Audiobooks. Yay or Nay?

[Jericho]

I've tried. I've really tried.

I just don't like Audiobooks.

The first few I tried were audiobook versions of titles that I'd already read. So I think that was a bad idea, as I already had the character in my head... And they sure didn't talk like that.

Then I tried the audiobook version of Pandora's Star. It's a big book. There are probably 50 'main' characters. This one guy has to do all the voices, and he's not always consistent. The result it that the ultra-calculating, and ultra-cool Investigator Paula Myo sounds like a 40 year old Scotsman doing an impression of a 20 year old accent-less woman with autism.

I've seen the adverts for Stephen Fry reading the complete Holmes. Might give that a try. Alas, in my mind, Jeremy Brett is THE Sherlock, and no one can ever beat him (Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the BBC Cumberbatch show).



I once listened to the audiobook of the Red Dwarf books. I had those playing while I was on the treadmill and rowing machines. Eeesh. They left in a few bits where he fumbled his words, and a couple of times there was the old cell-phone signal beeping in the background (which you don't really hear these days).

Anyone swear by audio books?

[CBJ]

I'm not a great consumer of audiobooks, but they're good for long car journeys and Stephen Fry is the absolute master of the form.

[Redvers Ganderpoke]

I've seen the adverts for Stephen Fry reading the complete Holmes. Might give that a try. Alas, in my mind, Jeremy Brett is THE Sherlock, and no one can ever beat him (Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the BBC Cumberbatch show).


Anyone swear by audio books?

I have a reasonably long commute (1hr ish each way) and listen to Radio 4extra / Plays and audiobooks. I like the plays / radio programmes better than the audiobooks. (the BBC series of Clive Merrison's Sherlock Holmes ,John Moffat's Poriot and June Whitfield's Miss Marple have been particularly good).

I have the Stephen Fry Sherlock Holmes audiobook and still haven't reached the end after two months (just started "The casebook of..") and it has been "OK". It does start off as Mr Fry couldn't make his mind how to voice the characters but the he soon settles down and it is a quite a good listen. Audiobooks depend on the reader - some I've listened to I've forgotten that it's only one person and the characters have "come alive" - others I've listened to and I've lost the plot.

[mrbadger]

pre disability I used to go for very long, entire evening long walks, on which audiobooks were my preferred form of entertainment.

I still prefer them to other forms of entertainment because while I like printed books (I should, I have a very large collection of old science fiction novels that's worth quite a bit, as in many thousands), you can't read those and do other things, like code, or play games, or browse the web.

But I do find that I have gravitated towards certain authors and narrators for my preferred listening. Some Authors just don't translate well to Audio form.

But some work wonderfully. Pratchett for example to seemed write as if he always intended his books to be listened to, not read. Indeed he alluded to as much in some interviews he gave. I wish I could find one to reference...

Douglas Adams of course started out writing for radio, so his abilities and influence are obvious in his work when you listen to it.

But Phillip K Dicks work, while it translates well to film, is awful when transferred to audiobooks.

Ian M. Banks Work is good, but I suspect that's down to good narratiuon more than anything. I like his work, but at times it can be a little obvious that it doesn't work well as audio (Excession being a good example).

It is very much down to preference, but Audiobooks aren't cheap, even with an Audible subscription, so if you don't get it right first time it would be easy to get put off.

I'd happily put up my list (highly subjective of course) of decent narrators if anyone was interested.

[greypanther]

I agree with mrbadger here, almost entirely. The narrator is the key and there are some very good ones, but equally there are some who at their worst just make me laugh out loud at their style.

Unlike mrbadger, I am not sure who are the good ones, because I do not pay enough attention to who is doing what... Nigel Planer was good with some of the Pratchett ones I do remember.

[red assassin]

I have never been able to focus on audiobooks (or podcasts or similar media, for that matter, and I dislike phone calls as well). I can't multitask and pay attention, but if I'm not doing anything else I get bored/distracted.

