All About Books discussion

Hi

I have read a lot in my long life :) but recently I have started listening to audiobooks. Often it is more convenient to me.

However, my question is. Do you people say I read the book XXX when you have maybe "just" listened to the book? And not read a single page of it? :)

I definitely think listening to an audiobook counts as reading. It's just a different format and you still need to concentrate and focus on the content in order to appreciate the work.

I know we have a few members who for various reasons predominately read audiobooks

I certainly say that I read the book. You might be interested in this article about the popularity of audiobooks.

http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/...

I use the word read, rather than listen. I listen because I have poor vision.I am so happy audiobooks exist! Just as Heather says, in both cases you have to think. Some people skim read books. Some people do other things as they listen and honestly you know our brains can only concentrate on one thing at a time. It does take a while to figure out for yourself HOW to listen and absorb the text. Each of us get our own methods that work.

I love listening to audiobooks, and I certainly think it counts as reading the actual book, like Heather says you still have to concentrate on the book, but I usually like playing games while I listen as well, but they don't break my concentration. At the beginning of the year, I relied a lot on audiobooks as I had problems with my vision and since then I have come to use them all the time. Plus, I love audible and their customer service.

I like audiobooks because my eyes get tired looking at a computer screen all day at work and I have a long commute by bus, so it is great to sit and listen with my eyes closed.

I say I listen, especially when listening to fiction. The difference for me when I listen is that the narrator sits between me and story. The narrator is interpreting characters and getting in the way of how I would envision them (voice, attitude, looks, etc.) if I were to read the book. It's kind of like watching the movie first and then reading the book with the actor's interpretation of the character still fresh in my mind. I'm less free to see the character in my own mind's eye. So I see a distinction between reading and listening.

Xan Shadowflutter wrote: "I say I listen, especially when listening to fiction. The difference for me when I listen is that the narrator sits between me and story. The narrator is interpreting characters and getting in the ..."

I understand how some narrators do try and get between the listener and the story. I personally do not like this. Particularly when I feel the author's lines do not jive with the narrator's intonations. Since I cannot turn to a paper book instead, because I have poor vision, what I do is repeat the lines in my head. This takes practice until you get kind of a knack of how to do it. Doing this is always an added strain!

I prefer narrators that do NOT get between the author's lines and the listener!!!!! I prefer imagining things in my head myself.

On the other hand, there are occasions where the narration is wonderful, and you think when finishing the audiobook that the narration has been like delicious icing on a yummy cake, the book being the cake. It is a case of where the narrator has done a tremendous job of correctly capturing a specific book. With another book that narrator maybe might be good but not stupendous.

When I write a review, I differentiate between the author's book and the narrator's performance.

I prefer sight-reading. I did started audiobooks late this year, however, and I surprisingly enjoyed sight-reading and "listening to" the same book. So, yes, audiobooks do count to me as reading.

Xan Shadowflutter wrote: "I say I listen, especially when listening to fiction. The difference for me when I listen is that the narrator sits between me and story. The narrator is interpreting characters and getting in the ..."

Non-fiction audiobooks narrated by the author are also a fantastic way of reading. Particularly memoir

Ulvenper wrote: "Hi

I have read a lot in my long life :) but recently I have started listening to audiobooks. Often it is more convenient to me.

However, my question is. Do you people say I read the book XXX whe..."

I usually say listen or read via audiobook. That's mostly for my own benefit, as I read print and ebooks as well so if I look back at what I read, I like to quickly see if it was an audiobook or not. Sometimes I skim read a book while listening (I am currently doing this with Proust) & I usually remark about that as well (saying something like "read/listened to" or "read & listened").

Yes, I count listening to an audiobook as having read it.

Heather wrote: "I definitely think listening to an audiobook counts as reading. It's just a different format and you still need to concentrate and focus on the content in order to appreciate the work.

I know we h..."
Definitly of the same mind! Of the books I read in a year, about the 10/15 % are audiobooks!

I definitely regard listening to a book as having read it. In fact since it is not possible to skim I have probably "read" the audiobook more closely. My only problem with audiobooks is the great variation in quality between narrators. A bad narrator can actually ruin the best book!

Phrynne wrote: "I definitely regard listening to a book as having read it. In fact since it is not possible to skim I have probably "read" the audiobook more closely. My only problem with audiobooks is the great v..."

That's the problem with all kind of intermediary: think of how a bad translator can spoil a good book

Karin wrote: "Yes, I count listening to an audiobook as having read it."

