Are you snobbish towards audiobooks?

MakeEmLaugh

Sites such as audible.com - who seems to sponsor almost every podcast I listen to these days - are growing in popularity, and with them is the trend of audiobooks, hardly a new phenomenon.

I almost never listen to audiobooks myself, for various reasons (the kind of books I am interested in tend to be unavailable in that format; my attention often drifts etc.) but I do find that the more vociferous readers among my friends are quite dismissive of audibooks/books on tape.

Does anyone know why this is? Is it because some people regard listening to books as a lazy activity, compared with physically reading them?

What are your thoughts on audiobooks?

Jogathon

If I have to do a long car journey on my own then I love to listen to one. It's so much better than the radio. Otherwise, never!

cloudatlas

I am really grateful to have them on long journeys. Apart from that I have a very long 'want to read' list. if I think there is a book that I would like to read but probably won't get round to it like a novel or a large history then I'll get the audio. I prefer reading and have a few books on the go at the same time but it's all information at the end of the day. In terms of receiving the information obviously listening is slower but I think reading is better for making the information stick as you can drift off while listening a lot more easily than whilst reading.

judgefudge

I tried to listen to them in the car but find it impossible. I just can't concentrate and end up zoning out. Plus I find it harder to picture what's going on for some reason when it's someones voice instead of my mind

ncmc

I used to be a bit snobbish about them, but now I do enjoy them on a long car journey or a long run. There are only certain types of books that I would listen to, ones where it doesn't matter that much if I zone out for a few seconds. I enjoy travelogues like Bill Bryson or Michael Palin. I wouldn't listen to a novel that requires a lot of attention.

mlumley

Not at all. I used to listen to BBC Book at bedtime. My favoite was "I know whyb the caged bird sing" by Mire Angerlou, i think thats how its spelt. Wish RTE would do the same. I must copy some to play on long journeys.

Sulla Felix

I was snobbish until I tried them. Love them now. Quality varies, the narrator is key. For example Game of Thrones was unlistenable and I now avoid that narrator.

Judgement Day

I find them very relaxing - if the reader is half decent - and I have them on quite often when I'm working on the computer. Just finished listening to "Troubles' by J.G.Farrell, having already read the book and watched the video. Before that it was John Buchan's 39 Steps. Dickens and Sherlock Holmes are also to be recommended.

--Kaiser--

I listened to A Clockwork Orange read by Phil Daniels in an authentic Cockney accent. To be honest, I doubt I would have enjoyed it as much if I read it normally due to the way the book was written

Manach

It depends on the context. On a commute and listening to a familiar book re-done in a new texture such as audio is fairly relaxing.

iguana

I used to think they were only for blind people, tbh. But I actually find them great for doing mundane jobs around the house. If I have to clean the carpets, wash the windows, clean out cupboards, etc, the type of job that I normally get so bloody bored during that I find anything else to do, they are fantastic. You can give just enough attention to doing what you are doing properly while getting lost in the story to the point where you keep on doing the job right through to the end. Radio plays can also work but they are much more hit and miss than a decent book.

RDM_83 again

Found that simple/trashy audiobooks work much better when your doing something (which is the only time i listen to them since reading is so much faster)

I haven't read a Games Workshop book since I was maybe 14 but the audiobooks/dramas are one of my guilty secrets because they're fast and easy to follow

Dortilolma

I read quite a bit and I only recently started listening to audio books - mainly because of a long commute and the fact I get very car sick when I read on any moving transportation.

I absolutely love them, I've now started listening to them when I run and when I'm doing housework as well.

I couldn't really tell you why I didn't listen to them before but I'm glad I've started.

Cienciano

Sulla Felix wrote: »

I was snobbish until I tried them. Love them now. Quality varies, the narrator is key. For example Game of Thrones was unlistenable and I now avoid that narrator.

Roy Dotrice? He was unbelievably good I though.

Sulla Felix

Cienciano wrote: »

Roy Dotrice? He was unbelievably good I though.

Literally couldn't get through the first chapter.

maccored

I find audio books are better than music when it comes to doing daily stuff listening to the ipod

Snobbish? No, I just can't really listen to them and lose myself in the same way as I do when reading it myself. I'm not good with listening in general, if someone is reading something out to me I far, far prefer to be able to see it in text myself
I do have an agatha christie audiobook in german though, it's pleasant to listen to and I don't mind so much because I already read the book myself