Saturday, April 1, 2017

A to Z Challenge: Bookish Thoughts: A

Yes, I am doing two this year.  Stealing this one from A.J. Sterkel. Writing the posts as I go, so we'll see how far I get before flaming out.

A is for Audio.

I've always looked down on audio books, because they're not really books.  People don't read audio books, they listen to them.  But a certain blogger is into audio books, and after she enthused about them for the umpteenth time, I broke down and decided to give them a chance.  My experiences are as follows:

To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman):  Boring book.  Kidman's voice is easy to listen to and her narration solid, though she does go a bit too fast at times.

Thirteen Hours - Meghan O'Brien (Alicyn Aimes):  Lesbian erotica involving a stripper and an office drone.  There were chapters missing. I reported it to the publisher and they sent me a replacement, which also had chapters missing. So it's a DNF.  Aimes is a horrible narrator at times, but sometimes good. I don't think her voice quite suited the genre though. The writing is kind of corny, with some hot moments and some humor as well.  But I didn't finish it, so i can't really give it a fair review.

The Sheltering Sky - Paul Bowles (Jennifer Connelly):  Another one with chapters missing.  So I didn't even bother with it.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll (Scarlett Johansson):  Read this for English class in high school, along with the sequel. This doesn't include the sequel, so it's a bit on the short side.  But Scar Jo is an excellent narrator.  She does a different voice for each character, which is quite entertaining.

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood (Claire Danes):  Dystopian novel that's gotten a lot of buzz.  It seems to have all the chapters, but I haven't gotten around to listening to it.  

So I've had some bad experiences with audio books.  They cost more than paperbacks, and then it's a crap shoot as to whether or not they even have all the chapters.  There were a few others I had planned on ordering, but it's just not worth the risk.     

        



  





8 comments:

  1. That's awful about the missing chapters! I've had that happen a time or two, but once I re-downloaded it, the problem was solved. I agree, they are $$. They main reason I started and continue to listen to audiobooks is because of my 1.5-2 hour daily commute. It allows me to drive and use that time in a productive manner. I honestly believe that audiobooks saved my sanity, for the commute was really wearing on me. If I rode a train or bus, I might be less inclined to listen and would probably just read on my Kindle. I hate to hear about your less than pleasant audiobook experiences, E Man...

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    1. I know why you listen to them.

      (I mentioned people listening to them while driving, but the sentence got deleted by the editor.)

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  2. You would think the library would make sure no chapters are missing. You informed them and now it's up to them to make sure these books are complete. I can see where they are good for people who are legally blind or can't read but I prefer to read the books myself

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    1. I think a lot of people who commute or go on long trips listen to them. Like if they don't want to lug around a book with a lot of other items or can't read because they're driving.

      I prefer reading too. But I can see how a good narrator can make the audio version worth it.

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  3. I’ve never been able to get into audio books. My mind starts wandering, and then I lose track of the story. I’m impressed that you listened to all of To The Lighthouse. Every Virginia Woolf book I’ve read has been boring.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. It was boring. Not even Nicole Kidman could save it.

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  4. I prefer real books too, but audio books are great for commuting

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