept up into a tornado that leaves her stranded in a new and strangely wonderful universe: Oz. Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway puts the tale’s beauty on display with her enchanting, dreamy retelling of Dorothy’s journey. Hathaway has captured the hearts of moviegoers in The Princess Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada, and Les Misérables, and this listen showcases her exceptional narrative chops—her performance earned her an Audie Award nomination for Best Female Solo Narration in 2013.

Sandra Oh, Catherine O’Hara, and Victor Garber narrate Anne of Green Gables

Boasting a remarkable cast of Canadian talent, including Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh, Emmy Award winner Catherine O’Hara, Emmy Award winner Victor Garber, and Emmy Award winner Michela Luci, this fresh and inspired dramatization cannot help but delight. Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved world comes to life via immersive sound design (enhanced in Dolby Atmos) that transports us to Prince Edward Island in a swirl of nostalgia and warmth. Above all, Michela Luci shines as Anne Shirley—exuding the wide-eyed enthusiasm for everything Anne finds magical in her new life, and providing a hopeful, happy listening experience you’ll want to share.

Brendan Fraser narrates Cornelia Funke’s Inkspell

Cornelia Funke is a beloved writer of magical stories for children. Her 2003 fantasy novel Inkheart kicked off the adventures of 12-year-old Meggie and her bookbinder father Mortimer, and inspired a 2008 film adaptation. Academy Award-winning actor Brendan Fraser, who played "Mo" in the movie, returns to the enchanted world as narrator of the novel's sequel, Inkspell. With his trademark whimsy, Fraser leads listeners on a wild journey with enthusiasm and heart. Audible listener Barbara raves, "I have been listening to audiobooks for several years now, and I have never heard a book so excellently rendered as this one by Brendan Fraser. The trilogy centers around the ability of certain people to read so well that they can literally bring a world to life. For me, Fraser did that."

Scarlett Johansson narrates Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Filled with whimsical characters, surreal goings-on, and one curious little girl, Lewis Carroll’s classic remains beloved nearly 160 years since its original publication. The novel has inspired animated and live-action films, TV shows, comic books, and video games while continuing to be deconstructed, reinterpreted, and debated by serious grownups. In her performance, multi-award-winning actress Scarlett Johansson imbues each madcap character with a distinct voice and personality, embodying Alice to a T. Audible listener Laura raves, "Scarlett Johansson brings such incredible depth and wonderment to this timeless tale that this just may be my new favorite interpretation."

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Rosamund Pike narrates Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen’s first published novel is a gem that set the stage for an iconic career. Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters who navigate the difficulties of womanhood in Georgian England. They hope to fall in love and find marriages worthy of society’s expectations, but, as one sister says, "The more I know of the world, the more am I convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love." The perfect narrator for this classic, Rosamund Pike is a British actress perhaps best known for her leading role in David Fincher’s Gone Girl. A bona fide Austen aficionado, Pike delivers the author’s words in a thoughtful, understanding tone, crafting a big-hearted and wholly believable performance.

Samira Wiley narrates The Color Purple

Winner of a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, Alice Walker's The Color Purple has inspired feature films by Steven Spielberg and Blitz Bazawule, and a Broadway musical. Set in rural Georgia between 1910 and 1940, the novel, told through a series of letters, follows the awakening of Celie, a Black woman who has been demeaned, abused, and oppressed her whole life. Ultimately, guided by three strong women, she finds her own voice and realizes she deserves to be loved. Known for her roles in Orange Is the New Black and The Handmaid's Tale, Samira Wiley brings Celie's wrenching and ultimately uplifting journey to life with genuine emotion and heart. Audible listener Shannon raves, "Samira Wiley's performance is beyond engaging ... it is breathtaking."

Wil Wheaton narrates Ready Player One

In his 2011 bestseller Ready Play One, Ernest Cline creates a futuristic dystopian paragon. In the year 2044, the universe is plagued by a grim, lifeless existence. The only way to escape the all-encompassing tedium is via a virtual world that allows people to experience life on other planets and fictional realms, fall in love ... and search for a life-changing puzzle hidden somewhere inside the virtual universe. But when young Wade Watts unlocks this mystery, his life—virtual and otherwise—becomes a nightmare. Wil Wheaton, iconic as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation, narrates this fun, fast-paced listen appropriately, with evident excitement and increasing anxiety.

Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, and a full cast narrate Lincoln in the Bardo

How do we go on living when we know everything we love must end? That's the question at the heart of George Saunders's imaginative novel about familial love and loss. Inspired by Abraham Lincoln's profound grief over the death of his 11-year-old son, Lincoln in the Bardo focuses on Willie Lincoln, who finds himself in a strange purgatory where ghosts mingle, gripe, and grapple over his young soul. That monumental struggle is brilliantly rendered by a 166-person cast that includes actors, musicians, and Saunders himself. Led by Nick Offerman and David Sedaris, the voices include Lena Dunham, Ben Stiller, Julianne Moore, Susan Sarandon, Bradley Whitford, Megan Mullally, Rainn Wilson, Kat Dennings, and Jeff Tweedy. The result is "a tour de force of audiobook production" (Booklist) that won the 2018 Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year.

Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, and a full cast narrate Dracula

Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale, Dracula, is riveting in its own right, but the audiobook brings together a multitude of award-winning narrators to make the listening experience even more thrilling. The large cast is especially beneficial because the story is told through a series of letters written (and voiced) by its many characters. Alan Cumming and Tim Curry, both Emmy Award-winning actors, voice Dr. Seward and Van Helsing, leading a full cast in a production that won the 2013 Audie Award for Multi-voiced Performance. Curry’s ominous tone and eloquent delivery fit perfectly into a vampire story, while Cumming voices Seward with a fittingly polished, posh cadence. The contrast underscores each actor’s dedication and remarkable talent.

Stephen Fry narrates The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by British author Douglas Adams became an instant sensation when it was first broadcast as a radio comedy on BBC 4 in 1978. Protagonist Arthur Dent is taken by surprise when his friend Ford Prefect declares that the world is about to end, so they must leave the planet immediately. From there, the two enter into an intergalactic search for the answers to life’s most enigmatic questions, such as "What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?" and "Where have all the ballpoint pens gone?" Stephen Fry, one of the world’s most well-known voice actors and audio performers, narrates with the perfect dry, droll English humor that his fans have come to expect.

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Dan Stevens narrates Frankenstein

... And reader, it is everything you want it to be. No work on the pitfalls of playing god has captured the anguish wrought by unchecked ambition like Mary Shelley’s pioneering work of science fiction—except perhaps this exquisite narration. Frankenstein was first published in 1818 but remains every bit as relevant and fascinating today. The audio edition brings the classic tale to life like never before, as Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame delivers an Audie-nominated performance that soars over the highs of Victor Frankenstein’s remarkable scientific breakthrough—and dives to the depths of the unintended fallout. Stevens also excels as a narrator of mysteries, including Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and Sarah A. Denzil’s We Play Games.

Phillipa Soo and John Cho narrate Drop Dead

You know the story: Boy meets girl. Boy and girl hate each other. Then something wonderful happens: Boy and girl start to see the true nature of the other and fall deeply in love. But Drop Dead isn’t your average enemies-to-lovers story. Bestselling author Lily Chu's latest rom-com is about rival journalists who reluctantly team up to uncover a long-buried scandal—and it stars none other than Phillipa Soo, the original Eliza in Broadway's Hamilton, and iconic actor John Cho (Harold and Kumar, Star-Trek). On top of their incredible talents on screen, these two have a gift for romantic comedies and chemistry that shines through in the delightful dual narration.

Michael C. Hall narrates Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Though widely known for its adored film adaptation starring Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s made its debut in 1958 as novella by Truman Capote. It’s the account of an unnamed writer’s relationship with his downstairs neighbor, Holly Golightly, the archetype of the American beauty, who struggles with internal strife as she balances upon the pedestal where she’s been placed. Michael C. Hall (Dexter), displays an impressive understanding of the story’s narrator and the woman Capote attempts to sketch. Hall’s nuanced performance offers listeners a far less idealized window into Holly’s character, instead highlighting a thoughtful and subtle appreciation of her true self. (For a different but equally brilliant performance from Hall, check out Stephen King’s Pet Sematary .... if you dare.)

