Hilarious tale of mystery, suspense, and carrots

I remember reading these books a long time ago and enjoying them quite a bit. Sadly, times go by and you forget about your favourite books and time is short and you don't feel you have the time to reread them.

Recently I discovered the joy of audiobooks and had been churning through some rather long and at times dull tomes by vaunted authors. While these are certainly worthy in their own right, it's nice to cut loose and pick something funny. I saw the Bunnicula collection by happenstance and hopped on it.

The books are, if anything, funnier than I remember. They are repositories of such gems as "Why does a chicken coop have two doors? Because if it had four, it would be a hatchback!" The only downside to this is I would be walking down the street and would spontaneously break out into laughter.

As for the narration, it was very good. Each voice is distinct and you don't mix up one character from another. My one tiny gripe is that one character, Max, who showed up in the second and third book had a slightly different voice, but his voice was similar to the original and it was different books so you wouldn't notice the change if you weren't listening back to back as I was.

Here is a breakdown of the large sections of the book:

Book 1 starts at the beginning.

Book 2 starts at 1:33:23

Book 3 starts at 4:54:14

Author's Note starts at 6:33:58

The only thing I really wish was that there was whispersync with this collection, but that isn't available as of yet (2013-10-22).

In summation, this was a hilarious series and well read. The voices of the main cast carried through well on each book and were distinct and fit the character well. The writing was amazing and funny and with just enough twists and turns to not be wholly obvious without being so complicated you were worried you'd get lost.

Happy listening!

8 people found this helpful

I had forgotten how funny these books are!

These books are fantastic; I think that's well established. The reason why they are essential as audio books, however, is the performance by Victor Garber. He delivers the stories in such an entertaining fashion. I am most impressed by his ability to perform in a variety of voices, while flawlessly expressing the back-and-forth quality required to make dialogues convincing. While the books are brilliantly written in their own right, Garber's performance really brings them out.

8 people found this helpful

Wonderful. But Keep In Mind...

All the praise listed in other reviews is well deserved. This is a wonderful tale that you and your kids will love. BUT keep in mind that the three books are strung together in one long series. There was no way to listen to an individual story for my son without effort to locate the starting point. In hindsight, I'd almost prefer to have the individual audiobooks.

13 people found this helpful

Well-read, interesting to children!

My almost 6-year-old grandson loved this audio book so much we purchased the paperback version so he could read along and read to himself. All three books in this audio collection are word for word and read with expression.

The stories captured his interest and imagination and stimulated some "very interesting" conversations around the characters.

5 people found this helpful

Wonderful

My son, 8, and I enjoy this series alot. I think listening to these three books gave my son a sense of how funny and enjoyable books can be which in turn made him want to physically read more books.

5 people found this helpful

Amazing!

If you could sum up The Bunnicula Collection in three words, what would they be?

Great Family Fun!

What did you like best about this story?

Characters are delightful, story engaging and filled with non stop laughs.

What does Victor Garber bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Victor brings each character to life in such a way that you can't help but smile. Harold and Chester are better than Abbott and Costello as they work a routine.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes- the whole family listened together on a family road trip. It pleased our college freshman just as much as our third grader.

Any additional comments?

Our children will read this with their children someday!

4 people found this helpful

Wonderfully imaginative and funny...

These stories are. and will forever be, a favorite of my childhood. I read these books around the age of 9 or 10 with my parents. We laughed so hard and the memory of that is the last happy memory I have of that time in my life.

Bunnicula was, in fact, my introduction to audiobooks. I had it on cassette and listened to it every night when I was going to sleep as a teenager. Which, looking back, is a bit telling I think. The point is, associations aside, I enjoyed these books so much that I have continued to read them again and again well into my adulthood.

The humor and the imagination that surround the Monroes and their amazing pets is a great family story. The language lends itself particularly well to being read aloud, especially by an enthusiastic reader. If you want to introduce your child, not only to a fun spoof on the horror genre, but to a barrel of belly laughs... I suggest these books most highly. Let these furry friends and their antics be a happy part of your family memories.

2 people found this helpful

For the young and young at heart.

This is a fun story collection. A vampire bunny sounds unrealistic. But if these same facts (real or fiction) are implied in any situation, a similiar conclusion could be made. One question is never answered well. How did those veggies turn white and dry? Is bunny truly Bunnicula? The other stories are just as well done. I recommend this strongly for the young and young at heart.

2 people found this helpful

Both my kids love it!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Bunnicula Collection to be better than the print version?

I remember Bunnicula when I was young and now both my kids, an 8 year old girl and a 5 year old boy, enjoy Bunnicula too. My daughter said "I love that weird story" and told me she was going to turn it back on.

Any additional comments?

Some mild sound effects would be nice too.

2 people found this helpful

Howe Wonderful

The stories are great! A family finds a bunny at the movies - Dracula. The family dog tells you the story of how one rabbit came to change their lives forever. The banter between the cat and dog will crack you up. The entire family will love these books. Who knew a vampire book could be so fun loving.

I recommend this listen! Enjoy.

4 people found this helpful