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09/13/2005 12:22:59 AM · #1 |
Here's a random thought that I feel like posting...
I broke down and bought an iPod a few weeks ago and I'm starting to really enjoy it. I have never been into audiobooks, but I think I'm starting to enjoy being able to pick up the iPod and have it read to me.
I think my attention span may be too short for audiobooks. I don't have that problem when I'm reading from paper pages in a physical book. I can read for hours on end with no trouble. With the audiobooks, I find my mind drifting sometimes, but I think it's something I can overcome.
The other issue I find peculiar about audiobooks is the 'voice' of the reader. When I'm reading from the pages of a book, my mind can create the 'visuals' that go along with the story, such as the characters and the places. When someone is reading it to me, those visuals are being influenced by the voice of the reader.
Any thoughts?
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09/13/2005 12:29:48 AM · #2 |
I have a very mindless job (woo hoo back office work for a cell company..) so at times I listen to audiobooks to help keep myself from falling asleep.
I think the manner in which the reader portrays the characters is extremely important.
One example is I was listening to the Chronicles of Narnia.. now this wasn't actually a book being read, but instead being acted - there was a part of the series where the lion's roar was done by an actor.. and it completely jarred me out of the story because he sounded, well, like a ninny.
I also listened to all 6 of the Harry Potter books and it seems like they had a different person narrating either #4 or #5 and the portrayal was just so different that it lessened my enjoyment of the book.
I still prefer to read a book myself and find it difficult to completely immerse myself in what is being read to me. Often that is because I'm a very fast reader and I tune out the words when I feel like the book is going too slow.
The best book(s) I've listened to? The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. I believe it is read by the author, though I could be on crack about that.
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09/13/2005 12:29:50 AM · #3 |
I couldn't agree more, John. I can't concentrate either, but I would hope it is something that could be learned with much effort.
In the meantime, I rather listen to music and read print.
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09/13/2005 12:39:44 AM · #4 |
| I also agree. I was excited at the prospect of audiobooks because I figured I could could getthrough some of the books that I'd like to have read but they really didn't work out all that well for me. And then I thought maybe I could listen to them at work but that got in the way of thinking which they are always wanting me to do. Maybe they'd be fun on long car trips? But the voice is definitely a big factor. |
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09/13/2005 12:41:52 AM · #5 |
One of the audiobooks I recently read was, IMO, enhanced by the reader. It was an audio-only book (short story) from Steven King called "LT's Theory of Pets." Certain readers can add to the experience, especially if they are the author.
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09/13/2005 12:51:14 AM · #6 |
Last year I was commuting a couple hours a day and audiobooks completely saved my life. I'm not sure I'd ever listen to them otherwise, but wow did they make long drives more enjoyable.
I think there was only one book where I didn't care for the voice reading. In the other 20 or so books I thought they really added something. For example Barabra Kingsolver's "Prodigal Summer" is set in Appalachia. Having the right character accents was fantastic. Unfamiliar with the accent myself, I just couldn't have added that layer of atmosphere with my own imagination. |
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09/13/2005 12:52:02 AM · #7 |
I have a fairly long commute (1 hr each way) and I enjoy audiobooks while I drive.
The voice of the reader is important as is the amount of "acting out" of the book. (i.e. different voices for different characters etc. If it's well done, it can really enhance the book, poorly done it can ruin it.
The best audiobooks really get you into the story and when the book is over, you wish it weren't. So far my favorites were the "DaVinci Code" and "Charlie Wilson's War".
I get my books mostly through Audible.com.
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09/13/2005 12:56:29 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
So far my favorites were the "DaVinci Code"... |
I almost bought that tonight.. it's high on my list.
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09/13/2005 01:03:08 AM · #9 |
The company which makes OmniPage OCR software (ScanSoft?) also makes a utility which will take a text file, convert it to audio (I guess with synthesized voices), and burn it to CD. This allows you to make your own audiobooks out of public domain works, as may be found at Project Gutenberg or, perhaps more importantly, business reports and news articles. You could scan these in with the OCR software ...
While I doubt it will make great drama, it might be an efficient way to get in a lot of info if you can't devote enough time for physical reading.
Actually, a lot of PG's books have been turned into audio files already, probably by a very similar process -- check it out.
It is also a great boon to the visually impaired. |
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09/13/2005 01:05:55 AM · #10 |
i'm the opposite. i thought i would hate audiobooks but really ended up loving them. but, i'm a nerd and really like history and stuff too.
i joined audible.com and downloaded a couple of books a month for a while (had to give it up for the time being...too busy anyway). i found it really fun to listen to books while doing mindless stuff where you couldn't read to pass the time -- like mowing the yard.
i drywalled my kitchen to the tune of a treatise about the vatican state in 19th century italy. i was really rockin' out there for a while. |
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