Michael Sheen narrates The Book of Dust

The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage is Philip Pullman’s first expansion of his beloved His Dark Material trilogy. It follows a young spy named Malcolm Polstead, whose family owns an inn on the banks of the River Thames in Oxford. When Polstead finds a secret message at the inn describing a dangerous substance called Dust, he decides to enter into the mystery. While BAFTA-winning actor Michael Sheen is widely known for roles such as Tony Blair in The Queen, William Masters in The Masters of Sex, and Aziraphale in Good Omens, his audiobook credits are also impressive. He has narrated almost 20 full-length novels and plays, ranging from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot, and he is a winner of multiple Earphones Awards. He brings that expertise to Pullman’s vivid, vast world, filling each word with a sense of wonder and intrigue.

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Jake Gyllenhaal narrates The Great Gatsby

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal steps into the shoes of narrator Nick Carraway, voicing the often too-dreamy-to-be-real world of the wealthy and well-connected in a lush 1920s landscape. Though the story is told from Carraway’s point of view, it centers on the enthralling life of Mr. Jay Gatsby, and Gyllenhaal’s subtle yet captivating performance highlights both the glimmering surface of Gatsby’s life and the heartache, despair, and eventual tragedy that lurks beneath. He illustrates the people, places, and parties of West Egg with a voice that oozes refinement and style—a perfect complement to the grandeur of Gatsby’s story—while never losing sight of the morals and critiques Fitzgerald layered throughout.

Maggie Gyllenhaal narrates The Bell Jar

Inspired in part by Sylvia Plath’s lifelong struggle with both mental illness and the limitations of womanhood in midcentury America, The Bell Jar offers a raw, sometimes painful, look at the inner workings of a mind affected with major depression. Maggie Gyllenhaal is brilliant as the narrator—her performance is at turns lively, dull, and anguished as she follows protagonist Esther Greenwood's ebb-and-flow while navigating the world around her. Gyllenhaal also lends her accomplished voice to Leo Tolstoy's celebrated story of doomed love, Anna Karenina. Her performance was recognized as Audible's Best of 2016, Classic. As Gyllenhaal shared: "I feel like performing this novel is one of the major accomplishments of my work life—it was so challenging and so deep, a real pleasure."

James Franco narrates Slaughterhouse-Five

Slaughterhouse-Five is just one of American author Kurt Vonnegut’s satiric masterpieces. It starts with the bombing of Dresden, Germany, but from there, all realism and chronology disappear. Main character Billy Pilgrim has the unfortunate fate of experiencing historical events in no particular order. Sometimes, he’s an actor and others, simply a witness—but the episodes always seem to make his life a bit more chaotic. Actor James Franco (Spider-Man, The Disaster Artist) is well-known for his ability to switch from comedy to drama, a valuable skill for a story like Slaughterhouse-Five. Vonnegut is a master of burying deep psychological and sociological commentary into his literary comedies, and Franco does a superb job of showcasing this balance in his performance.

Werner Herzog narrates I Am Code

We applaud the brilliant casting of iconic film director Werner Herzog, and especially his haunting performance, for this pioneering collection of AI-generated poetry. The concept of an artificial intelligence waxing poetic on human cruelty and its own inevitable world domination once sounded like science fiction, but we’ve wrestled with the idea much more since I Am Code was published in 2023. (Sometimes) edited by Brent Katz, Josh Morgenthou, and Simon Rich, code-davinci-002’s poems are brought to life by Herzog’s steely yet yearning delivery. Each composition seems to jab at humanity’s psychic wounds: mortality, the search for meaning, and an incurable desire for connection—even with code.

Jesse Eisenberg, Kaitlyn Dever, and Finn Wolfhard narrate When You Finish Saving the World

Academy Award nominee, playwright, and author Jesse Eisenberg steps in as co-narrator of his When You Finish Saving the World, a stirring tale of family, future, and connection. This audio drama follows Nathan, Rachel, and Ziggy—a husband, wife, and son—at various stages of their life as they seek to better relate with and understand one another. Told in three parts marked by dramatic shifts in time and perspective, the story is intimate and universal in a way that’s effortlessly engaging and charming. Eisenberg’s cast is rounded out by Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things, It), and Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart, Apple Cider Vinegar), and together, the trio craft a genuinely affecting tale that will break your heart and give you hope. This acclaimed Audible Original was adapted into a 2022 feature film directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starring Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard.

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