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Kidnapped  By  cover art

Kidnapped

By: Robert Louis Stevenson
Narrated by: John L. Chatty
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Publisher's summary

It's Robert Louis Stevenson's immortal story of adventure on the high seas. Young David Balfour is cheated out of his inheritance by his uncle, who then has him kidnapped and forced into servitude on a sailing ship bound for a long voyage. What follows is one of the most spellbinding stories ever written. Over the years, it has attracted the praise and admiration of writers as diverse as Henry James, Jorge Luis Borges, and Seamus Heaney.
Public Domain (P)1980 Jimcin Recordings

Critic reviews

"Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale relating the exploits of and misadventures of David Balfour on the Scottish Highlands is made vivid in this unabridged reading. While the story moves slowly in its beginning, the narrator carries the listener along with his distinctly varied vocal characterizations. The Gaelic-accentuated language is especially well handled and conveyed, taking the story beyond the written word and making it an aural success." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about Kidnapped

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Why is it called kidnapped but I like it in all

It's very uhmm nice to listen to
And very dramatic I like that it's like that

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Poor sound quality

The audio is so difficult to hear we gave up straining to understand it and bought a different version.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Bad Performance

What didn’t you like about John L. Chatty’s performance?

Whenever the narrator was just telling the story, it was fine. However, when it came to the dialogue, the characters that David had to meet all had such horrible voices that it made me want to stop listening. Some of them were just so screechy and horrible I just couldn't take it anymore.

Any additional comments?

The audio quality was also bad. Every once in a while the sound would dip making the narrator unintelligible for a few seconds before it came back. Skip this recording and find another version of "Kidnapped."

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great

My kids and I listened to this on a long car trip and we all thought it was great. It was recorded back in 1980 so you can't expect the digital quality of today but...that being said...It was quite clear in spite of a little "tape noise." The narrator did an incredible job with all the voices - everything from the gruff pirates to the young boy who narrates the story. Five stars!!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Horrible

This audiobook was awful! The audio quality is very poor and the narrator is atrocious! Unable to pronounce place names or Scottish dialect, choppy narration, slow. This recording really doesn't do justice to the book and Audible should be ashamed to offer it!

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2 people found this helpful