[from an article by Kate Kellaway in The Guardian Book Reviews about unusual gift suggestions for 7-11 year olds]

Stephen Fry has now read the unabridged The Order of the Phoenix, bringing his dramatic Harry Potter marathon up to date. The book is recorded by the BBC, with 22 cassettes in total - and approximately 28 hours of listening (tapes £66, CDs £75) It's not a cheap Christmas present but fantastic if you like that sort of thing in the first place. And it will enslave children who are not quite old enough - or are too lazy - to read the books themselves. My son's endorsement of Fry's performance seems to sum it up: 'Stephen Fry is a natural. You couldn't listen to anyone else.'

Published December 13, 2003