The art of reading without reading (Audiobooks - General)

Member Name: bruffyboy

Product:	Audiobooks - General
Date:	14/05/09 (41 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to do

Disadvantages: cost

I love reading, but I also listen to audiobooks on a regular basis. Normally, this is when I have to walk somewhere or do some physical work (such as decorating), and I can double up my efforts and enjoy a book at the same time. However, it can also be the case that elderly people will listen to audiobooks because their eyesight has diminished.

Audiobooks are all about having a story read to you, and these days generally they are found on CD. There are a few things you have to think about before shelling out on what is undoubtedly an expensive way to cover a text:

1) Is the story abridged? You need to look for unabridged copies, as these contain the full text. Why they abridge texts I don't know - it simply isn't good enough to cut down on a book just for the sake of saving time. Authors write their stories to be read in their entirety, and it drives me mad when they cut them short, so go for unabridged.

2) Who is the narrator? The audiobook circuit of narrators is actually quite small, and you find the same people read again and again. It's down to personal taste who you like, but I personally find 'posh' voices annoying. Learn to recognise particular narrators that you like and stick with them.

3) Get them from the library - the price of audiobooks is always higher than a paper copy, so why not save money and get them from the library.

4) Buy at the right place - www.play.com has a huge selection of well-priced audiobooks that beat high-street prices hands down.

5) Be careful with ebay purchases - often these will be cassettes, so do not assume they're CDs. Likewise, CDs may be scratched, so I recommend buying new.

All in all, this is a nice and easy way to 'read' a book, but follow my advice!

Summary: do it