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The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1) Audiobook— narrated by Ron Rifkin
Lois Lowry's Newbery-winning novel drops a boy into a community that has traded color, pain, and choice for perfect order, then hands him the one job that lets him see what was given up. It's the rare dystopia built for readers just old enough to notice the wiring under the floorboards.
Why the audiobook wins
Ron Rifkin narrates Jonas's world in a flat, careful register that turns out to be the whole point: this is a society that has removed feeling from language itself, and Rifkin's controlled, unhurried delivery makes that absence audible before Lowry's plot explains it. When the book finally lets color and pain back in, the shift in his voice does as much work as the text.
At under five hours, this is an easy one to finish in a single long drive or a couple of commutes, and that compactness suits the story. Lowry doesn't pad the premise, and neither does Rifkin's reading, which trusts a young audience to sit with real discomfort rather than explaining it away.
This Newbery-winning novel has introduced generations of readers to dystopian fiction, and hearing Rifkin's restrained performance is a different, quieter kind of unsettling than reading it silently. One credit covers the whole first volume of the Giver Quartet.
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Audiobook questions
- Who narrates the The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1) audiobook?
- Ron Rifkin narrates the audiobook edition of The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1).
- How long is the The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1) audiobook?
- The audiobook runs 4 hr 47 min.
- Is the The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1) audiobook worth listening to?
- We scored The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1) 4.7 out of 5. Ron Rifkin narrates Jonas's world in a flat, careful register that turns out to be the whole point: this is a society that has removed feeling from language itself, and Rifkin's controlled, unhurried delivery makes that absence audible before Lowry's plot explains it. When the…
- Can I listen to The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1) free with an Audible trial?
- Eligible new Audible members can use a free-trial credit to listen in the Audible app. Eligibility and current offer terms are set by Audible.Listen to The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1) free with an Audible trial
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- Is The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1) on Kindle Unlimited?
- Yes. The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1) was included with Kindle Unlimited when we last checked on July 12, 2026.
- How much does The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1) cost?
- On Amazon: Kindle $11.99, Paperback $6.33, Hardcover $10.83. Prices as of August 22, 2026 at 3:45 AM EDT and may change.