Did I misunderstand the original question? In any case, yes I think it counts!

It really depends who is reading the audiobook. I've listened to a few really good ones. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks I read and then listen to it and I honestly enjoyed it more as an audiobook, but then I listened to Dear John, also by Nicholas Sparks, and the person reading was completely void of emotion so it really dampened the experience. I also read part of Lauren Grahms book and listen to her reading her own autobiography which I thought was super neat and pretty amazing. Anyways, all I've got to say is it depends :)

Personally I count a listened to book as 'read' even though for me an audio book is a completely different and normally lesser experience.

Even as a child once I had learnt to read I never enjoyed being read to as much, especially for more than about 20 mins (about the length of story time in an English primary school).
But there are exceptions: I have always prefer to listen to poetry and plays, though obviously a bad reader can ruin the experience.
And one of the first 'books on tape' I listened to in the early 1990s was Another Bloody Tour: England in the West Indies, 1986. It is a memoir of a cricket tour by Frances Edmonds read by the author. She has a particularly arch tone and the audio perfectly conveyed her biting sarcasm which might had got lost on the page.
David Sedaris is another author that I prefer listening to.

I haven’t been able to get into audio books because I can’t get used to having someone read to me and I read so many reviews where people don’t like the narrator. In some ways I feel removed from the book. Although I haven’t listened to plays or poetry on audio, I suspect as Ester noted that those would translate better for me .

Angela M wrote: "I haven’t been able to get into audio books because I can’t get used to having someone read to me and I read so many reviews where people don’t like the narrator. In some ways I feel removed from t..."

I have found the L.A. Theater Works full cast audiobooks of plays excellent (and also some of the full cast recordings of plays on LibriVox). Even so, you miss the visual aspects and in most of these recordings you don't get the stage directions. If audiobooks aren't for you, seeing a performance on YouTube or some similar free website would be better than listening imo.

Some good points, Leslie. Probably not likely that I’ll listen to any plays since I have a hard time with books .

Authors reading their own books makes a huge difference in how I relate to the book. They just know it better. And yes - reading/listening counts the same. Takes time to listen/read and it counts. Sometimes I differentiate, but that's only when pertinent and usually amongst other readers. My (non-reading) husband calls it cheating, lol.

Thanks all for all of your answers :)

I definitely count it as well, and as far as the narrator getting in the way, I think as you listen to more audiobooks you get the skill to separate the two. Like Chrissie says, you can almost evaluate the narrator and the source material separately.

But most often I do listen and read the same books as Nichole does! I listen during my commute, and at night, I pick up where I left off listening in the hard copy and read. There are actually very few books that I listen to only.

Sometimes a narrator is so bad that I dread listening so I listen to music in parts of my commute instead. Or the syntax is so complex that I have to rewind and relisten often. Then I read 90% and listen to 10%. Other times, the narrator is the "icing on the cake" as Chrissie says and then I love listening so much that I find excuses to go extra places in my car. Then I read 10% and listen to 90%. But most often I read about 25% and listen to 75% of a book.

Oddly, I have a very tough time absorbing poetry on audio. Poetry (other than narrative poetry) is so often dense and the transitions so unpredictable that I find it very tough to just listen. I do like to listen after I read though, after I have fully absorbed a poem reading.

And I love listening to plays, but sometimes I struggle without the book in front of me because I'm not sure who is speaking. I like audiobooks of plays best when they read all the stage directions and don't skip them (unless I have already have read or seen the play before - then I can picture it properly).

Phrynne wrote: "I definitely regard listening to a book as having read it. In fact since it is not possible to skim I have probably "read" the audiobook more closely. My only problem with audiobooks is the great v..."

Yes, but on the other hand, a great one can improve a book. Sometimes a book has gone up an entire star for me due to a stellar audiobok narrator AND director. Bear in mind that a voice actor has a directer and/or producer giving instructions many times, which is one of the reasons why a great actor can be in a movie that is a flop (can also be a bad script and other things).

I enjoying listening to a mix of audio books and reading physical copies. Physical books are my favourite, I have tried e-books but I just cant seem to get into them, I like to have the book in my hands.

That being said, I enjoy Audio books - it good to change it up and give the eyes a rest, it also allows me to get my chores down around the house. Its also a great way to switch up my walks instead of listening to music all the time when I go for a walk I can listen to an audio book. Also some books are just brilliant on audio, I think the Narrator has a big part in this, if you get a narrator that annoys you it ain't gonna work lol

The book of the future will be a book with what is called "augmented reality". A printed text that is mixture of video clips, sounds, written words, spoken words, the voice of the author, of the narrator, of the characters, silent images and hyperlinks ...

