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When I was listening to audiobooks I nearly always avoided those read by the author. If the book interested me I'd listen to the sample and I was always ready to make an exception. Most authors, though, were very poor narrators.
I listened to a sample the other day of a book read by the author. I can't seem to remember which one it was now but it was very poor. Authors, when doing public readings, often have this way of trying to read their book as if it was some kind of poetry and that really doesn't work. About half the authors do that when reading their own books. The other have just are bad at narrating.
There are a few exceptions. Amy Tan did a much better job with her books than any of the narrators who did them later in her career. Tony Hillerman had a strange way of reading his books that I really liked. Once Stephen King got over his lisp he was an above average reader. Even when he lisped he wasn't bad.
Barry
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