Why George Guidall Is the Undisputed King of AudiobooksBy AIMEE LEE BALL
AUG. 17, 2017
George Guidall, who has been the voice of more than 1,300 audiobooks, in the recording studio. Credit Eva Deitch for The New York TimesEarly in his career as a narrator of audiobooks, George Guidall received a note from a truck driver in Montana. The man had been so absorbed in listening to Mr. Guidall’s eloquent recording of “Crime and Punishment” that he drove off the road. He was writing from his hospital bed to thank Mr. Guidall because he now had time to finish listening to the book.
Mr. Guidall is the undisputed king of audiobooks: more than 1,300 so far, with a stack of new prospects beside his bed awaiting his attention. Audio is the fastest growing format for books, generating almost $643 million in sales last year, according to the Association of American Publishers, and providing a sideline for plenty of celebrities. That’s Claire Danes narrating “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Annette Bening doing “Mrs. Dalloway,” Christina Ricci reading “Gossip Girl” and Colin Firth intoning “The End of the Affair.” But Mr. Guidall’s rich baritone has been called the voice of choice in this burgeoning industry.
