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Funny Story by Emily Henry: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?

A children’s librarian, left by her fiancé for his best friend, moves in with that best friend’s ex in a small Michigan town. Daphne tells it all herself, and the audiobook is the way to hear it.

Read vs Listen·First published 4 November 2026·Last edited 5 November 2026·5 min read
Funny Story by Emily Henry
The verdict
The same thirteen checks for every bookSix checks point to listening, such as a full cast or produced audio, the author reading their own memoir, or one narrator for a single viewpoint. Seven point to reading, such as jumping timelines, three or more viewpoints, or a story that depends on images or layout. Each check has a weight, and the weighted total sets the verdict. Verdicts are never paid for. The percentage rises with the gap between the two sides and with how much evidence there is, so a couple of small checks can’t make a book clear cut on their own: 50 to 64 is a close call, 65 to 79 is leaning, 80 to 94 is clear, and 95 or more is clear cut. See how we decide in full →

Listen on Audible

Listen to Funny Story by Emily Henry: Julia Whelan plays both the heartbreak and the people around it. AudioFile says she ‘accentuates Daphne’s devastation with believable sobs and sniffles’ and ‘especially shines in the second half of the story with well-matched voices to likable secondary characters’. Daphne tells it all herself, so one narrator suits it, and even the chapter countdowns read aloud as easily as they look on the page.

Audible listeners rate the narration 4.7 out of 5 (978 ratings)

Definitely readDefinitely listen
76%
Listen
Listen on AudibleOur pick · 11h 28m, read by Julia WhelanKindle edition400 pages (UK paperback) · about 6½ hours to read

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The audiobook at a glance

RecordingUK edition, our verdictUS edition
NarratorJulia WhelanJulia Whelan
Length11 hours 28 minutes (11h 28m), unabridged11 hours 23 minutes (11h 23m), unabridged
At 1.5xabout 7h 39mabout 7h 35m
At 2xabout 5h 44mabout 5h 42m
Audio publisher and datePenguin Audio (shown as Viking), 23 April 2024Penguin Audio, 23 April 2024
Audiobook price£12.06 on Audible UK$20.25 on Audible US
Kindle price£7.99 on Amazon UKNot listed
PrintPenguin paperback, 400 pages, 27 February 2025Berkley hardcover, 400 pages, 23 April 2024; paperback 416 pages
Listener ratingPerformance 4.69 from 978 ratingsPerformance 4.80 from 19,002 ratings

Julia Whelan reads both listings, released the same day. The UK edition is the one scored.

Ratings and prices checked 4 November 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.

Lengths checked 4 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.

Why this verdictWhat it isCase for readingCase for listeningThe audiobookWho should ignore itQuestions

Funny Story

Emily Henry

Genre
Romantic comedy
Published
23 April 2024
Length
400 pages (UK paperback)
On audio
11 hrs 28 mins, Julia Whelan (UK); 11 hrs 23 mins (US)
Told by
Daphne, in the first person
On screen
Netflix film in development

On this page

  1. Why we reached this verdict
  2. What this book actually is
  3. The case for reading it
  4. The case for listening to it
  5. The audiobook in detail
  6. Who should ignore this verdict
  7. Questions people ask

Why we reached this verdict

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.

Two checks point to listening
✓
Single point of view and narratorDaphne tells the whole story in the first person, and The Harvard Crimson (Angelina X. Ng) puts it plainly: ‘Daphne is the one telling the story.’ One narrator, Julia Whelan, reads all of it, so you hear it in her voice throughout.
✓
Award-winning or praised narrationAudioFile says Whelan ‘accentuates Daphne’s devastation with believable sobs and sniffles’ and ‘especially shines in the second half of the story with well-matched voices to likable secondary characters’. Bookshelf Fantasies adds: ‘The narration and the character voices are all spot on.’
Checked, not a factor here (11)
–
Full cast or produced audioJulia Whelan is the only narrator on every English edition, on Audible UK and US. There is no cast or duet recording.
–
Read by the authorIt is a novel, read by a narrator rather than the author.
–
Unfamiliar names or dialectIt is set in Waning Bay, a fictional Michigan lake town based on Traverse City, with ordinary names.
–
Long book400 pages in the UK Penguin paperback, which is not over 400.
–
Jumping timelinesThe story moves forward, with a date and a countdown at the top of each chapter, such as “108 DAYS UNTIL I CAN LEAVE” (Penguin UK extract). Nothing we found describes chapters that go back in time.
–
Three or more points of view, one narratorDaphne is the only narrator.
–
Story depends on images or layoutThe countdown headings are words that can be read aloud, and nothing we found says anything in the book depends on the page.
–
Many similar-sounding namesA small cast. Peter and Petra have close names, but no reviewer raises it as a problem.
–
Literary or dense proseKirkus praises the “sharp, often hilarious dialogue”, and The Harvard Crimson says the prose “feels rushed at times”. No reviewer calls it literary or dense.
–
Narration criticisedPerformance 4.69 from 978 ratings on Audible UK and 4.80 from 19,002 on Audible US, and no critic faults the reading.
–
Maps, family trees or footnotesWe found no map, family tree or footnotes.
How the score adds up
Listening 13 points, reading 0

Daphne’s first-person story read by one narrator (7 points) and the critics’ praise for Whelan (6) give listening 13. That puts it at 76%, leaning to audio. Nothing scores for reading, but a clear-cut verdict needs more than 13 points on one side.

