Laura Dern narrates “Little Women” audiobook

Laura Dern likes spoken word so much she even enjoys callbacks to re-record lines for her movies. “Some actors complain about it,” she says. “But it gives me an opportunity to add something to film.”

Dern was interviewed by telephone recently about a vocal project she especially enjoyed, serving as narrator for a new audiobook production of “Little Women,” Louisa May Alcott story that’s also coming out this week as a movie directed by Greta Gerwig, with Dern playing March family mor, Marmee. audiobook was produced by producer-distributor Audible. Readers providing voices for characters include Suzanne Toren, Lauren Fortgang and Allison Hiroto.

Dern’s memories of “Little Women” date back to around 13, when she and her grandmor would read it aloud toger and when Dern read vel by herself.

“It was an amazing time for me to read book,” she says. “It was around time I was deciding to became an actress.”

Dern, 52, related to Marches from start. Like March sisters, she was raised mostly by women; her parents, actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, divorced when she was little and she spent much of her time with her mor and grandmor. Filming movie, and reading audiobook, reminded her of her deep attachment to fictional family, especially to Marmee.

“I got to walk in those shoes, and to figure how to do it with bility,” she said. “I found her available and messy and wise and funny, and a muse. I think we often make our heroes very angelic.”

Her immersion in “Little Women” has her thinking about her family — one of her children read “Little Women” while Dern was working on film last year — and how to include m in future audiobooks. She speaks of a project with her parents, ting that her mor is a Mississippi native who has “most lyrical, beautiful Sourn voice.”

Asked if she has any books in mind that she’d love to narrate, she mentions plays of Tennessee Williams and some works of humour.

“I’ve never read something that deeply irreverent, so it would be really fun to read David Sedaris,” she said. “I would love that.”