When Listening to a Book Is Better Than Reading It
ConversazioniAudiobooks
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1Crypto-Willobie
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/06/opinion/audiobooks-better-than-reading.html?c...
"Over the past few years, I have been obsessed with the work of the Australian novelist Liane Moriarty. Yes, me and everyone else. Ever since her 2014 blockbuster, “Big Little Lies,” Moriarty has become one of the publishing industry’s most dependable hitmakers.
Although her prose is unflashy and her subject matter seemingly pedestrian — Moriarty writes tightly plotted domestic dramas about middle- and upper-middle-class suburbanites — her observations are so precise, her characters’ psychology so well realized that I often find her stories burrowing deep into my brain and taking up long, noisy residence there. It’s no wonder Hollywood has been snapping up her books as quickly as she can write them. “Big Little Lies” and her 2018 hit, “Nine Perfect Strangers,” have been turned into limited series for TV. Moriarty’s enthralling new novel, “Apples Never Fall,” which debuted last month at the top of the Times best-seller list, may also be heading to a streaming service near you.
But now a confession: I heap all this praise on Moriarty having technically never read a word she’s written. Instead, I have only listened. The English audiobook versions of her novels are read by Caroline Lee, a narrator whose crystalline Australian cadences add to Moriarty’s stories what salt adds to a stew — necessary depth and dimension. Lee’s voice is an irresistible, visceral joy; like the best audiobook narrators, her delivery is endlessly malleable, shifting nimbly across accent, register and tone to create a sense that one is inside the story rather than peering in from the outside.
I binged “Apples Never Fall” in a day and a half, and when I was done, I began to wonder who deserved the greater share of praise — the author or the narrator. It’s true that Moriarty’s books are difficult to put down, but would I have been as deeply hooked if they weren’t cooed by a voice that could make the Federal Register sound compelling? But if Lee’s narration really does so completely elevate Moriarty’s text, what about the people who had read the book rather than listened to Lee read it? Hadn’t they missed something crucial? {...}"
"Over the past few years, I have been obsessed with the work of the Australian novelist Liane Moriarty. Yes, me and everyone else. Ever since her 2014 blockbuster, “Big Little Lies,” Moriarty has become one of the publishing industry’s most dependable hitmakers.
Although her prose is unflashy and her subject matter seemingly pedestrian — Moriarty writes tightly plotted domestic dramas about middle- and upper-middle-class suburbanites — her observations are so precise, her characters’ psychology so well realized that I often find her stories burrowing deep into my brain and taking up long, noisy residence there. It’s no wonder Hollywood has been snapping up her books as quickly as she can write them. “Big Little Lies” and her 2018 hit, “Nine Perfect Strangers,” have been turned into limited series for TV. Moriarty’s enthralling new novel, “Apples Never Fall,” which debuted last month at the top of the Times best-seller list, may also be heading to a streaming service near you.
But now a confession: I heap all this praise on Moriarty having technically never read a word she’s written. Instead, I have only listened. The English audiobook versions of her novels are read by Caroline Lee, a narrator whose crystalline Australian cadences add to Moriarty’s stories what salt adds to a stew — necessary depth and dimension. Lee’s voice is an irresistible, visceral joy; like the best audiobook narrators, her delivery is endlessly malleable, shifting nimbly across accent, register and tone to create a sense that one is inside the story rather than peering in from the outside.
I binged “Apples Never Fall” in a day and a half, and when I was done, I began to wonder who deserved the greater share of praise — the author or the narrator. It’s true that Moriarty’s books are difficult to put down, but would I have been as deeply hooked if they weren’t cooed by a voice that could make the Federal Register sound compelling? But if Lee’s narration really does so completely elevate Moriarty’s text, what about the people who had read the book rather than listened to Lee read it? Hadn’t they missed something crucial? {...}"
2MartyBrandon
>1 Crypto-Willobie: I had a similar experience with the works of Charles Dickens. I read a couple of his novels, then listened to a version of Bleak House and realized that I was missing much of his wry humor. And the skilled narrator's character voices added much to the experience. It's a little like seeing a movie adaptation. A good audiobook is arguably its own work.
3annamorphic
Agree on Dickens -- I just listened to Nicholas Nickelby and have never enjoyed a work by Dickens more. Planning to listen to Our Mutual Friend some time soon. I listened to the whole Wolf Hall series on audio and loved every word. Ditto for Don Quixote. These were loooong books but somehow I didn't mind.
Some books are not as good on audio, though. I suspect that I might have enjoyed The House of Seven Gables more on paper. It was just too wordy. Not that Dickens isn't sometimes wordy, but his words count. And now I'm listening to a book by Jane Gardam, an author I love on paper, and thinking that she just doesn't stand up to listening to every word.
Some books are not as good on audio, though. I suspect that I might have enjoyed The House of Seven Gables more on paper. It was just too wordy. Not that Dickens isn't sometimes wordy, but his words count. And now I'm listening to a book by Jane Gardam, an author I love on paper, and thinking that she just doesn't stand up to listening to every word.
