I have been meaning to talk about the Winnie-the-Pooh audiobooks for some time now because the they are absolutely one of my favorite things. Ever. Both Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner have been in very heavy rotation around our house (and cars) for at least the last two and a half years and I have yet to tire of either of them.
I know that there exists some parenting-type debate out in the world about the wisdom and usefulness of audiobooks. I think that there are those who hesitate to have their children listen to a cd or tape reading to them because they feel that they, as parents, should be doing the reading. That is a fine argument, I suppose, except it doesn't at all apply in this case. I doubt very much if any among us are capable of the brilliance that Jim Broadbent (also known as Bridget's father in the Bridget Jones movies but I think he has been in a lot of other things) exhibits in his rendition of the original A.A. Milne stories. This isn't just a read-aloud, it is an amazing performance and it will forever endear these stories to you and yours, even if you haven't felt the need to read them before.
First of all, you must forget for now the cute but somewhat insipid Disney-fied Pooh and friends that we have all come to know (and that I admit to liking just fine myself). A.A. Milne's original characters are not done any justice by their cartoon counterparts and in fact, if you read the stories in their original form, it is like getting to know a new cast of characters alltogether. Especially because the dialogue of these stories is so well written and full of humor and cleverness. I think that I have mentioned before how much I love the actual physical written word in these stories. I am always pleased with random capitalization of words such as "Fiercer Animals" for emphasis, although I am not able to tell you just exactly why. I think perhaps it has something to do with the story itself becoming like a character of its own.
In his own reading of the stories, Jim Broadbent gives Milne's characters totally new life with fantastic voices and wonderful personality. Eeyore is not so much gloomy as he is grumpy and Broadbent's characterization of him is so very surly and difficult that you really can't help but laugh out loud. He has some shining moments, I tell you. Owl is not so much wise as he is laboring under the impression that he is wise and making a big mess of things in the process. Rabbit is authoritative but misguided, and Broadbent does a great job of making our hero, Pooh himself, seem simple but centered and inadvertently clever. Broadbent's voice, and the way he uses it to make the characters absolutely come alive, is truly remarkable on these recordings. Each character sounds unique and Broadbent's portrayal of the plot through the rise and fall of his voice makes it clear that he also notices and enjoys the nuances in the text itself (all those random capitals...).
Our family went through a period of time where these stories were all that we listened to in the car or in the house. I think it might have lasted for over a year. Dan and I both seperately admitted to sometimes listening to them when we were in the car alone, without Mariam. They are just such an enjoyable experience and so well done. Comfort food for the soul. One day, when Mariam was about three, she looked at me and said "Mama, if there is any thinking to be done around here, and when I say "thinking" I mean thinking, then you and I must do it." I laughed for a long time at my little one directly quoting Rabbit, word for word. And then I became Owl for just a moment and said "Yes, I was."
