Audio books vs. "Real" Books

[Weak Kitten]

As a dyslexic I am grateful to whoever came up with the idea of audio books. While I can read fiction just fine myself I find I understand and enjoy nonfiction much more when I don't have to struggle with my reading trouble.

 

[arthwollipot]

Go to LibriVox.org and volunteer.

One day, I will.

I cannot follow your logic, as making something usually takes 10 or 20 times more time than reading or listening to it.

The thing is, I listen to podcasts while driving. It's the only chance I have where I'm not concentrating on anything else. Creating a podcast (which I have some experience of) or an audiobook is an expenditure of time.

 

[MummRa]

Any opinions on audio vs. print as a way to experience literature? I do listen to audio books and have my own take on the subject but would like to hear from some others before I chime in but to get the ball rolling, having someone else, live or on mp3, read a book to you cannot substitute for the act of reading it yourself. Listening, to state the obvious, is not reading.

I wholeheartedly agree. I like listening to podcasts (as another poster mentioned), but when it comes time to read books are the only way to go. I can't even be bothered with the e-readers these days; I'm too stuck with turning my pages.

Though I did stick with tapes as my main musical format until 1997, so maybe it's just me being a dinosaur...

 

[whatthebutlersaw]

I wholeheartedly agree. I like listening to podcasts (as another poster mentioned), but when it comes time to read books are the only way to go. I can't even be bothered with the e-readers these days; I'm too stuck with turning my pages.

Though I did stick with tapes as my main musical format until 1997, so maybe it's just me being a dinosaur...

I don't think this is a great divider - we all like what we like and the existence of either is not hanging on this as there are enough consumers of both.

I have noticed, hanging around less specialized, more social, fora that since I left Sweden a big subgroup of people have turned to audio books as their main - or even sole - source of literature. People discussing books consistently refer to it as "I listened to it about a year ago", "I have it right here, I will start listening tonight" etc.

I am, myself, quite fond of the feel of turning pages but I also find that actually reading a book has started to become a luxury of time expenditure to me - and I don't even have kids. With the commute (my working hours are actually quite reasonable now that The Project From Hell is over) and 6*2H exercise per week plus the fact that your friends actually require seeing you every now and then to not forget why you are friends, I can then pick if I want to read a book or do any of my other home-based hobbies (like knitting or painting). The audio book lets me do two at a time.

I know it's not ideal when you start trying to maximise your relaxation time like that because it's basically like shouting "Hurry up and relax!" but it's the reality of my life. (And parents - I have no idea how you do it. Most people I know with under sevens are almost in tears with joy if they manage to use the loo undisturbed.)

The feel of the page is a wonderful feeling, indeed. But apart from the benefits of those not enjoying that the way we do still getting their literature on, there are also those who don't have the privilege and I'm not just talking about dyslexics (where you very often find ways to cope with your challenge and at some point therefore find yourself reading voraciously either as practice or in pure joy of having beat the odds). It may, for example, be no challenge with the actual reading if you've got palsy - but simply turning the page could be a bitch. Audio was a blessing for this, but I have been told eReaders are even better as it is easier to place bookmarks.

The beauty of this is that if you want, you can keep reading paper books as if nothing happened. It's not being a dinosaur: it's simply enjoying your you-time.

 

[Aitch]

Go to LibriVox.org and volunteer.

One day, I will.

Before you do, it might be worth checking what your recorded voice sounds like, if you haven't already. I thought I was a cheerful sounding person until I heard the message I recorded for my my voicemail at work - sounded like Marvin the Paranoid Android on a bad day!

WRT to audio books... one of the reasons I don't have an iPod or equivalent is that they cut you off from your surroundings - which could be dangerous round hear due to the psychotic way people drive and the mad bloody cyclists who seem to think that the pavements are solely for their benefit.

Might possibly use one on a long train journey, but would prefer to have a book or a couple of magazines/newspapers/whatever.

Another advantage of real books is the ability to flip between pages and, iff you own the book, make marginal notes.

 

[paiute]

This, this, this.

Tull totally rocks.

I like a good audio book, but it totally depends on the reader.

For instance, I hated Jim Dale's version of the Potter books, but loved Stephen Fry's. I didn't like Tony Robinson's Pratchett readings, but thought Nigel Planer did a fine job.

Christopher Timothy reads James Herriot's books very well and Kevin Whately does some good work with Colin Dexter's (for obvious reasons in both cases I guess) and there are a couple of authors who do a very good job on their own books - Bill Bryson comes to mind.

I've never heard anyone to rival Patrick Tull though.

I also recommend Simon Prebble's reading of the Dick Francis Sid Halley trilogy.

 

[catsmate]

I love audio books. As a pop culture sci-fi fan I listen to more audio plays than audio books, though, because Big Finish has made hundreds of hours of audio entertainment based on various sci-fi properties. Though when I played one for the local 8-year-old he said it was good but would have been better on TV. Kids these days.

Personally their 'Jago and Litefoot' stories are my favourite.

 

[Roxane]

Go to LibriVox.org and volunteer.

I've been wanting to do this. I love to read aloud and I love being read to. I wonder if my voice is any good for it, though. I think people prefer male voices and I'm afraid mine's too high.

Maybe I can record something and you audio book lovers can tell me if it would be pleasant or torturous to listen to.

 

[JSFolk]

You know, if you leave it up to this crowd to suggest things for you to read, there's bound to be trouble.

 

[arthwollipot]

Before you do, it might be worth checking what your recorded voice sounds like, if you haven't already. I thought I was a cheerful sounding person until I heard the message I recorded for my my voicemail at work - sounded like Marvin the Paranoid Android on a bad day!

I've been doing podcasts for several years.

 

[Aitch]

I've been doing podcasts for several years.

Fair enough.

But have you ever listened to them?

 

[xinit]

Audio books are usually shortened and simplified versions, they are a compromise that doesn´t say exactly what the author intended to say.

Usually? That's what the word "UNABRIDGED" on the spine of physical media audio books means... Since the demise of cassette tapes, ABRIDGED seems to be the rarer type of Audiobook when I'm shopping on Emusic, Audible, and iTunes... same with what I find in my library.

 

[Cactus Wren]

I like nonfiction audiobooks, but am frustrated that a number of them -- Ehrman's latest, for instance -- are only available from Audible.com. I don't buy enough audiobooks to make a membership cost effective.

 

[arthwollipot]

But have you ever listened to them?

You mean after spending four hours editing?

 

[eeyore1954]

Any opinions on audio vs. print as a way to experience literature? I do listen to audio books and have my own take on the subject but would like to hear from some others before I chime in but to get the ball rolling, having someone else, live or on mp3, read a book to you cannot substitute for the act of reading it yourself. Listening, to state the obvious, is not reading.

Edit:

Oh dear, that sounds a bit puerile and painfully obvious but I'll let it stand.

I do it all the time on my commute. It certainly has some advantages but I do not want actual reading to become a lost art. Many times I do both . I check out both the book and the cd from the library.

 

[eeyore1954]

OP: Audio books are excellent; they don't replace reading for yourself, but they provide a whole new world of enjoyment I think.

Having lost all reading vision ten years ago (I have some useful peripheral vision), I have quite a few opinions about audio books!

When my mother got old she would many times get headaches when she would read. Audio books allowed her to continue (in a different way) what had been a longtime passion, reading science fiction. One of the last birthday presents I was able to get her was the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy on CD.