4cpg
For me, it depends.
In The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape describes The Patient's girlfriend as "a vile, sneaking, simpering, demure, monosyllabic, mouselike, watery, insignificant, virginal, bread-and-butter miss! The little brute! She makes me vomit!" Hearing John Cleese read that was a revelation! (Although, strictly speaking, I guess it has more of a Graham Chapman rhythm to it.)
On the other hand, I've had a lot of disappointments. As I recall, whatever reader did my Hard Times audiobook didn't do justice to the last chapter. Sometimes the reader's voice just grates on me. Sometimes I want to stop and savor a passage, but the reader plows right on ahead.
In The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape describes The Patient's girlfriend as "a vile, sneaking, simpering, demure, monosyllabic, mouselike, watery, insignificant, virginal, bread-and-butter miss! The little brute! She makes me vomit!" Hearing John Cleese read that was a revelation! (Although, strictly speaking, I guess it has more of a Graham Chapman rhythm to it.)
On the other hand, I've had a lot of disappointments. As I recall, whatever reader did my Hard Times audiobook didn't do justice to the last chapter. Sometimes the reader's voice just grates on me. Sometimes I want to stop and savor a passage, but the reader plows right on ahead.
5bergs47
I read 88 Books in 2020, 101 in 2021 and 97 in 2022.
That's nearly 300 books. But let me add i have not seen one word in print. I listened to them all.
About 30 of them were while walking the rest at my desk
That's nearly 300 books. But let me add i have not seen one word in print. I listened to them all.
About 30 of them were while walking the rest at my desk
6gypsysmom
>3 annamorphic: I also agree about Dickens. Even before I listened to audiobooks I learned how his books were meant to be read aloud. My sister and I were on a long car ride together and I had a copy of Pickwick Papers so I read out loud to her when she was driving and vice versa. When the trip was over and I had to go back to just reading alone I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. I'm not sure I would ever have gotten through Bleak House if it wasn't on audiobook. It makes sense in that much of Dickens' work was serialized and I'm sure lots of English people would read out loud of an evening when a new chapter was published.
I do enjoy audiobooks that have good narrators. Alan Bradley's books have a fabulous narrator who made you think she was the young Flavia even though she was an adult.
I do enjoy audiobooks that have good narrators. Alan Bradley's books have a fabulous narrator who made you think she was the young Flavia even though she was an adult.
7kjuliff
>1 Crypto-Willobie: have you listened to No Friend but the Mountains on audio? I can’t handle Richard Flanagan’s accent - he introduces the book. I love Flanagan’s novels but can’t handle his Australian accent - and I’m Australian. Would be interested in your take - try the sample - seeing as you enjoyed Caroline Lee’s narration of Moriary’s novels. Of course Lee’s voice is not as harsh - but as far as the accent is concerned- maybe it’s just me finding strong Australian to be abrasive.
8alexa_d
From the minute the first one was announced, I knew that I would buy all of Stephen Fry's Greek mythology books (Mythos, Heroes, and Troy) as audiobooks. Mythos is even the first audiobook I pre-ordered so it would magically appear in my Audible library the moment it was available. His writing is plenty wonderful on the page, but how could I turn down the opportunity to have Stephen Fry read Greek mythology to me?
>4 cpg: I am very annoyed to learn there's a version of Screwtape read by John Cleese; more specifically, I'm annoyed that's not the version on OverDrive, since that's the one I listened to. Guess I'll have to track it down and listen again!
>4 cpg: I am very annoyed to learn there's a version of Screwtape read by John Cleese; more specifically, I'm annoyed that's not the version on OverDrive, since that's the one I listened to. Guess I'll have to track it down and listen again!
9Crypto-Willobie
>7 kjuliff:
I'm afraid i have unintentionally misled folks. The contents of post #1 is nothing more than my quotation from the Times so that people wouldn't have to struggle with their paywall. I have not read Flanagan or heard Moriarty.
I'm afraid i have unintentionally misled folks. The contents of post #1 is nothing more than my quotation from the Times so that people wouldn't have to struggle with their paywall. I have not read Flanagan or heard Moriarty.
10MartyBrandon
>3 annamorphic: Our Mutual Friend is one of my favorites. Simon Vance read my version, but that was 2006, so there is probably a newer one. The abundance of characters, wry humor, and general wordiness makes Dickens more challenging to narrate, and I have great admiration for those few who do it well.
I also appreciate an audio format for wordy books for which I am interested but not wanting to invest too much effort. I can do a light listen while doing some other activity and still get the gist. I would never have finished reading Ana Karenina.
I also appreciate an audio format for wordy books for which I am interested but not wanting to invest too much effort. I can do a light listen while doing some other activity and still get the gist. I would never have finished reading Ana Karenina.
