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Hugh Laurie

By: Anthony Bunko
Narrated by: Simon Whistler
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Summary

Hugh was born in Oxford, and his father, WGRM 'Ran' Laurie, was a doctor who won a gold medal in the coxless pairs at the 1948 Olympics. Hugh followed in his father's footsteps as a rower at Cambridge, but when he was forced to hang up his oars he joined the famous Cambridge Footlights and there began a career in comedy. It was at university that he met Stephen Fry, and the pair forged a hilarious partnership that continued through the 1980s and 1990s.

Hugh has also enjoyed great success on the big screen; starring in Sense and Sensibility, 101 Dalmatians, Monsters vs Aliens and the three Stuart Little films. But it is the character of irascible doctor Gregory House, in the US TV drama House, that has brought global fame. He has won two Golden Globes for the role and received a prestigious Emmy nomination in 2005, and continues to receive critical acclaim for his performance in the show - especially for his near-perfect American accent.

With worldwide fame and an OBE to his name, Hugh Laurie is undoubtedly one of Britain's best-loved actors.

©2011 John Blake Publishing (P)2013 Prospero Media
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What listeners say about Hugh Laurie

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

good book

the book was well written but the narrators voice was intensely annoying. would've been better if Hugh had spoken it himself

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4 people found this helpful

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

Narration poor, writing not much better

Narrator misspronounces so many names, voice is annoying, but you can get over that if it wasnt for the awful pronunciation, it's not just names (Tim McInnerny is an interesting one) its relatively straightforward words as well. Writing is poor, often goes off on a tangent about every co-star for example, slightly loosing track of whos biography it's meant to be, and occasionally some of the information is just wrong, I mean Hugh Laurie deserves better!

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1 person found this helpful

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

Excellent

Excellent Listen of an outstanding character. Thoroughly enjoyable. Hugh is a fascinating individual. A must listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

More than House

What did you like most about Hugh Laurie?

I liked finding out about his life before House.

What other book might you compare Hugh Laurie to, and why?

Other biographies - it was interesting listening about his life.

What about Simon Whistler’s performance did you like?

I actually didn't like Simon Whistler's reading particularly - it was too laid back and lacked expression - and sometimes I had difficulty hearing him as I was listening in the car. However, overall, I found his performance ok and probably the quiet approach was better than a reader who is too expressive.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Much more than House

Any additional comments?

Sometimes there was double up of information - a comment would be made, and then the same words would be used in the quote - I feel it could have been edited a bit more for an audio book which cannot be skipped - however, this is not the fault of the reader or the subject.

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

very dull performance

What would have made Hugh Laurie better?

if it had been read with some emotional range or even a little humour.

What could Anthony Bunko have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Less cataloging of the events and more insight on the emotions of the person living them

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Simon Whistler?

would have loved to hear hugh laurie read his own story

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

boredom just wanted to get it finished to be honest and move on

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3 people found this helpful

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

Oh my GOD! That narrator!!

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

Book was fine, was interesting reading about him and the way his life lead him to todays events.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Becuase he was TERRIBLE, the most boring mundane and boring reading style EVER.

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3 people found this helpful

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

Narration is almost fascinatingly awful.

We couldn't even nearly finish this title, definitely try a sample before you buy. The narration is fascinating for the wrong reasons. It sounds like a song.

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

If you like listening to the news!

How could the performance have been better?

Get a more competent narrator

Any additional comments?

I listen to A LOT of audio books and this is the first time I have left a review. Well really it's a warning. If you want to hear about Hugh Laurie's life then I would highly recommend you buy a paper book or download to kindle. THIS IS THE WORST NARRATOR EVER. I don't think I will reach the end of the book as the narrator's voice lulls me into unconsciousness. It is like listening to a newsreader but in slow motion. In fact, it is very similar to a hypnotherapy CD I use for insomnia. it really is dreadful and completely spoils what would otherwise be an enjoyable read. I don't understand why such a well known actor, whose best friend is an extremely good narrator (Stephen Fry), would be happy to allow his biography to be read by this man. My advice would be to avoid the audio version of this book and read it instead.

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9 people found this helpful

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

Unbearable narration

Despite my interest in the subject matter, the narration was so tedious and generally poor, I returned the title. Audible should re-issue this book with a new narrator.

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