How the Grinch Stole Christmas! audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
This is Dr. Seuss’s rhyming story of the Grinch and his plan to steal Christmas from Who-ville. Walter Matthau reads it in 12 minutes.
Short answer: for the How the Grinch Stole Christmas! audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (65% confidence, leaning). Walter Matthau reads it in 12 minutes, listed as unabridged. One storyteller tells it in rhyme and one narrator reads all of it, so audio has the edge, but only one criterion could be confirmed and confidence is held at 65%. Seuss’s own drawings are the real case for the book.
Listen on Audible
The book has one rhyming storyteller and one narrator, and Dr. Seuss’s drawings are the case for print.
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Confidence 65%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict (Listening Library) |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Walter Matthau |
| Length | 12 minutes, per Audible UK |
| At 1.5x | about 8m |
| At 2x | about 6m |
| Abridged or unabridged | Listed as unabridged |
| Audio publisher and year | Listening Library, released 27 June 2006 |
| Listener rating | Not yet rated on Audible UK (23 October 2026) |
| Price (snapshot) | £1.28 on Audible UK (23 October 2026) |
This is Walter Matthau’s audiobook reading, not Boris Karloff’s voice from the 1966 TV special. Audible lists the title without the exclamation mark that UK bookshops use.
Lengths checked 23 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Dr. Seuss
- Genre
- Picture book in verse; Christmas
- First published
- 1957
- On audio
- 12 mins, Walter Matthau
- On screen
- The 1966 TV special, the 2000 live-action film and the 2018 animated film
On this page
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.
Listening: single point of view and narrator (7), 7 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 65% confidence (leaning). Only 7 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65% until more evidence is found.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Walter Matthau, Listening Library, 2006, 12m, listed as unabridged
- Critic review
- None found
- Alternatives
- None found
- What you miss
- Seuss’s drawings
What this book actually is
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is Dr. Seuss’s picture book in rhyming verse about the Grinch, who lives above Who-ville and decides to stop Christmas from coming. Seuss wrote and illustrated it, and it was first published in 1957.
It has been adapted for the screen several times: the 1966 TV special narrated by Boris Karloff, the 2000 film with Jim Carrey and the 2018 animated film in which Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch.
The case for reading it
Seuss drew every page himself, and for many readers the Grinch’s grin is half the point. No source says the pictures show parts of the story that the verse leaves out, so this does not count in the score, but if you are reading with a child, the book is the better shared experience.
The case for listening to it
One storyteller tells it in rhyming verse, written to be read aloud, and one narrator reads all of it. Walter Matthau’s reading runs 12 minutes, about 8 minutes at 1.5x.
The audiobook in detail
Listening Library publishes Walter Matthau’s reading, released on 27 June 2006 and listed as unabridged, at 12 minutes on Audible UK, where it cost £1.28 and had no ratings yet on 23 October 2026. Listeners elsewhere praise his Grinch.
Do not confuse it with the Boris Karloff soundtrack from the 1966 TV special, which is sold separately on CD.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards print for a shared bedtime read with a young child, where the drawings matter.
Lean towards audio for a quick festive listen, or if you already know the pictures by heart.
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
The Snowman and the Snowdog
A reading with music from the film’s score, and nothing confirmed pointing to print.
A Christmas Carol
One narrator and praised narration point to audio, but the story moves between past, present and future.
Matilda
One narrator, sound effects and a story that stays with Matilda favour audio. Nothing confirmed favours print.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
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Questions people ask
Who narrates How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on Audible?
Walter Matthau, on the Listening Library recording. It is not Boris Karloff, who narrated the 1966 TV special.
How long is the Grinch audiobook?
12 minutes on Audible UK; about 8 minutes at 1.5x and 6 minutes at 2x (calculated).
Who voices the Grinch in the 2018 film?
Benedict Cumberbatch, who also reads The Snowman and the Snowdog audiobook.
Should I read or listen to How the Grinch Stole Christmas!?
Listen on our checks (65% confidence, leaning). One storyteller tells it in rhyme and one narrator reads all of it. Seuss’s drawings are the case for print, especially with a young child.
Do you agree with this verdict?
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US, the HarperCollins UK gift edition, Kirkus, and the Wikipedia articles on the book and films.
- Verdict last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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