Audiobooks discussion

This NYTimes article asks Are Audiobooks Reading? and acknowledges how important audio is for those with vision issues and dyslexia. Sadly, it talks mostly about the robotic voice you can get on your phone with no acknowledgment of professional narrators. I wouldn't be listening to audiobooks today if that was the only option.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/op...

Why is this even a question? I used to engage with it and try to explain why it's the same thing. Now, I just roll my eyes and say, "Suit yourself."

Of course it counts. I can't tell you how much I used to study for my professional certifications using audio, so I could listen in the car on the way to work. It takes a bit of practice initially to ensure comprehension, but once you get to that point, it's no different from reading an e-book or hard copy.

I wasn't familiar with audiobooks until I had a necessary surgery that limited my movement for up to 10 days at two different times. I wasn't able to read with my eyes or even watch TV, so I borrowed the first novel of Harry Potter via Libby to pass the time, and I found out that a great narrator and a good book made for theater of the mind. That was five years ago.

Now I switch back and forth between the two. I can read with my eyes faster than listening, but due to vision issues, digital is my preferred visual reading medium.

Audible offers a lot of Great Books on Audible, and it makes long drives and commutes so much more tolerable.

Also, when I taught high school English 30 years ago and was required to teach Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to 9th graders, I found they struggled to read the printed word, so I checked out cassettes from the library and had the students read along while they listened. It was a version featuring Kenneth Branagh, and it helped the students to truly understand not only the words, but the pronunciation, the story, and the emotional impact.

I haven't read the NYT article yet, but I will. As for anyone who's dismissive of audiobooks, they are showing their ignorance.

I laugh at all the young people who think podcasts are so new and exciting because a lot of us are familiar with something called the radio. Yeah, I know that makes me sound old and you kids need to get off my lawn, but whatever - I'm Gen X.

Ah yes, radio. And of course for centuries, printed books and even literacy were not available to everyone. Lots of people experienced books by Dickens and others by having someone read to them.