Nelson Runger, who has narrated over 160 audio books, will speak at the Cranbury Public Library April 28, 7 p.m.
By: Jessica Beym
Nelson Runger has never turned down a good book. Or any book for that matter.
At 74 years old, Mr. Runger loves to sit down and read, whether it’s Robert Ludlum’s latest thriller or a 1,000-page novel on the history of Great Britain. But what’s great about his hobby, Mr. Runger said from his home in Yardley, Pa., is that for the past 20 years, he’s been getting paid for it.
The sound of his name may not ring a bell, but Mr. Runger’s rich, steady voice which is heard by many as the narrator of over 160 unabridged audio books, some of which are available at the Cranbury Public Library just might.
He has read from nonfiction classics such as Gene Smith’s story of John Wilkes Booth, called "American Gothic" and Princetonian and Pulitzer Prize- winning John McPhee’s geological stories in "Basin and Range."
Mr. Runger has brought hundreds of stories to life for listeners. But next week, his voice can be heard in person when he reads a few of his favorite passages at the Cranbury Public Library at 7 p.m. April 28.
Reading aloud has been something Mr. Runger has enjoyed since his mother encouraged him to do it when he was young. But he hadn’t considered it for a career until 1986, when he was sitting in the waiting room of a hospital and saw a magazine advertisement for audio books
Thinking the job opportunity was a bit different, Mr. Runger contacted the advertiser, Recorded Books, and sent in a five-minute tape of his narration of "Huckleberry Finn" and another narration of a five-minute dialog excerpt of "Les Miserables."
Two weeks after going to the New York studio for a live recording, Mr. Runger was offered the job and assigned to narrate Nathaniel Hawthorne’s "The Great Stone Face," a story about The Old Man in the Mountain rock formation in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Helping authors preserve their stories is just one advantage of recording books, Mr. Runger said. But audio books not only help the visually impaired, or those who absorb more through listening than reading. They are also convenient for those who choose to listen while commuting or working around the house.
But what Mr. Runger said he hopes his listeners get from his narration is exactly what the author is trying to deliver in print: a well-told story that captivates the readers, or in Mr. Runger’s case, listeners.
"As a narrator, I want to be almost transparent," Mr. Runger said. "I want to be in the way as little as possible. Sort of like the typesetter in the book on paper."
When he’s clearly narrating nonfiction books, it’s easy to do just that, Mr. Runger said. But when the stories are laden with characters and accounts of famous people such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Humphrey Bogart, Mr. Runger said, he must try to personify the voice to distinguish between the narrator and character.
"When there is no way to listen or remember the character, it can be a challenge," Mr. Runger said. "No one knows what John Adams sounded like, but by looking at pictures I got the impression that he was a very brusque, acerbic man. So when I was reading something with a quote (in ‘John Adams’ by David McCullough), I tried to make it sound like that."
Reading Mr. McCullough’s novels has always been enjoyable, Mr. Runger said. In 2002, his efforts were applauded by the audio publishing industry, which gave him the Audie Award (similar to a Tony or an Oscar) for his narration of "John Adams."
"(Mr. McCollough’s books) are so beautifully written and easy to narrate," Mr. Runger said. "I needed very little preparation time for it, aside from researching the names for pronunciation."
Pronunciation and pacing are two of the most important elements of being a narrator, Mr. Runger said. Twice a week Mr. Runger commutes to the New York studio for five-hour sessions. To prepare for a reading he flips through the book to get a sense of the tone and makes a list of foreign names or words that he has to look up.
"I’m good with Italian, Spanish and German but I have trouble with French and Russian," he said.
In many books, he also writes notes to himself in the margin of where to slow down and when a pause is necessary because these are things the author doesn’t have to consider when writing it, he said.
Books heavy with information, like Stephen Hawking’s "A Brief History of Time," can be difficult to narrate, but can be beneficial to the readers who may have a tough time digesting the material on their own, he said.
"When it’s condensed material, I’ll write down the side of the page S-L-O-W," he said. "I didn’t want to rush the reader, but I didn’t want it to drag, and that’s part of the preparation."
To warm up his voice before recording, Mr. Runger said sometimes he reads a few lines aloud to himself before going into the studio. Once he begins recording, he only takes a few five- or one-minute breaks, he said. And in 20 years, his voice has faltered maybe only five or six times.
"I’m just lucky I guess," he said. "I was born with a strong larynx."