If you’re anything like me, you have a big girl-crush on Scarlett Johansson. It’s hard not to — not only is she drop-dead gorgeous, but this classic-glam beauty has truly delivered some of the best and most diverse performances in all of Hollywood.
Whether she was slaying the Amazon as she played Kaa (the snake) in The Jungle Book, or was kicking some major arse in Captain America as Black Widow, or using her superhuman brain power in Lucy, Scarlett is not only one of the great actresses of our time, but of all time.
But what you may not know about this young and sassy vixen is that she also recently gave a solo audiobook performance of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” playing not only Alice, but every character from the famed tale. That’s right, every character.
Scarlett puts her unusually delicious voiceover abilities to work in a way that brings wonder, humor and charm to the role of the curious and mischievous Alice, sounding like a tween who has just discovered the meaning of life. She delivers a truly divine and creepy performance of the twisted Mad Hatter, and sounds equally as terrifying as the Queen of Hearts.
As you listen to and indulge in her performance on Audible –and you simply must, it is too entertaining and fun to pass up– you’ll fall back in love with the story you read as a child and feel like you’re walking right alongside Scarlett in her unforgettable adventure. You’ll discover that you’re not just listening to an audiobook; you’ll find that you’re really listening to a movie being sung to your imagination.
Since listening to it on Audible, Alice in Wonderland has become one of my favorite stories.
Here are 10 things I learned from this #girlpower story:
- Don’t be afraid to “take a moment.” Magical things will happen if you wait to make a decision.
- Don’t be afraid to dream. Dreams take you on colorful adventures that reality can rarely provide.
- Mad people are often the most successful. Creativity sprouts from madness, and let’s admit it — we’re all a little bit mad. So embrace your madness and shine!
- Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Stand out, it’s always going to work in your favor.
- Flaunt your inner warrior. The battles you win are never insignificant. Every obstacle that you overcome is an evidence of how brave and strong you are.
- Embrace your capabilities, or as The Mad Hatter would say, your “muchness.” We’re all unique and we’re all capable of making this world much more beautiful in our own special ways.
- Make your own path. Be ferocious. Lead your dream, lead your world. Alice had been constantly told what to do; or as she said it, “From the minute I’ve jumped into the rabbit hole I had been told what to do, where to go, who to be. I have been accused of being Alice and of not being Alice.” So she finally decided to take things in her own hands and ended up saving Wonderland. Which bring me to…
- “You cannot live your life to please others,” as told by the White Queen. You have to realize that you will never be enough for everyone, but you have to be enough for yourself.
- It’s impossible only if you believe it. Everything you think is impossible, is only impossible because you think that it is. If you believe in yourself and if you believe that everything is possible, you’ll be able to reach the greatest of heights.
- You can slay anything! As cheesy as it sounds, if you believe in yourself, you can do anything.
After I indulged in Scarlett’s Emmy-worthy performance in an audio-binge marathon, I began to search around for other audio books that could capture my ADD-like attention span. And I was not disappointed. I used the 1 month free trial that Audible is offering right now and became obsessed with what I found.
I discovered that my secret celebrity crush, Jake Gyllenhaal (don’t tell my hubby), narrated one of my fav books ever, “The Great Gatsby,” about the rich and mysterious Gatsby who throws wild 1920s parties at his gothic mansion every week. I discovered that Kate Winslet narrated “Matilda,” one of the best books from my childhood about a young and gifted girl being terrorized by her evil principal. And I even discovered that Jesse Eisenberg has an audiobook, “Bream Gives Me Hiccups,” about social misfits and outcasts. I only wish I’d found out about all of this fun sooner!
Needless to say, I’ve been pretty hooked on getting lost in my new audiobook fantasies in my spare time and on-the-go. I encourage you to, too: Scarlett’s Mad Hatter is waiting for you. Nab your free trial today!
With audiobooks, no time wasted! I mean I get to do other stuff while learning! I have Audible and the collection is extensive and impressive.
Thanks for writing about Scarlett Johansson’s latest work, I didn’t know she had all those silly voices in her pocket!
As an EIM resident, I don’t have the luxury of time to read. But I have Audible installed on my phone and I listen to my “books” whenever I don’t have patients to attend to.
Scarlett is one of the actresses I love and I’ll be downloading Alice in Wonderland simply because she’s the voice behind it 🙂 However, I can’t do a marathon (like you did, Hilary). Now I wonder, how many days will I finish this 2hrs, 44mins audiobook? LOL
Admittedly, I’m a bit traditional. I prefer reading books rather than listening to them. I use my eyes to learn and not my ears. But for the sake of trying out things, I tried registering to Audible’s free trial and I can say, “audiobooks are not bad… after all!” And I think my subscription won’t end when my trial expires.
Thanks for writing this!
I first met Alice and became aware of “Alice in Wonderland” through the Disney film adaptation and I’d be proud to say that I’ve repeatedly watched the movie as a child. The story never failed to fascinate me and I was frightened by Queen of Hearts.
Yeah, the creative adaption of the movie is amazing and it was recently that I picked up the book which the film was based, there was regret and I wished I read it when I was younger.
I personally think that this Scarlett Johansson narrated audiobook is unique and can be enjoyed by adults in as much as kids can.
I won’t be shy to admit that I’m a new and curious reader of this title and I’m just discovering this work… for the first time. Thanks for sharing your learning! I think the story is simple but the meaning is deep and comprehensive.
So far, Audible is the best company I’ve subscribed to. Wide range of collection, worth my money. Audiobooks are my companion! I have to do a LOT of reading as a post grad student and more often than not, I’m dead tired to open and read books so what I usually do is have their audiobooks version.
Great lessons from Alice in Wonderland story. I think I might not be able to listen to this due to a very busy sched, but I think the output is fantastic.
Applause!!! Audible never fail to produce and give subscribers something new and worthy! I’m a subscriber! Anyway, I haven’t listened to this one yet but I can conclude that this is a delightful and pleasant treat for listeners of all ages! After all, it’s Audible 🙂
Thanks for sharing those points! I have listened to a number of audiobooks (forgive me but I used to have Audiobooks.com subscription). But now that you’ve introduced me to the amazing talent and work of Scarlett Johansson, I think Audible is worth trying. I mean I’m intrigued on how the Company is able to motivate Scarlett do various characters and how was the output?
With all the picture books I’ve read when I was a kid, why would I not love Alice in Wonderland?! It’s one of the stories I loved. Scarlett has a distinctive voice and lively characterization, I think this audiobook is entertaining!
Let me try and I’ll get back to this page to comment more!
WOW! Such an impressive talent! Can’t believe she played every character! The truth is I’m not a fan of audiobooks but you got me and I think I’m going to try my free trial. I wonder, can my trial allow me to download Alice in Wonderland? I’m really interested in listening — how she managed to voice multiple characters.