Audiobooks vs. Reading

[Shorty]

I've never listened to an audiobook. Those of you who have, do you find it detracts from the experience at all? My commute to work now is a bit lengthy and I think it would be an excellent time to squeeze in some "reading" time as opposed to generally listening to music or the radio.

What do you think of audiobooks? Do you prefer them or reading a physical book to experience a story?

[Elskidor]

I have listened to a few of them, and it depends on the narrator. While cleaning or driving or something these come in handy if you are able to get into a story by listening to it. Great way to multitask, and it never hurts to knock out 2 birds with one stone. It's worth giving it a try, right?

[Pike]

I've listened to a couple and they're good for multitasking (if you can pull it off, there are times when I can't concentrate on a story and other things on the same time. Even if it's something easy like MMO grinding :redface:) But for the most part though I've never had much of chance to listen to them because I very rarely have a commute that's over about five minutes.

There was some recent study done that showed that listening to an audiobook whilst driving was considerably more distracting than listening to music whilst driving so I'd tell everyone who does it to be a little extra cautious :)

[Jinx]

I've never listened to audiobooks (except for when I was a kid and in high school during class) and I have no desire to do so. But I can understand the appeal if you're driving or working out or something. Like Elskidor said, I think it would probably have to depend on the narrator. Like, I know The Great Gatsby has recently been re-recorded with Jake Gyllenhaal as the narrator. I couldn't stand to listen to his lisp for an entire book. But if someone had a wonderful speaking voice, I probably would enjoy it much more.

[Shorty]

Seriously? I would listen to Jake Gyllenhaal read me War and Peace. I would listen to him read me Sarah Palin's autobiography, for god's sake.

[Rantz]

The narrator can definitely make or break an audiobook. I've only listened to a few, but I've enjoyed the experience. As Pike says though, it's not always as easy as you might think to focus on the book if you're doing something else at the same time.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I've only listened to Goosebumps audiobooks just because one of my college friends got them for free from the library he worked at. We thought they were funny, and that was in large part to the awful voices. I don't know that I could listen to an audiobook for something serious, though. When I'm experiencing a good story for the first time, I like to give it my full attention. Just physically reading is the best way for me to immerse myself into the story.

[Freya]

The narrator makes it. Audible.com is awesome. Thy are great for commutes. Usually early morning driving the radio is full of talk radio that boring so if you have a longer commute they are awesome.

[Calliope]

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I don't think I've listened to any audiobooks since they were like this, although sometimes Spuuky will download history podcasts to listen to if we have a long commute ahead of us. If I remember correctly, Miriel enjoys a few audiobooks though!

[Spuuky]

Please listen to Dan Carlin's Hardcore History. Pick any of the series and listen to the first episode. Ideally Ghosts of the Ostfront but I don't think it's free anymore. It's easily worth buying anyway.

[Del Murder]

They're pretty good on long drives. I prefer ones written by comedians because often they read it themselves. Stephen Colbert and Craig Ferguson's books in particular are quite funny. President Obama's first book is also read by him and it's good as well.

Oh, and the Dune audiobook is excellent for a fiction book. The narrator does voices and they're all pretty spot-on.

[The Man]

I find it impossible to listen to audiobooks. My attention wanders too easily.

[Shorty]

Thanks for the suggestions so far! I've already found a couple I'm looking into right now, but I'll do my best to check out the ones listed here afterward.

I've begun listening to Tina Fey's audiobook, Bossypants, narrated by herself. I am enjoying it so far, and am looking at one of Steve Martin's autobiographies next. Thankfully all the audiobooks by him I've found so far are also narrated by him, so I'm excited because I adore Steve Martin and think he is endlessly talented in all fields he reaches his hand to.

[Del Murder]

Yes, I've listened to Bossypants and that is a great one.

[Miriel]

I drive a lot so I've listened to a ton of audiobooks. And there are certain books where I've read both the print version and listened to the audiobook and the audiobook is superior. There are some narrators who are just SO good, and their performance can knock you sideways. I will say that non-fiction audiobooks tend to be better than fiction for audiobooks. And some books, you just HAVE to listen to it rather than read it. Anything by comedians you should listen to. David Sedaris reading his work is so magnificent, I can't imagine ever choosing to read his stuff rather than listen to it. Craig Ferguson's book also needs to be heard.

If you listen to the Unbroken audiobook, the narrator is fantastic and he had me weeping by the end. Lauren Hillenbrand also writes in a way that's extremely well suited to be read out loud. And then you have audiobooks which are full productions like Dune, where there's music and voice actors for the different characters.

Bel Canto I've read and listened to and I thought that the narrator made the works come alive like poetry in a way that I couldn't in my own head as I was reading it.

I'm a big fan of audiobooks.

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

I usually don't listen to audiobooks. Sometimes I'll look one up to see what the narrators take on the voices are but in general I just read them. My eyes read faster than the narrators voice so if i'm really in to a good book I don't want to wait.


I prefer ones written by comedians because often they read it themselves. Stephen Colbert and Craig Ferguson's books in particular are quite funny.

I liked listening to George Carlin audiobooks because it meant I was able to hear his jokes in the way he intended.

[Shlup]

I've tried to listen to an audiobook a couple of times but I just can't attend to it. I space right out.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I can see having an audio book by a comedian be as/more enjoyable than just reading. I'm currently reading a collection of essays by Dave Hill, and I think I would enjoy it more if I could hear him. David Sardaris' stuff is fantastic too. I forgot that I had listened to a few of his essays.

I doubt I'll ever find myself enjoying an audiobook more than the actual book in terms of fiction, though. That being said, I haven't ever heard one with a fantastic narrator. Maybe I'll look into some of the suggestions here and see if they will change my mind.

[Psychotic]

I used to listen them a hell of a lot on my lunchbreak before I moved closer to work. I had Dune last year and that lasted me the entire winter, it was brilliant. It takes a lot longer than reading a book but I think I can immerse myself more sometimes.

[Forsaken Lover]

My eyesight pretty much demands I use audiobooks if i want to get through anything longer than a hundred pages in a week. I have been listening to them all my life and there are many great narators out there.

Nathaniel Parker, who did the Artemis Fowl series.
Jim Daly, who did Harry Potter.
Tim Curry, who did A Series of Unfortunate Events.

And this fellow really made Les Mis for me.
Les Miserables - A Heart Under A Stone - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjPHurlO4wU)

It's about 60 hours long so the narrator was very important.

Fingolfin vs. Morgoth - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc6yzxcv0Ps)

And speaking of long, Martin Shaw really made The Silmarillion come alive. Even if he can't pronounce the names right.

[Jinx]

Tim Curry did A Series of Unfortunate Events? Oh, that is beautiful.

[Shorty]

There are a a good few I've seen narrated by Stephen Fry.

[Cuchulainn]

Audiobooks are pretty good but Shlup's right you pretty much need to discipline yourself not to drift off and think about other trout.

Actually I find myself doing that when reading sometimes too...and watching TV. Maybe it's somethin that happens more than we know.

It's no different than readingf once you train yourself to accept the information aurally as opposed to optically. Your brain still needs to do the same work with the info.

I've grown to really like them though. It helps when there;s an interesting reader ofc. Some authors are excellent writers but smurfing dull narrators so it can sometimes be a smurfing disaster but if I hear John Sessions or Stephen Fry or similar i'm hooked.