Audio Delights

Audio books have long been a passion of mine, and a form of reading I implore all literature lovers to try. While reading books generally can be quite a personal pleasure, audio books can be shared with other people, much like watching a film together. They promote multitasking, and can be enjoyed while on the move, like shopping or walking the dog. I truly believe they’re a great way of catching up on the books you’ve always wanted to read, but never found the time or for some reason or other, the inclination.

As much as I love these treats of for my ears, audio books are not without their downside. While a good reader can bring a narrative alive, adding nuance and texture to a story, a bad reader, (one that you don’t connect with or has an annoying voice, etc) can murder a good story slowly and make you lose interest in the plot, or compassion for the characters. Unlike the palpable nature of books, where you’re able to flick through the narrative at leisure, refreshing yourself on an event which may have occurred 100 pages ago, with an audio book such omnipotent power is harder to exert for fear of losing you current place. From a writers perspective, audio can be fantastic since it forces the listener to consume to every word that has been painstakingly written, nevertheless if the listener lets their mind wander while listening to a story they run the risk of losing some vital information. And finally if a story challenges writing convections like structure, the true effect can be lost in the listening of the narrative as the reader is not able to envision the text as it was originally intended.

Through my years of listening to audio I have learnt that it is important to choose the book I listen to wisely. If the author plays with time lines, structure or employs interesting postmodernist techniques to their story I will generally read the book rather than listen. There is still something very precious and intimate for me about reading a book, but listening to audio presents me with the opportunity to indulge in my passion of literature while still continuing with the day to day running of my life.

Currently I’m listening to Ian McEwan’s new novel, ‘Solar’. A true delight: his clever turn of phrase, wry and human observations bring glimpses of sunshine on the grey English day. Go on, have a listen.