Posted by Dave Thewlis on May 25, 2003 at 04:15:40 from 148.78.245.13 user dthewlis.
In Reply to: Re: Books on Tape posted by Ed Kiser on May 24, 2003 at 16:28:29:
Ed, I think you misunderstood me. I find the pronunciation on the tapes to be entirely appropriate; I certainly did NOT mean to suggest that his speaking British English would be a detriment to listeners here or anywhere.
My point was that while he speaks British English, his careful enunciation and lack of regional accent makes him understandable to Americans (especially). I know and love British English, but I have heard speakers who weren't even speaking a regional accent or dialect who are far harder to understand from this distance ("distance" in formal communication terms). About like a Yorkshireman trying to understand someone from Georgia.
Perhaps it is simply "BBC English" (formerly King's/Queen's English). Or simply the tools of a well-trained reader, which Mr. Woolf certainly is.