Discussion: Audiobooks

Audiobooks are much debated in the book community. Some people swear by them. Some people hate them. Some love audible. Some love overdrive. Some people debate the merit of certain narrators over others. Some people don’t think they count as real reading. Some people disagree with that idea.

My own opinion is that, as a concept, audiobooks are great. They let people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to read the chance to (either because of time or other obligations). You can listen to books, “read” while you clean or drive or whatever. I do think audiobooks count as “real” reading despite what some people may say.

But… I still hate audiobooks. Personally at least. I’m all for the existence and listening to of audiobooks (my dad listens to audiobooks all the time in the car). But I just can’t do it. Audiobook bother me too much.

For one thing, I read at quite a fast pace, so I could read most books faster than the audiobook would take to play.

For another thing, I can’t follow with an audiobook. I get distracted easily, and I am not an auditory learner usually. I forget details almost immediately when I’m just listening (which is why I actually have to read the textbook for class because being talked at doesn’t help me). I just cannot focus on audiobooks, I prefer to physically be reading a book.

Also, I hate listening to other people’s inflections on dialogue. I like imagining character voices for myself, and I can’t do that with an audiobooks.

These are just some of my problems with audiobooks. I don’t mean to hate, I just wanted to explain my own stance on them. I’ll probably get use to them and end up loving them one day. But for today, I just can’t.

Case in point, my dad listens to audiobooks all the time. I’m usually in the car with him when he does so I’ve heard enough, it just bothers me. I can’t even really remember which books he listened to. He listened to Game Of Thrones (the whole series) and I heard many a death scene. Still, because it was an audiobook I cannot remember a single thing I heard on the audiobook. The only audiobook I LIKED listening to was The Making Of The Princess Bride because different actors/people involved read different parts and it was non-fiction not a story, so I focused a lot more on it. I liked that. But I still won’t listen to audiobooks regularly.

 

Does anyone else share my opinion on audiobooks? Or do any of you really love them? I’d love to hear your thoughts!