Is it really reading if it’s an audiobook?

Ummm, yeah! Let’s get that out of the way right now. Listening to an audiobook is just as valid and justifiable, just as meaningful and effective, just as intense and immersive as reading a printed book. Regardless of how you assimilate the information, you’re still getting the story in all its beautiful details, and experiencing the author’s art for its intended purpose. So why do some people avoid audiobooks and some people gravitate to them almost exclusively? And why do others go back and forth reading or listening as the mood strikes? And why are some people so judgey about people who listen to audiobooks versus reading the printed story? I can’t speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself, my kids, and friends and family I’ve had this discussion with. I’ve also had some not so friendly discussions about this with some of those very judgey people who were going to get my opinion whether they wanted it or not.

As the parent of a child with dyslexia, I discovered first-hand how vital audiobooks can be to a struggling reader. Listening to an audiobook isn’t lazy (yes that was a word I heard often from those aforementioned judgey people), it isn’t a coping mechanism (which was less judgey than lazy, but still inaccurate and insulting), and it isn’t a cop-out (yep, judgey). Audiobooks were a magnificent door-opener to a kid who just wanted to read the same books everyone else was without the stigma of being read to by a parent or peer. Audiobooks are just as portable as a paperback or kindle, and for a kid with sensory issues they provide a beautiful getaway strategy when things get overwhelming, too. Audiobooks gave my kid a way to connect with others by being able to take classes with them and participate in the same class discussions without feeling like they were being left out because they couldn’t read. And none of their classmates knew they came about that information in a different manner than anyone else in the class. Talk about a life changing experience! Yep, it definitely was.

But even having a kid who thrives on audiobooks I was really reluctant to listen to them at first. Not because I don’t think it’s actual reading, but because I was worried my internal voices wouldn’t match the characters’ voices on the recording. I recently learned that not everyone has an internal dialogue, and they don’t hear conversations in their minds the way other people do. That was a very new concept to me, because my brain is always whirring away with questions, past conversations, thoughts about what to do next, what I’m doing now, what witty comeback I should have said to someone last week…. And when I read I create voices for the characters in the books. I was seriously concerned that I would have the same experience I have when a book is made into a movie and they cast someone I see as completely unfit for the part. Would it make me hate the book? Or the character? Would it ruin the experience for me?

I decided to get around this by only listening to audiobooks I hadn’t read yet. Problem solved, right? Welll… you know that inner dialogue I mentioned. Yeah, it kept talking over the characters. And not about what was happening in the book. Nope, my brain tracked the audio as background noise, inserted whatever random plan or thought it had over the book, and before I knew it I was 2 chapters down and had no idea what just happened. Ugh! So, then I figured fine, I’ll only listen to audiobooks of books I’ve already read and cross my fingers the voices match. At least that way if I tune out for a chapter or 4 I’ve already read the book, so I know what happened. Problem solved, right? Wrong again. I was completely tuning the audiobook out altogether. So why was I even listening? Just give up. But I’m not a quitter. And I was starting to realize there were certain narrators who’s voices I really liked and connected with, and I wasn’t tuning them out. Whoa! It wasn’t the book I was losing interest in, it was the voice! What?!

I also found that I can focus on certain types of narration better than others. I’m really partial to duet style- where one female narrator reads all of the book’s female characters and one male narrator reads all of the book’s male characters. Some of my favorites actually have multiple narrators to help distinguish the characters even more, kind of like a cast recording. But a really good narrator can bring every character in the book to life on their own. And it’s absolutely fascinating!

And then there’s the matter of when and where I listen. It really is interesting how much where I listen makes a difference to me in how much I like the audiobook. I think my favorite place to listen is in the car. When I’m alone. Because even though my kids are teens and I know they read romance novels themselves, listening to it in the car with them still has a bit of an ick factor for me. I’m actually not in a place of comfort to listen to a romance novel audiobook with anyone else in the car with me. But when it’s just me on the road, audiobooks are my favorite companions. And yes, I have gotten some interesting looks at traffic lights when I forgot what I was listening to and had the windows down on a nice day.

I’ve also discovered that audiobooks are a great way to multitask. I felt guilty for several months because I was neglecting my knitting for reading. Bizarre, I know. But I would get so involved in a book and I didn’t want to stop reading to do anything, including knit. My yarn was giving me some serious side-eye as it sat in the basket next to me while I lavished all my time on my Kindle. I practically heard my needles squeal with excitement when I put on a pair of headphones, started an audiobook, and picked up my knitting. But here again, it has to be a project that complements the story. No, I don’t mean a book about knitting. I mean the project has to be a simple one that doesn’t involve a lot of pattern reading or I zone out from the book, or the pattern, and that doesn’t end well.

As usual, while writing this my brain squirrels were at work throwing questions at me about everything from how a narrator reads the emotional or sex scenes without getting upset or embarrassed. Or do they cringe through it? And how do the narrators feel about audiobooks in general? Do they ever listen to the audiobook once they’re done recording it? I know most performers don’t like to watch video of themselves, and many authors don’t go back and read their books after publication. Do narrators go back to listen to the chapters they didn’t record to get the whole story? And if they do, do they skip the parts they narrated? Some of my favorite narrators voice several characters in the same chapter of a book. How do they find those voices and switch back and forth so seamlessly? And thinking back to last week’s blog, do they use pen names? Or are they called stage names? So. Many. Questions! I needed answers. And I stepped out of my happy isolated introvert comfort zone to get them. I reached out to a narrator I’m connected to on Facebook through an author’s group. And he responded! And we talked on the phone. I spoke to the voice of some of my favorite characters. And I 100% fangirled over it. I asked him all of the questions I had and his answers were truly fascinating. I was going to make it part of this blog, but it’s really long as is. Guess what that means, my beautiful readers: you get a bonus blog! Interview with a Narrator will be published later this week. Stay tuned!