I decided to try an audio book and i hate it - Page 2

tubemonkey · 03-30-2013, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joehunt

I just love OTR and archive.org is a real treasure. My current favorite is "You Bet Your Life" with Groucho Marx. The episodes are around 20 minutes long and they never fail to give me a good laugh.

I also highly recommend "Lux Radio Theater" - first class (mainly) dramas by the major stars of the day.

Try this one --20th Century Radio -- schedule of current shows.

alanHd · 03-30-2013, 03:04 PM

As well as the recomendations above from Old time radio i've downloaded some Sherlock Holmes.

If they dont get me into audio then nothing will.

ApK · 03-30-2013, 03:04 PM

I love audiobook novels. The narrator is key. Some people make that whole multiple man/woman character voicing so amazingly seamless that I've thought about it afterwards and marveled at the fact that it was just one person doing the whole book.
Susan Ericksen, who reads the JD Robb "In Death" series, does an amazing job*, as do several other people I've encountered.

(*such a good job that I forgive her for making Peabody sound like Julia Sweeny's "Pat" from SNL.)

Fiat_Lux · 03-30-2013, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanHd

The whole experience left me disconected from the book.

The narrator makes a very big difference.

BARD probably has the best narrators, and creates the best quality audio books. This is also the most restricted audio format, and distribution that you will encounter.

The audio books produced for the major New York publishing houses can vary from barely acceptable, to extremely good.

Then you have outfits like LibriVox, which leave a lot to be desired. You are literally better off using the text to speech software of your ebook reader, or computer, to read the original Project Gutenburg text file, than the readers LibriVox uses.

KindleChickie · 03-30-2013, 08:02 PM

I really had a hard time getting into audio books at first also. I couldn't for the life of me comprehend, my mind always wondered. But I ordered a couple from books I had read several times and found they worked for me.

I still can't really get into an AB unless I have read the book first, but I now have app. 60 or so books I listen to regularly. I use them to fall asleep, while soaking in the tub, while cleaning house, while driving long distance, etc. I do I really enjoy them.

Some of my favorites: bridges of Madison county, Watership down, devil in a blue dress, prince of tides, the strain trilogy, guilty pleasures, silence of the lambs, etc.

Oh and I can't forget Angela's Ashes read by the author Frank McCourt. I think that was the first book I got into.

BWinmill · 03-30-2013, 08:18 PM

I've had a hard time with audio books as well, but I'll track down McCourt. I enjoyed his books and, judging from his interview on CBC, he's a good oral storyteller too.

Fluribus · 03-30-2013, 10:41 PM

Radio drama isn't completely dead. I listened to an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere recently on the BBC website. Unfortunately, they didn't leave them up for very long.

Christopher Lee was looking mighty good in the picture they had. I wish that I felt a tenth as good.

Andrew H. · 03-31-2013, 01:01 AM

I listen to a lot of audiobooks, but it did a little practice for me to get into them. But I don't use them like I use books: I have a hard time just sitting and listening, so I pretty much only listen to them when I'm doing something else. If I want a quiet night at home, I'll read.

I also find that a few books don't work as well as audiobooks, in part because I might be distracted, but also, I think, because it can be harder to catch things when they are spoken. Nonfiction about science doesn't work well in audiobooks, for example (IMO), but biographies and history work very well.

Complicated fiction is difficult in audiobook format because there's not an easy way to flip back and check something - a particular problem for books with a lot of characters.

magicmonster · 03-31-2013, 01:15 AM

Try graphics audio they have great audio dramas. They advertise as movie for your mind.

Catlady · 03-31-2013, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiat_Lux

Then you have outfits like LibriVox, which leave a lot to be desired. You are literally better off using the text to speech software of your ebook reader, or computer, to read the original Project Gutenburg text file, than the readers LibriVox uses.

Oh, that's a little harsh, I think. There are some very good readers at LibriVox. One I really enjoy is Elizabeth Klett.

PurpleStar · 03-31-2013, 10:46 AM

I never liked audio books either. It's like they go in one ear and out the other! Just prefer reading books myself.

Critteranne · 03-31-2013, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanHd

Today i finally took the plung and tried an audio book on my kindle and i hate it.

The whole experience left me disconected from the book.

Normally i can get in a charactors head and feel what they feel, i just couldnt get this with the audio book.

Is it only me who feels this way?

Did you get it from Audible.com by any chance? Maybe you can return it and get another one. I don't know the specifics of the return policy, but I know a lot of people love it because they don't have to get stuck with a crappy audiobook now.

Also, would you mind sharing the narrator? Some narrators really suck.

They don't act the book, or they act it too broadly, or they read it badly. There has been some controversy about that recently with the increase in the number of titles. Some of the indie publishers are releasing audiobooks with narrators who are fairly new to audiobooks. There was a post about Untrained Narrators on the All About Romance news blog, and it generated a lot of comments. In fact, if you're trying to get into audiobooks, check out the Speaking of Audiobooks category of posts. (Speaking of Audiobooks also has a Goodreads group.)

Also, some of the trained narrators are often matched with books that aren't suitable to their voices and styles. Some readers are too dramatic, some aren't dramatic enough, etc. That's when the reviews can be really helpful. For example, the reviews of the Pyramid of Doom audiobook put me off buying it even though I can buy it for $4.99.

