robert_roberts•2d agoProlific Poster

Used to hate audiobooks with a passion until I had to drive 6 hours straight

For the longest time I was the guy who only read physical books. Like taking them to jobsites, getting paint smudges on the corners, the whole deal. Then about two years ago I had to drive from Sacramento down to Bakersfield for a big commercial bid and my truck radio was busted. Grabbed a copy of The Martian on CD from a gas station just to have something to listen to. Ended up sitting in the parking lot for 20 minutes after I arrived because I wanted to hear what happened next. Now I listen to about 15 books a year during my commute and between jobs, but I still can't do fiction with multiple narrators. Does anyone else have a specific type of book that just doesn't translate to audio for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy8202d ago

I hear what you're saying about multiple narrators, but I actually think that style can work really well. My car was stuck in traffic for almost two hours on the 5 freeway last month. I picked up an audiobook with a full cast for each character, and it kept me from losing my mind in that gridlock. The different voices helped me keep track of who was talking, especially when the story jumped between timelines. Maybe it's just a personal preference thing, but I find single narrator books can get boring after a while, especially if the reader's voice is too monotone.

schmidt.grace2d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, I totally feel you on this! Tbh I had the same thing happen with a murder mystery audiobook last year. The book had like four different points of view and the single narrator just did these weird squeaky voices for the female characters that totally broke the immersion. I switched over to a full cast version and it was night and day. Honestly the different actors really brought each character to life and made the whole thing feel more like a movie in my head. Plus when the story jumped around in time I never got lost because each narrator had their own vibe.