[mrbadger]

Nigel Planer was good with some of the Pratchett ones I do remember.

He was, but he did too few. So was Tony Robinson, but for some reason he only did abridged versions, which I don't buy. I was given some when I was an undergrad, but replaced them as soon as I could.

[birdtable]

I have found that what makes a good reading book does not usually make a good audio book and vice versa. Robert Hardy brings the Aubrey Maturin books alive (one of the exceptions of a good read and audio),, Derek Jacobi works well with Cadfael,, Ian Carmichael reading Dorothy Sayers novels. Simon Scarrow, Bernard Cornwell, Ken Follet, C J Sansom are all authors that translate well into audio.... Dick Francis in my opinion makes for a good audio but not a good reading book, even enjoy Louis L'amour and I have never read a western..... In the end it is personal choice but I believe a fairly simple plot line makes for the best audio books and of course a skilled talented teller of tales.

[pjknibbs]

I've never tried them. Like red assassin, I would struggle to concentrate on the story if I was doing something else at the same time (including driving), and if you're *not* doing something else at the same time, what's the point of listening to an audiobook? Might as well just read it yourself.

[Santi]

I tried a lot too, but cannot get into audiobooks. It simply does not give me the time to reflect on what is being narrated or to build a picture in my mind. I found myself fidgeting all the time with the pause button or the replay one making it a very awkward experience.

[Avis]

I used to listen to music while in the gym, but little while ago I started listening to audio books, previously I hated them but they do have their place.

[clakclak]

It seems to be a bit hit or miss. What I found is that what is often refered to as the "high" literature makes for bad audiobooks. Generally, long sentences and deep thoughts are better to understand/easier to follow if you read them yourself and because of that less entertaining in audiobook format.

[birdtable]

clakclak's opinion on audio books is spot on,, take for example the works of Iain M Banks I find that his writing can only be read and time is needed to reflect on what is actually being portrayed ... this cannot be appreciated in audio format.
Frank Herbert does not work well with audio but Asimov does.... Of the older classic works Victor Hugo translates well ..... In my opinion..

[Jericho]

I've never tried them. Like red assassin, I would struggle to concentrate on the story if I was doing something else at the same time (including driving), and if you're *not* doing something else at the same time, what's the point of listening to an audiobook? Might as well just read it yourself.

Exactly. I certainly can't work while I'm listening. I can't play a game while I'm doing it (I'd be paying attention to neither). I drive pretty much on auto-pilot these days as it is, which isn't good. Throw in an audio book and that is only going to get worse.

Abridged books.... Grrr.... That would annoy me to discover it was the abridged version (That said, take out all the crap from LotR)

[mrbadger]

Mostly Abridged books were created so they'd fit on cassettes. Quite why they still exist I don't understand, but they do. I always have to check that I'm not buying an abridged version, and that does annoy me.

But most publishers have stopped doing them now, so maybe they are on the way out at last.

I get the multi-tasking thing. Sometimes I can't listen to a book and do something else complicated. But Books can be paused, which I do. I just like to have the option of something else that's easy to switch to.

Today I have a ton of dissertation marking to do, which will be zero fun.

I'll intersperse that with 'A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born' (another book which translates really well to audio, helped greatly by the narrator Phil Gigante). I couldn't do them both at the same time, but it will be a nice relaxation option.

[BigBANGtheory]

I think you have to be in the right mood or place for an audio book. One of the best examples I can think of is if you are having trouble sleeping an audiobook can relax you back into sleep and shift your focus away from say illness or something on your mind that's troubling you. Reading or watching a screen engages your brain in a way that can keep you awake, listening quietly is quite a relaxing thing.

Audio books which are acted out are much better imho, a good one to go for is the original Dune : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN2vKnebdZ4

[Morkonan]

I've bought audiobook "CDs" for listening to while driving long distances. They're not bad if it's something I'd be interested in listening to.

But, in all other cases, I prefer an actual book, made with paper and printed with ink and stuff...