Can you imagine a modern soundscape version? With immersive 3D audio of the jungle sounds and the boys chanting? That would be terrifying for chapter 12. I'd pay for that. Some audiobook producers are experimenting with that for horror. Maybe someday.
I think the chapter's true horror is in the aftermath. The immediate chase is scary, but the lingering feeling is worse. Ralph is going to have to sit on that warship with Jack and Roger. What do they say to each other? What happens when they get home? The story ends at the peak of the crisis, but your mind races into the future. The audiobook ends, and you're left with silence, forced to contemplate that future yourself. It's an open ending disguised as a conclusion. The narrator's trailing-off final sentence is crucial for that effect.
I always wonder about the naval officer's perspective. The audiobook stays with Ralph, so we only hear the officer's confusion. But imagine his audiobook chapter: seeing a burning island, a bloodied boy weeping at his feet, a tribe of painted children behind him. The ending of 'Lord of the Flies' is the beginning of another, untold story of trauma. The audio medium makes that looming, untold story feel very present.
Samneric's warning to Ralph is one of the last human moments. After being forced to join the tribe, they find a moment to whisper to Ralph where he's hiding. In the audiobook, it's a hushed, rushed, guilty exchange. It shows that even under total coercion, a spark of decency can remain. But it's futile. They've already told Jack everything. Their warning is a small, pathetic act of rebellion that changes nothing. The performance of that whisper is crucial—it's hope reduced to a barely audible signal. It's the final flicker of the friendship and loyalty that once bound the boys, immediately snuffed out by the overwhelming threat of the tribe.
I'm skeptical of any site offering free, full audiobook streams of a copyrighted modern classic. Those are almost certainly pirated and could vanish or give you malware. Supporting the creators through legitimate channels is better, even if it's less convenient. Borrowing from a library is both legal and free.