Vocalising motherhood: The metaphorical conceptualisation of voice in listener responses to The girl on the train by Paula Hawkins

The purpose of this article is to conceptualise voice as vocalisation. Taking a multidisciplinary approach to the concept of voice, the study is informed by theoretical considerations pertaining to audionarratology, voice semiotics, and cognitive science. It is argued that the physical articulation of voice reinforces metaphorical implications. Through the illustrative example of the audiobook version of the bestselling thriller The girl on the train (2015) by Paula Hawkins, the metaphorical overtones of voice quality are discussed. In addition, the vocal impact on mental imagery, daydreaming, and phenomenal consciousness is analysed. Based on data collected from the Audible website for listener reviews, it is concluded that voice performance has an impact on the way in which both plot and discursive features are perceived. Importantly, the study shows that the gendered theme of motherhood, foregrounded in Hawkins’s novel, takes on new dimensions when the text is vocalised.