Dale's readings (with which I'm most familiar as an American) are overtly theatrical, resulting in an overriding interest in the dramatic side of the story and, correspondingly, a lack of interest in its sense of humor. Fry's more leisurely reading style suggests a certain elegant detachment from the story and, curiously, an interest in its humorous side - though I'm sure Fry fans here will disagree with me. While my post notes that the most measurable difference between Dale and Fry is the pace at which they read, I didn't bother explaining what I suspect is the significance of the difference. I've also created a blog post that lets you listen to the first 5 minutes of both as they read Rowling's first Harry Potter novel - and it includes a devious (though personally untried) ploy for downloading the version copyright law says you're not entitled to hear.

You can test your knowledge of Chapter 4 and learn some additional facts about the chapter on the Wizarding World Digital website.I guess I'm a little late to the party here, but I thought I'd point out that since the arrival of Pottermore Shop it's now possible to sample the Harry Potter readings of both Jim Dale and Stephen Fry. Rubeus Hagrid makes his introduction to Harry in this chapter, and Harry’s world is turned upside down when he finds out what truly makes him special. Fry brings surreal energy to his reading that makes viewers feel like they’re really there in the action. We’ve had the thrill of hearing Daniel Radcliffe, Noma Dumezweni, Eddie Redmayne, and now Stephen Fry bring the chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to life. In a period of spooky surreality, it was one more extraordinary and unexpected experience (though wholly charming and beneficent in this case) to hear myself saying these words again. Wizarding World Digital released the video of Fry reading this chapter on its website. Chapter 4, “The Keeper of the Keys,” of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has arrived! Earlier this week, Eddie Redmayne brought Chapter 3 to life, and now Stephen Fry joins the excitement of Harry Potter at Home.įry is the voice of the Harry Potter audiobooks in the United Kingdom and has an extensive career as an actor, screenwriter, poet, and so much more.

Stephen fry reads harry potter