The Fourth Transformation: How Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence Change Everything

Paulette wrote: "I enjoying listening to a mix of audio books and reading physical copies. Physical books are my favourite, I have tried e-books but I just cant seem to get into them, I like to have the book in my ..."

While I like audiobooks, and indeed listen to them more and more since I first discovered them, I still find that reading a physical book gives me the best experience. Firstly I read faster than the narrator reads & secondly, I become more immersed in the book when reading rather than listening.

Until Chrissie gave me some hints about how to listen (like repeating the words in my head), I just couldn’t bear audiobooks. Now, I specifically choose some books for audio - ones likely to have foreign words & ones where I expect the sound and rhythm to be important.
I think listening to Sing, Unburied, Sing humanized the characters for me and enhanced my enjoyment. Similarly, Nicole Kidman’s narration of To the Lighthouse was indescribably beautiful and the audio is key in my enjoyment of one of my favorites- Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf. I listen to it over & over.

I personally prefer a book in my hands or on kindle. Audio is amazing. I enjoy podcasts, but audiobooks are vastly different obviously. My attention span will not hold long enough for more than a few sentences. I can't picture it in my head like I can when I read it myself. I can't focus like I can when I read it. I learn and retain best when whatever I am reading is right in front of my face. It may seem odd. It''s just me. :)

Joan wrote: "Until Chrissie gave me some hints about how to listen (like repeating the words in my head), I just couldn’t bear audiobooks. Now, I specifically choose some books for audio - ones likely to have f..."

Interesting--repeating words in my head doesn't work for enjoying books, but I have done it a few times when listening to lectures--I'd forgotten about this listening technique and need to remember it the next time my mind wanders when listening to a speaker and I am not able to take notes. That said, I can't just sit and listen to an audiobook.

Joan wrote: "Until Chrissie gave me some hints about how to listen (like repeating the words in my head), I just couldn’t bear audiobooks. Now, I specifically choose some books for audio... the audio is key in my enjoyment of one of my favorites- Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf. I listen to it over & over. "

I have read Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf twice and loved it. I didn't know there was an audiobook until a GR friend listened to it recently. The first time that I read the book, though, I read it out loud and it was great. So I am not surprised that it works well on audio.

You got me wondering when society shifted from oral story-telling to privately reading tales.

Funny Factoid “Silent reading by the late 19th century was so popular that people worried that women in particular, reading alone in bed, were prone to sexy, dangerous thoughts. “!!!

“Among scholars, there is a surprisingly fierce debate around when European society transitioned from mostly reading aloud to mostly reading silently—
...
“The default assumption in the classic period, if you were reading around other people, you’d read aloud and share it,” says (D. Vance Smith, a medievalist in the Princeton English department). For us, the default is we’ll read silently and keep it to ourselves.”

“As late as the 1700s, historian Robert Darnton writes, “For the common people in early modern Europe, reading was a social activity. It took place in workshops, barns, and taverns. It was almost always oral but not necessarily edifying.”

all the information came from an article by Thu-Huong Ha in Quartz

https://qz.com/quartzy/1118580/the-be...

Joan wrote: "You got me wondering when society shifted from oral story-telling to privately reading tales.

Funny Factoid “Silent reading by the late 19th century was so popular that people worried that women i..."

(snorting with laughter) -- but of course women could never have had those thoughts listening to books read aloud!

Rita wrote: "To me a book is a book no matter what the format"

Well said!

That's the point!

Joan wrote: "You got me wondering when society shifted from oral story-telling to privately reading tales.

Funny Factoid “Silent reading by the late 19th century was so popular that people worried that women i..."

Interesting question Joan!

One thing that I have noticed about audiobooks (i.e. reading aloud) is that it is something that family (or other groups) can do together. When my brother's kids were younger, my sister-in-law would check out audiobook CDs from the library for long car trips and despite some complaints, the whole family would eventually be interested enough in the book that the kids wouldn't want to get out of the car until the chapter ended! Now that they are all teenagers, of course they each have their earbuds in or are playing games on their phones but it was fun while it lasted.

Leslie wrote: "my sister-in-law would check out audiobook CDs from the library for long car trips ..."

I did the same when my kids were little!!! We've listend to The Paul Street Boys, David Copperfield, Il giornalino di Gianburrasca and many others

That is a good idea for family-time on car trips. Way back-in-the-day, we used to sing in the car -