Generally, I avoid ebooks because I don't own an e-reader, and I don't gravitate toward audiobooks because I don't process aural input as easily as visual input. When I've listened to audiobooks in the past, I often zone out for minutes at a time and lose track of my place in the story. This happens when I read print books, too, but it's always easier to jump back in at the place where my mind wandered from the page.
As fate would have it, I listened to an audiobook for the first time in recent memory this past weekend as I drove twelve hours alone from South Carolina back to Indiana. In addition to losing the storyline when my mind wanders, audiobooks often put me to sleep, especially when I'm driving alone for long stretches. As I readied myself for departure for Indiana, my friend insisted that I sign in to her Audible phone app and choose from one of the books that she had previously downloaded. From a relatively short and varied list of audiobooks, I chose to listen to a mystery/thriller called The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. This isn't the sort of print book that I would normally pick up to read, but I was hopeful that a book of the mystery/thriller genre would draw me in and keep me engaged hour after hour.
When considering audiobooks, there are several appeal factors that take priority, for me and for many others. Perhaps most important is what Kaite Mediatore calls the "audible presentation," or the manner in which a written work is transformed into a recorded reading performance. As she goes on to discuss in the article, the audible presentation can greatly enhance or detract from a book's pace, tone, storyline, and character distinction. Further, the listener may be affected by the quality of the recording and the quality and characteristics of the narrator's voice. The story that I listened to was told from the perspective three female protagonists, and each character was narrated by a different person -- all British women with slightly different accents. I'm not sure that I would have been able to match the voice with the character without context, but the entrance of a new narrator signaled a subtle shift from chapter to chapter.
Another appeal factor for audiobooks is length in terms of time (hours) rather than pages. If a person is picking out an audiobook for a car trip of a particular length, they may choose a book based on the idea that they could finish it within the time of the trip. Format is becoming an increasingly important appeal factor. CDs and MP3s seem cumbersome to me now that audiobooks can downloaded and streamed through phone apps offered by companies like Audible. Phone apps, however, may be intimidating or frustrating for people who have been listening to audiobooks on cassette or CD for many years.
As fate would have it, I listened to an audiobook for the first time in recent memory this past weekend as I drove twelve hours alone from South Carolina back to Indiana. In addition to losing the storyline when my mind wanders, audiobooks often put me to sleep, especially when I'm driving alone for long stretches. As I readied myself for departure for Indiana, my friend insisted that I sign in to her Audible phone app and choose from one of the books that she had previously downloaded. From a relatively short and varied list of audiobooks, I chose to listen to a mystery/thriller called The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. This isn't the sort of print book that I would normally pick up to read, but I was hopeful that a book of the mystery/thriller genre would draw me in and keep me engaged hour after hour.
When considering audiobooks, there are several appeal factors that take priority, for me and for many others. Perhaps most important is what Kaite Mediatore calls the "audible presentation," or the manner in which a written work is transformed into a recorded reading performance. As she goes on to discuss in the article, the audible presentation can greatly enhance or detract from a book's pace, tone, storyline, and character distinction. Further, the listener may be affected by the quality of the recording and the quality and characteristics of the narrator's voice. The story that I listened to was told from the perspective three female protagonists, and each character was narrated by a different person -- all British women with slightly different accents. I'm not sure that I would have been able to match the voice with the character without context, but the entrance of a new narrator signaled a subtle shift from chapter to chapter.
Another appeal factor for audiobooks is length in terms of time (hours) rather than pages. If a person is picking out an audiobook for a car trip of a particular length, they may choose a book based on the idea that they could finish it within the time of the trip. Format is becoming an increasingly important appeal factor. CDs and MP3s seem cumbersome to me now that audiobooks can downloaded and streamed through phone apps offered by companies like Audible. Phone apps, however, may be intimidating or frustrating for people who have been listening to audiobooks on cassette or CD for many years.
So I have to ask- did you like the book? Or did you lose track of the story? That is one of my biggest problems with audiobooks as well. I'll listen to an entire disc and not know what is happening. I recently listened to "The Zoo at the Edge of the World" and I couldn't even tell you what happened in it.
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem with audio books (or anything that requires you to listen to pay attention, really; speeches, speakers,etc.). They just don't keep my focus. I have read The Girl on the Train. I found it a bit slower paced for a thriller. How did you like the audio book version? Were you able to match the characters names with their narrators? I believe that in the book each chapter specifically tells you which character it is.
ReplyDeleteLeah, Melissa, and Paige,
ReplyDeleteI am on the opposite side of the spectrum. I enjoy listening to audio books and have an easier time concentrating on them while I am doing other things like driving and cataloging library books. However, I do find them a bit boring when compared to the Old Time Radio (OTR) shows I listen too.
When I am listening to someone go on and on about a topic at work, in a classroom or other settings I tend to stare at the wall past them or doodle a lot. I am listening to the person, but have a hard time concentrating when looking right at them.
I looked up some academic articles on this and there have been scientific testing done that proves people like myself pay more attention listening to long speeches when they are doodling.
However, when other people are in my car I like radio sing alongs! They are just fun! :)
I'm glad you were able to find something to listen to on the way back home. I was just mentioning in my post how I cannot do an audiobook in the car because someone talking even if it is telling a story relaxes me too much. I need music when in the car. Something a little more mindless for me. I did use to love audiobooks though because I am a slow reader and audiobooks provided that gratification of finishing faster. I hope you enjoyed the book!
ReplyDeleteFantastic prompt response! You hit the nail on the head. Also, I'm with everyone else, did you like the audiobook? I too listened to that one, and it took me a minute to realize the difference in narrators, 2 of them sound the same! Full points!
ReplyDelete