A pretty vague question I know, but I’m not looking for any specific answer. I’m just curious what peoples thoughts are on audiobooks. Perhaps how you think they compare to paper books or how listening compares to reading. Any thoughts you have on the subject is welcome.
I really like audio books for long drives. I’ve gotten through a ton of classics that I never would have sat down and read. A great narration can make a book come alive, but even a mediocre one is fine to experience the story.
I love audiobooks. I used to have a 2.5 hour commute and audiobooks saved my life. The science fiction and fantasy books I was able to listen to were top notch as was the narration.
Wow, 2.5 hour commute seems wild to me. I spend 10-15 minutes in the car to get to work and have been thinking about moving closer so I can bike. 👀
It was not sustainable and eventually they let me work from home.
I love them, they’re great for listening to while going for walks, while cleaning, or just doing things that don’t take alot of mental effort. I think audiobooks get kind of shit on for being “lazy”, but if anything, they’re a “purer” form of storytelling than books themselves. Oral storytelling is probably one of the oldest art forms out there, and audiobooks are a sort of modern adaptation of this.
I can’t do them
I zone out and miss entire chapters pretty much any time I try. I also find pacing much too slow and most narrators just aren’t pleasant to listen to imo.
Know plenty of people who love them though, and as long as it increases literary reach then they’re only a good thing.
Same here. It’s just insanely slow compared to reading, so I just can’t cope with them. They’re popular though and now that they’re available on so many supports, they’re at least helping books stay alive, so that’s good.
I prefer them. It adds a lot of extra time to my day to slide books in. The simplicity of paper/ebooks is great, but I rarely find time to only read
Here’s the thing about paper books; they’re like vinyl. I love everything about them. I love the feel, I love the smell, I love the sensation of running your finger down a page. Just like I love vinyl; the way you have to handle each disk with care, blowing off the dust and gently setting the needle in the groove. The pop and hiss as it turns.
But I can’t bring a record player in my car, any more than I can read a book while driving.
Life is busy, and complicated, and paper books are slow and simple.
For me, switching to audiobooks meant that I read more in weeks than I had in years before. That’s really all that matters. The words are the same, the box just isn’t as pretty. I love the pretty box, but I’ll give it up to get the words.
I occasionally buy a hardcover of a book I listened to on audiobook if I really liked it. Sometimes I’ll even switch back and forth on the same book depending on if I have the time to sit down and read paper.
I’ve been doing this for the more complex books with a lot of world building.
I have found that I cannot concentrate on content if I am only listening to it. I think this is probably because I am not good at multi-tasking. So I listen to audiobooks of books which I have already read before, so that if I miss some point it won’t make a lot of difference. In my case listening to audiobooks is particularly helpful when I have a headache accompanied by eye strain. I just close my eyes and listen to any of my favourite books.
I started listening to A Song of Ice and Fire audiobooks while doing yardwork. It’s a lot more passive than reading a book, but you get most of the same information.
Only criticisms, it’s not as obvious when someone is talking without seeing quotation marks and there’s some clever wordplay you might miss out on.
Example: I thought A Clash of Kings was saying Stannis’s banner had a hart (male deer)instead of a stag and I didn’t get what the distinction was. Obviously, it turned out they were referring to a heart.
I love them in theory but every time I’ve tried it out it hasn’t gone right, like the narrator’s voice just wasn’t doing it for me. It’s a shame because I think I’d get a lot more reading done otherwise.
If you want to try one again consider Children of Hurin. Narrated by Sir Christopher Lee. It’s like getting a history lesson by Saruman.
Audiobooks are fantastic imo, without them I wouldn’t have gotten though so many books. I have a 30 minute commute to and from work and this is when I listen to them. At home I don’t have the time to read or listen to a book, my hands are full with two wild children and the house work that comes from them.
Normal audiobooks that hare read by a single individual was hard from me to to get into at first, then I found GraphicAudio. They have a full cast of voices to fit each character and it truly makes listening enjoyable.
I think I am in the same boat as a lot of people here. I don’t use them personally but I am glad they exist for those that do use them.
I commute two hours a day and have a fairly passive desk job so audio books are awesome for me. I just listened to The Martian and loved it, and also listened to the first 15 lives of Harry August. I also listened to Enders Game at my last job. I really enjoyed all of them.
I agree with some opinions that you don’t form your own voices in your head, but in some cases for me that was nice. For instance I didn’t really consider the ethnicity of some of the characters in both Enders Game and The Martian. That has an impact on the story that frankly I forget about once I’ve moved on a few chapters from it being mentioned.
Audiobooks are hard because my brain wanders. I have trouble when my mind wanders and I don’t pay attention to the story. Eventually, I snap back into focus and I don’t know how far back I have to rewind the audiobook to find my place again.
My wife and I are both devoted readers and read dozens of books every year. However, about 7 years ago I took a job that made me commute 50 miles a day.
I also love to listen to music, but the 30 minute to 1 plus hour drive each way was boring as hell. So I decided to look into audio books and the first one I listened to was “Leviathan Wakes” book 1 of “The Expanse.” I went from hating my commute every day, to actually slowing down and taking more time to consume more books.
I love audio books now and have listened to hundreds over the last several years. I still read books of course and my wife has not listened to audio books with any consistency, unless we are traveling. Audio books are excellent at keeping the kids entertained on those long trips to see family.
My wife and I often read the same books and series and we discuss them at length. I have not found any difference in my ability to understand and debate the material, whether I’ve read or listened to it. I do find it a bit easier to remember smaller details if I’ve read it, other than that there is little difference. At least for me.
Most of my “reading” is via audiobooks so I’m a fan. I’m busy and don’t have a lot of time to sit and read, but I spend hours every day on activities that don’t require my full focus. Audiobooks are a great way to make the time go by faster.
Listening to an audiobook feels different than reading, but a good narrator can create an engaging and immersive experience.