Or you might be like me. I might be too easily distracted for audiobooks. I like them in the car, etc. But if I try to listen at other times, I find myself reading a magazine or something, and then... wait, it's Chapter Nine now?!

medard · 03-31-2013, 12:27 PM

Audio books might be a good help or motivation if you're reading a book in a foreign language. It can be fun to listen to these words while you're reading them.

Lemurion · 03-31-2013, 12:48 PM

My problem is that listening requires more concentration than reading, and the bit-rate is much lower. It takes more work and more time for the same result. I find them harder to follow, and it's much harder to flip back if I miss something (which I do often).

Some may love them, they don't work for me.

DianNC · 03-31-2013, 02:59 PM

They're definitely not for everyone. I almost gave up on them...several times. Now I can't seem to live without them.

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03-30-2013, 03:04 PM	#17
alanHd Addict Posts: 374 Karma: 1408579 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle Touch, Ipod Touch, Ipad Air	As well as the recomendations above from Old time radio i've downloaded some Sherlock Holmes. If they dont get me into audio then nothing will.

03-30-2013, 03:04 PM	#18
ApK Award-Winning Participant Posts: 7,316 Karma: 67862884 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: NJ, USA Device: Kindle	I love audiobook novels. The narrator is key. Some people make that whole multiple man/woman character voicing so amazingly seamless that I've thought about it afterwards and marveled at the fact that it was just one person doing the whole book. Susan Ericksen, who reads the JD Robb "In Death" series, does an amazing job, as do several other people I've encountered. (such a good job that I forgive her for making Peabody sound like Julia Sweeny's "Pat" from SNL.)

03-30-2013, 08:02 PM	#20
KindleChickie Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 573682 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: DX, iPad 2, Kindle 3, Nook simple touch	I really had a hard time getting into audio books at first also. I couldn't for the life of me comprehend, my mind always wondered. But I ordered a couple from books I had read several times and found they worked for me. I still can't really get into an AB unless I have read the book first, but I now have app. 60 or so books I listen to regularly. I use them to fall asleep, while soaking in the tub, while cleaning house, while driving long distance, etc. I do I really enjoy them. Some of my favorites: bridges of Madison county, Watership down, devil in a blue dress, prince of tides, the strain trilogy, guilty pleasures, silence of the lambs, etc. Oh and I can't forget Angela's Ashes read by the author Frank McCourt. I think that was the first book I got into.

03-30-2013, 08:18 PM	#21
BWinmill Nameless Being	I've had a hard time with audio books as well, but I'll track down McCourt. I enjoyed his books and, judging from his interview on CBC, he's a good oral storyteller too.

03-30-2013, 10:41 PM	#22
Fluribus Guru Posts: 891 Karma: 8893661 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Kindle	Radio drama isn't completely dead. I listened to an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere recently on the BBC website. Unfortunately, they didn't leave them up for very long. Christopher Lee was looking mighty good in the picture they had. I wish that I felt a tenth as good.

03-31-2013, 01:01 AM	#23
Andrew H. Grand Master of Flowers Posts: 2,201 Karma: 8389072 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Naptown Device: Kindle PW, Kindle 3 (aka Keyboard), iPhone, iPad 3 (not for reading)	I listen to a lot of audiobooks, but it did a little practice for me to get into them. But I don't use them like I use books: I have a hard time just sitting and listening, so I pretty much only listen to them when I'm doing something else. If I want a quiet night at home, I'll read. I also find that a few books don't work as well as audiobooks, in part because I might be distracted, but also, I think, because it can be harder to catch things when they are spoken. Nonfiction about science doesn't work well in audiobooks, for example (IMO), but biographies and history work very well. Complicated fiction is difficult in audiobook format because there's not an easy way to flip back and check something - a particular problem for books with a lot of characters.

03-31-2013, 01:15 AM	#24
magicmonster Groupie Posts: 170 Karma: 1033664 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Kindle 3, Nook Color, & Dell Axim X50v	Try graphics audio they have great audio dramas. They advertise as movie for your mind.

03-31-2013, 10:46 AM	#26
PurpleStar Wizard Posts: 1,620 Karma: 11387182 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Clara 2E	I never liked audio books either. It's like they go in one ear and out the other! Just prefer reading books myself.

03-31-2013, 12:27 PM	#28
medard Wizard Posts: 1,014 Karma: 5595784 Join Date: May 2012 Device: Electronic Paper	Audio books might be a good help or motivation if you're reading a book in a foreign language. It can be fun to listen to these words while you're reading them.

03-31-2013, 12:48 PM	#29
Lemurion eReader Posts: 2,750 Karma: 4968470 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad	My problem is that listening requires more concentration than reading, and the bit-rate is much lower. It takes more work and more time for the same result. I find them harder to follow, and it's much harder to flip back if I miss something (which I do often). Some may love them, they don't work for me.

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03-31-2013, 02:59 PM	#30
DianNC Banned Posts: 1,431 Karma: 5222495 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Nook Color, Entourage Pocket Edge, iPod Touch 5th Gen	They're definitely not for everyone. I almost gave up on them...several times. Now I can't seem to live without them.