Every book gets the same thirteen checks, set in advance. Verdicts are never paid for or influenced by affiliate links. Last edited 5 November 2026, and rechecked every year as editions and narrators change. Read the checks in full · Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.

The recording in detail

One narratorMulti-voiceFull castDramatised
Scored
Julia Whelan, Penguin Audio, 2024, 11h 28m, unabridged
Critic review
AudioFile (now on Kirkus): Whelan “especially shines in the second half”
Alternatives
US Penguin Audio listing, same narrator (11h 23m)
What you miss
Nothing. Even the chapter countdowns are read aloud

What this book actually is

Funny Story is Emily Henry’s 2024 romantic comedy. Daphne, a children’s librarian, moved to Waning Bay, Michigan, for her fiancé Peter. When Peter leaves her for his best friend, Petra, Daphne ends up sharing a flat with Petra’s ex, Miles, and the two of them start pretending to date.

It is a standalone novel. Netflix has the film rights, with Emily Henry writing the script (Shelf Awareness, January 2026). Readers should know it covers a break-up and betrayal, a parent who was absent, and some sexual content.

The case for reading it

Print doesn’t have much to add. The chapters run in order, each headed with a date and a countdown to the day Daphne can leave, such as ‘108 DAYS UNTIL I CAN LEAVE’, and those read aloud as easily as they sit on the page. Choose the 400-page paperback if you like to set your own pace through what Kirkus calls the ‘sharp, often hilarious dialogue’.

The case for listening to it

Whelan’s performance is the draw. AudioFile says she brings out Daphne’s heartbreak with ‘believable sobs and sniffles’ and gives the side characters ‘well-matched voices’, and Bookshelf Fantasies calls the narration and voices ‘spot on’. In a book that moves from a break-up to a pretend relationship, that range matters.

It’s Daphne’s story, in her words alone, so one narrator suits it, and the countdown headings give you a clear sense of where you are.

The audiobook in detail

Julia Whelan reads it solo and unabridged for Penguin Audio: 11 hours 28 minutes on Audible UK and 11 hours 23 minutes on Audible US. At 1.5x the UK edition takes about 7 hours 39 minutes. She reads every English-language Emily Henry audiobook on both stores. There’s no full-cast or duet version, and no PDF.

Who should ignore this verdict

If you want different voices for Daphne and Miles, know that it’s one narrator throughout. And if rom-coms are a page habit for you, nothing in this one argues against it.

Get Funny Story
Both editions, so you can go with the verdict or ignore it entirely.
Our pick

Audiobook

  • Read by Julia Whelan
  • 11h 28m (UK) or 11h 23m (US)
  • Unabridged
Listen on Audible

Kindle

  • 400 pages (UK paperback)
  • Set your own pace through the banter
  • About 6½ hours to read (our estimate)
Get the Kindle edition
Affiliate links. If you buy through one of these we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, and with no influence on the verdict above.

Related verdicts

Same author

People We Meet on Vacation

Same author and narrator, but its chapters jump back and forth in time; Funny Story counts down in order.

Same author

Great Big Beautiful Life

Same author and narrator.

Book LoversEmily HenrySame author

Book Lovers

Same author and narrator.

Same author

Beach Read

Same author and narrator.

Opposite verdict

Heated Rivalry

The story jumps forward in time across roughly ten years. On the page you can see where each jump starts, which is easy to miss on audio, so it’s simpler to keep track of where you are.

Different verdict

The Love Hypothesis

Listen for Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton, who read this 2021 Goodreads Choice Romance runner-up in 11 hours 51 minutes. Read it if you prefer the page, as nothing in the book makes it harder or easier to follow on audio.

Start here

How we decide

The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.

Questions people ask

Who narrates the Funny Story audiobook?

Julia Whelan reads the whole book on her own, in the UK and US editions.

How long is the Funny Story audiobook?

11 hours 28 minutes on Audible UK and 11 hours 23 minutes on Audible US. About 7 hours 39 minutes at 1.5x and 5 hours 44 minutes at 2x (calculated).

Is the Funny Story audiobook abridged?

No. Both editions are unabridged.

How many pages is Funny Story?

400 pages in the UK Penguin paperback, and 416 in the US paperback.

Whose point of view is Funny Story told from?

Daphne’s, in the first person, throughout.

Is Funny Story being made into a film?

Yes. Netflix acquired the film rights, with Emily Henry writing the script (Shelf Awareness, January 2026). No director, cast or release date had been announced as of November 2026.

Is Funny Story a series?

No, it is a standalone novel.

Does Julia Whelan narrate all of Emily Henry’s books?

Every English-language Emily Henry audiobook on Audible UK and US is read by Julia Whelan.

Should I read or listen to Funny Story?

Listen. Critics praise Julia Whelan for both Daphne’s heartbreak and the side characters’ voices, and Daphne tells the whole story herself, so one narrator suits it. Nothing in the book needs the page.

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Funny StoryOur pick: listen · 76%
KindleListen on Audible