By day I work as a drug and alcohol counselor and the GED teacher, by night I write and self-publish. Due to time constraints, over the past year I have done most of my reading via audiobooks. This certainly has convenience going for it. However, there is a definite downside.
Initially, I tended to other chores while listening. I soon realized I was not paying attention to the book so I restricted myself to listening to audiobooks when in the car or on my elliptical. Even in those two settings I find my mind tends to wander so I have to really force myself to focus. This is not half as much of a challenge when I am physically reading a book.
An audiobook also ushers in a new criteria for critiquing the work—the narrator. A skilled narrator can add value to the story, a value unique to “hearing” a book that is not a factor if the book is being read. By the same token, a less skilled narrator can detract from the story’s quality.
A few of the audiobooks I have listened to employ both male and female narrators but most employ a single narrator who must imitate the voices of all the book’s characters—male and female. A male imitating a female’s voice or vice versa—both can be a distraction, sometimes a laughable one.
To get the most out of an audiobook, I’d have to be in my recliner and subject to absolutely no other distractions. But, that’s exactly where I’d be if I was reading the book. So I’d be back to square one.
As a result of my experiences utilizing audiobooks, this year I’m going to intersperse some actual book reading in with my book listening.
What are your thoughts on audiobooks?