Here’s the question. Is listening to a book the same a reading a paper copy? I know I could be opening a delicious can of worms here, but in recent times I have discovered the joy of listening to audible books, mainly ones that I have read in hard copy, but wanted to see if there was any more pleasure to be gained in listening to them. Generally, this has been a very positive move.
I have found that having a book narrated to you has allowed me to pick up on details that I may have skimmed over in the paper copy as well as being able to hear a book in circumstances when reading was not possible (e.g. while driving, walking or being gently lulled to sleep when a bed lamp is not required).
With this in mind I would like to suggest three excellent listening experiences for those of you ready to embrace a relatively new experience. The first two are well-known old favourites, but when read by gifted actors like Dame Anna Massey narrating Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and Jeremy Irons narrating Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited it’s a whole new experience. The third selection is Anne Patchet’s Tom Lake read by Meryl Streep. Besides each book having a great story to tell, the skilled narrators take on the voices of the various characters in the book. Perhaps it was the recollection of being read to as a child, but I found it very easy to immerse myself in the atmosphere they had created.
Go on. Be brave. You have nothing to lose and perhaps a whole new reading opportunity to discover.
(Some audible books are available for free on the ABC Listen app or you can find a vast range at a reasonable cost on Audible).